[Satellite TODAY 02-26-13] Mexico-based Grupo Televisa has announced its 2012 fourth-quarter profit increased 36 percent because more Mexicans signed up for satellite and cable television services. Additionally, net income for the company rose to 3 billion pesos ($235 million) from 2.17 billion pesos the year before.

  Televisa’s profit surpassed the 2.6 billion pesos average analyst estimate compiled by Bloomberg. Also, sales rose 8.2 percent to 19.8 billion pesos, just above the 19.6 billion estimated.

   As viewers increasingly turn to the Internet and cable channels, the company’s broadcast networks’ growth has slowed down. Thus, Televisa is now focusing more on its pay-TV business for expansion. Satellite subscriptions rose 5.5 percent from the previous quarter to 5.2 million, while cable-TV accounts grew 2 percent to 2.3 million.

Broadcast advertising sales increased 3.6 percent from the same period in 2011 to 7.7 billion pesos.