Read up on the full press release here with commentary from Mediavision’s senior analyst Fredrik Liljeqvist.

Alphabet

• Consolidated Alphabet revenues in Q4 2024 increased 12% YOY to USD 96.5 billion.
• Google Services revenues increased 10% to USD 84.1 billion, reflecting strong momentum in YouTube ads, Google Search & other.
• The company also announced that it plans to invest USD 75 billion in capital expenditures in 2025 as it continues to expand on its artificial intelligence strategy.
• Alphabet shares fell as much as 9% in after-hours trading Tuesday after the company reported fourth-quarter results that missed on revenue expectations.

Apple

• Apple posted quarterly revenue of USD 124.3 billion for Q4, up 4 % YOY, and quarterly diluted earnings per share of USD 2.40, representing a 10% YOY increase.
• Apple’s services division, which includes subscriptions, warranties and licensing deals, reported USD 23.12 billion in revenue, marking a 14% increase compared to the same period last year.
• Although Apple’s overall sales rose during the quarter, iPhone sales declined slightly on a year-over-year basis.
• Apple’s shares rose about 3% in extended trading after the company gave a forecast for the upcoming quarter that suggested revenue growth.

Elisa

• Finnish operator Elisa posted a revenue increase of 2,9% YOY for Q4, totalling at EUR 580M, thereby marking the best quarter for revenue growth during the year.
• Mobile service revenue increased by 4.1% to EUR 255M, driven by strong 5G upsells.
• The number of fixed broadband subscriptions increased by 1,300 during the quarter.
• The Board of Directors proposed a dividend of EUR2.35 per share, marking the 11th consecutive year of increasing dividends.

Meta

• Meta shares were up slightly in after-hours trading following the company reports of fourth-quarter earnings that beat on the top and bottom lines.
• Revenue for Meta was USD 48.39 billion in Q4 2024, representing an increase of 21% YOY.
• Family daily active people (DAP) was 3.35 billion on average for December 2024, an increase of 5% YOY.
• The company’s Meta AI chatbot surpassed 700 million monthly active users, Chief Financial Officer Susan Li told analysts. That is up from 600 million in December, and Zuckerberg said he expects Meta AI to reach one billion users this year.

Spotify

• Spotify shares rose as much as 13% after the music streaming company recorded its first full year of profitability.
• Operating Income were EUR 477 million in Q4, meaning Spotify closed the fiscal year with EUR 1.14 billion in net income.
• Subscribers grew 11% YOY to 263 million in Q4 and monthly active users grew 12% YOY, to 675 million.
• Spotify’s total revenue was up 16% YOY to EUR 4.2 billion.

Telia

• Telia’s revenue increased 3% to SEK 23,724 million in Q4, and like for like, revenue increased 3.8%.
• Direct subscriptions video-on-demand (SVOD) increased by ~85,000 or 10,6% YOY in Q4.
• According to Telia, the exit from the UEFA Champions League rights in Sweden impacted revenue for the TV & Media segment less than expected, as the company delivered a 10,5% YOY improvement of EBITDA (earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization) 10,5% YOY following the reduction in content costs.
• Telia reiterated its outlook for 2025, which includes service revenue growth of around 2%, adjusted EBITDA growth of at least 5% and free cash flow of SEK 8 billion.

On Friday, the Swedish audiobook service Storytel announced a new acquisition. The company has acquired a 70 percent majority stake in Bokfabriken, one of Sweden’s largest general publishing houses. The current owners will retain a 30 percent stake, and Lasse Brahme will continue as CEO of Bokfabriken.

Bokfabriken was founded in 2012 and has become a key player in the Swedish publishing industry.  In 2023, Bokfabriken reported sales of 65.7 MSEK with an operating profit of 15.9 MSEK. Digital releases, encompassing over 500 audiobook titles, accounted for more than 70 percent of the publisher’s revenues in 2023, demonstrating the company’s digital focus.

“We are happy to welcome Bokfabriken to Storytel Group. Driven by entrepreneurship, they have established themselves as one of the leading publishers in the audio segment in Sweden and have a proven track record of publishing commercially successful content across various genres that resonates well with the Storytel audience. This acquisition marks an exciting new chapter for both companies, and we look forward to working together to bring even more fantastic stories to the world”, says Bodil Eriksson Torp, CEO Storytel Group.

With Storytel Group as the new majority shareholder, Bokfabriken will continue to develop both new and established authors as an independent unit within Storytel Group.

Research: Sweden adds 1m SVoD subs in 2024 – Advanced Television

Nytt rekord för stacking 2024  – Dagens Media

Rekordmånga har tillgång till illegal IPTV – Dagens Media

Research: Over 700,000 Swedish homes access pirate content – Advanced Television

Marie Nilsson: Med lite tur blir 2025 ett ljust medieår – Dagens Media

Svenske unge tilbringer næsten en time om dagen på at se videoer på sociale medier – Mediawatch

Apparna avslöjar svenskarnas dåliga vanor – Dagens Industri

Research: Half Norwegian households now have streaming bundles via operators – Advanced Television

2025 preview: Who drives scripted commissioning next year? – Nordisk Film & TV Fond

Tiktok störst bland unga – det blir konsekvenserna – Expressen

Stadig flere velger strømming med reklame: – Lar seg ikke skremme – Kampanje

Strømming med reklame fortsetter å vokse kraftig i Norge – KOM24