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Liberty Global Ltd.: Q2 FY2026 earnings call

What management said about Q2 FY2026, from the documents filed with the SEC on 24 July 2026: press release. Guidance figures: 1 raised, 5 kept. The quarter’s numbers.

Key takeaways

  • Broadband momentum across Benelux and Ireland: VodafoneZiggo posted positive broadband net adds of 7,200, its best quarter in over six years. Telenet posted its fifth consecutive quarter of positive broadband net adds. Source
  • Consolidated revenue and EBITDA declined: Total consolidated revenue was $1,172.0m, down 7.7% reported and 6.0% rebased. Total consolidated Adjusted EBITDA was $324.9m, down 3.1% reported. Source
  • VMO2 revenue and EBITDA fell on a rebased basis: VMO2 revenue was $3,220.3m, down 4.5% reported and 7.9% rebased, mainly from lower nexfibre construction revenue and consumer fixed revenue. Adjusted EBITDA was $1,180.3m, up 0.7% reported and down 2.2% rebased. Source
  • VMO2 full-fiber footprint reached 9 million: VMO2 full-fiber network reached 9 million premises, including the nexfibre network, with gigabit speeds across 18.8 million serviceable homes. Source
  • VodafoneZiggo postpaid net adds strongest since 2023: VodafoneZiggo postpaid mobile net adds were 31,700, the strongest since 2023, driven by B2C strength. Fixed ARPU rose 0.6% year-over-year. Source
  • Asset monetizations reached about $1.2bn: Year-to-date asset monetizations were about $1.2bn, including about $900m of Growth disposals and a about $340m asset-backed loan secured by a portion of the Wyre stake. Source
  • Ziggo Group spin-off advancing: Management said it made significant progress toward the Ziggo Group spin-off in 2027, including the announcement of Ziggo Group management in June and approval of the Wyre and Proximus fiber sharing agreement. Source
  • VodafoneZiggo acquisition expected to close July: The company said it remained on track to close the acquisition of Vodafone's 50% stake in Vodafone Ziggo by the end of July, with all approvals met. Source

“In the second quarter, we continued to execute against our strategic priorities including taking key steps towards unlocking value for shareholders”

Mike Fries, CEO

Guidance

AreaPeriodFigureAgainst last quarter
Ziggo Group spin-off timing Source2027as early as mid-2027
Liberty Global year-end corporate cash SourceDecember 31, 2026~$2.0 billionRaised from ~$1.5 billion
VMO2 full-year 2026 guidance SourceFull year 2026Total service revenue decline of 3 to 5% year-over-year, adjusted for the Daisy TransactionKept
VMO2 full-year 2026 guidance SourceFull year 2026Adjusted EBITDA decline of 3 to 5% year-over-year, adjusted for the Daisy TransactionKept
VMO2 full-year 2026 guidance SourceFull year 2026P&E additions £2.0-£2.2B; Adj. FCF around £200m; cash distributions to shareholders around £200mKept
VodafoneZiggo full-year 2026 guidance SourceFull year 2026Revenue stable to low-single digit decline; Adj. EBITDA mid- to high-single digit decline; P&E additions 23-25% of revenue; Adj. FCF around €100 million; no distributionsKept
Telenet full-year 2026 guidance (IFRS, excluding Wyre) SourceFull year 2026Revenue growth stable; Adj. EBITDAaL low-single digit growth; P&E additions around 20% of revenue; Adj. FCF return to positive around €20mKept

What changed from last quarter

  • Guidance kept: Ziggo Group spin-off timing moved from H2 2027 in the Q1 release to as early as mid-2027 in the Q2 release. Source
  • Guidance raised: Year-end corporate cash target raised from about $1.5 billion to about $2.0 billion. Source
  • New: Announcement of Ziggo Group management in June 2026. Source
  • New: Exit from the remaining stake in EdgeConneX for total proceeds of $604m. Source
  • New: Belgian Competition Authority approval of the fiber sharing agreement between Wyre and Proximus. Source
  • New: New MVNO partnership with Monzo announced by VMO2. Source
  • New: Asset-backed loan of about $340m (€300m) secured by a portion of the Wyre stake. Source

Results and growth drivers

  • Broadband momentum across Benelux and Ireland: VodafoneZiggo posted positive broadband net adds of 7,200, its best quarter in over six years. Telenet posted its fifth consecutive quarter of positive broadband net adds. Source
  • Consolidated revenue and EBITDA declined: Total consolidated revenue was $1,172.0m, down 7.7% reported and 6.0% rebased. Total consolidated Adjusted EBITDA was $324.9m, down 3.1% reported. Source
  • Telenet adjusted EBITDA rose: Telenet Adjusted EBITDA rose to $197.0m, up 6.4% reported and 4.8% rebased, driven by the Wyre MSA flowthrough and lower programming costs. Source

Segments and regions

  • VMO2 revenue and EBITDA fell on a rebased basis: VMO2 revenue was $3,220.3m, down 4.5% reported and 7.9% rebased, mainly from lower nexfibre construction revenue and consumer fixed revenue. Adjusted EBITDA was $1,180.3m, up 0.7% reported and down 2.2% rebased. Source
  • Telenet revenue fell on football rights exit: Telenet revenue was $753.1m, down 4.1% reported and 1.0% rebased. The decline reflects the non-renewal of Belgian football rights and a $13m VAT copyright adjustment, partly offset by the Wyre MSA reset. Source
  • Wyre EBITDA declined on higher MSA costs: Wyre Adjusted EBITDA was $141.6m, down 7.4% reported and 9.4% rebased, driven by higher costs under the arms-length Telenet MSA reset and higher labor costs. Source
  • Virgin Media Ireland revenue and EBITDA slipped: VM Ireland revenue was $122.4m, down 0.3% reported and 2.7% rebased. Adjusted EBITDA was $40.4m, down 2.4% reported and 4.7% rebased. Source
  • Liberty Growth revenue and EBITDA declined: Liberty Growth revenue was $110.8m, down 32.4% reported. Adjusted EBITDA was negative $25.7m, compared with negative $13.3m a year earlier. Source

“We remain focused on disciplined capital allocation and rotation, while continuing to execute our strategy and return value directly to shareholders”

Mike Fries, CEO

Products and customers

  • VMO2 full-fiber footprint reached 9 million: VMO2 full-fiber network reached 9 million premises, including the nexfibre network, with gigabit speeds across 18.8 million serviceable homes. Source
  • VMO2 consumer broadband and mobile net losses: VMO2 posted consumer broadband net losses of 28,200 and postpaid mobile net losses of 63,000. Fixed ARPU fell 4.6% year-over-year on promotional activity and a pounds-and-pence indexation accounting headwind. Source
  • VodafoneZiggo postpaid net adds strongest since 2023: VodafoneZiggo postpaid mobile net adds were 31,700, the strongest since 2023, driven by B2C strength. Fixed ARPU rose 0.6% year-over-year. Source
  • Telenet broadband and postpaid growth: Telenet added 6,100 broadband subscribers and 2,200 postpaid mobile subscribers. Fixed ARPU was broadly stable at -0.5% year-over-year. Source
  • VM Ireland postpaid growth continues: VM Ireland added 3,000 postpaid mobile subscribers, its sixth consecutive quarter of growth, and 7,200 wholesale broadband net adds. Retail broadband lost 5,000 subscribers. Source

Costs, margins and pricing

  • VMO2 EBITDA supported by cost efficiency: VMO2 Adjusted EBITDA was supported by cost efficiency programs, lower bad debt and reduced sales commissions from a change in amortization period, offset by lower total service revenue. Source
  • VodafoneZiggo EBITDA pressured by network investment: VodafoneZiggo Adjusted EBITDA fell 5.4% reported and 7.6% rebased, reflecting lower revenue, investment in network resilience, higher programming costs and increased marketing spend. Source
  • Wyre MSA reset affects Telenet and Wyre: The arms-length Wyre MSA reset, introduced in May and backdated to January 2026, raised Wyre costs and Telenet revenue and reduced Telenet wholesale fees. Source

Demand and the order book

  • Competitive intensity persists in Benelux and UK: Management said competitive intensity persisted in broadband and mobile markets across the UK, Belgium and the Netherlands, with promotional activity affecting pricing. Source
  • VodafoneZiggo B2B mobile loss: VodafoneZiggo postpaid growth was partly softened by the loss of some B2B contracts. Source

Capital, cash and returns

  • Asset monetizations reached about $1.2bn: Year-to-date asset monetizations were about $1.2bn, including about $900m of Growth disposals and a about $340m asset-backed loan secured by a portion of the Wyre stake. Source
  • Liberty Global liquidity and debt position: Liberty Global liquidity was $3,246.1m at June 30, 2026, including $1,610.1m cash at Liberty Global and unrestricted subsidiaries. Total principal of debt and finance leases was $8.4 billion, at a blended swapped cost of 3.8%. Source
  • Consolidated adjusted FCF was negative: Consolidated Adjusted FCF was negative $150.4m in the quarter and negative $469.7m year-to-date, compared with negative $201.2m and negative $342.4m a year earlier. Source
  • VMO2 shareholder distributions guided: VMO2 guided to cash distributions to shareholders of around £200m for 2026. Source

Strategy and investment

  • Ziggo Group spin-off advancing: Management said it made significant progress toward the Ziggo Group spin-off in 2027, including the announcement of Ziggo Group management in June and approval of the Wyre and Proximus fiber sharing agreement. Source
  • VodafoneZiggo acquisition expected to close July: The company said it remained on track to close the acquisition of Vodafone's 50% stake in Vodafone Ziggo by the end of July, with all approvals met. Source
  • Fiber network expansion across footprints: Wyre continued fiber deployment, with capex rising, in line with medium-term rollout targets. VM Ireland fiber rollout is on track to substantially complete in 2026 with about 40k connections built in the quarter. Source

People and leadership

  • Ziggo Group management announced: Ziggo Group management was announced in June 2026, as a key step ahead of the planned spin-off. Source

Coming up, as management said on 24 July 2026

  • VodafoneZiggo acquisition closing: Management said it remained on track to close the Vodafone 50% stake acquisition by the end of July, with all approvals met. Source
  • Ziggo Group spin-off timing: The Ziggo Group spin-off is planned as early as mid-2027, with listing of shares on Euronext Amsterdam anticipated. Source
  • Telenet 5G upgrade completion: Telenet remains on track to complete its 5G upgrade in mid-2026. Source
  • VM Ireland fiber rollout completion: Virgin Media Ireland fiber rollout is on track to substantially complete in 2026. Source
  • Telenet DAZN Jupiler league agreement: Telenet concluded a new agreement with DAZN for the domestic Jupiler pro league to return to Play Sports as of the 2026-2027 season. Source

Risks management discussed

  • Demand: Sustained competitive intensity in UK broadband and mobile markets, with promotional activity affecting fixed ARPU. Source
  • Demand: Continued competitive pressure in Telenet mobile and VM Ireland retail broadband. Source
  • Financial: Concentration of the Liberty Growth portfolio, with the top five investments above half of its value. Source
  • Operational: VodafoneZiggo EBITDA affected by investment in network resilience and service reliability. Source

Earlier plans management reported on

  • On track: Each OpCo stated it remains on track for full-year 2026 guidance. Source
  • On track: Management said the closing remained on track by end of July. Source
  • On track: Telenet said it remains on track to complete its 5G upgrade mid-2026. Source
  • On track: Management described significant progress against the steps for the spin-off. Source

Other quarters

Summarised with AI from the documents the company filed with the SEC. Every point is checked against the filing before it is shown: management’s own words word for word, figures against the line or table row they come from. A point that fails the check is left out. Source opens the filing at that line.