AOL Revenues Worse Than Its Dial-Up Speeds
by John Paczkowski
Posted on April 30, 2008 at 5:00 AM PT
Time Warner’s AOL division posted financial results today, and while its revenue did not, as some investors worried, “fall off a cliff,” it’s clearly hanging on to one for dear life.
Revenue at the AOL unit slid 23% to $1.1 billion, with much of that decline stemming from a steep 28% drop-off in dial-up subscribers. Ad-revenue growth slowed markedly, rising just 1%. Disappointing news for Time Warner (TWX), which has been mulling the possible sale of AOL. With the MicroHoo merger on the horizon, the field of suitors for the division could narrow by two very quickly.
That said, today brought with it good news for Time Warner as well. The company reported first-quarter earnings that were largely in line with analyst expectations and announced plans to spin off its cable operation. “We’ve decided that a complete structural separation of Time Warner Cable, under the right circumstances, is in the best interests of both companies’ shareholders,” Time Warner CEO Jeff Bewkes said today in a statement. “We’re working hard on an agreement with Time Warner Cable, which we expect to finalize soon.”
