[11-07-07 – Satellite Today]  DirecTV Group Inc. has increased third quarter revenues 18 percent compared to the third quarter of 2006, the company announced Nov. 7.
    The company reported revenues of $4.3 billion in the quarter ending Sept. 30, up from $3.6 billion last year. However, DirecTV’s operating profits fell 10 percent after depreciation and amortization, to $566 million. This loss was principally due to increased capitalization of customer equipment under the DirecTV U.S. lease program implemented in March 2006 and the consolidation of Sky Brazil. Also impacting the comparison was a non-cash pre-tax gain of $61 million associated with the DirecTV Brazil and Sky Brazil merger in the third quarter of 2006.     DirecTV now has more than 16.5 million subscribers in the United States, having added around 900,000 subscribers in the last year.