Vodafone postponed the launch of its UK TV service until it “deems it necessary and commercially appropriate,” with the company instead set to prioritise the expansion of its home broadband business.

The company’s TV service suffered numerous delays since its initial announcement by group CEO Vittorio Colao in 2014. At the time, commercial launch was scheduled to take place alongside its home broadband service during spring 2015.

When the broadband service launched in June 2015, then UK CEO Jeroen Hoencamp said the TV service had been delayed until later in the year. Following further delays, in September 2016 rumours emerged the company planned a soft launch in parts of the UK by the end of the year.

In a written statement a Vodafone spokesperson said: “Our focus in the UK is on broadband, where we’re seeing good growth, driven by our industry leading decision to scrap line rental. We will look at launching TV in the UK when we deem it necessary and commercially appropriate.”

Competition is already strong in the UK quad play market with BT, Sky, TalkTalk and Virgin – owned by Liberty Global – all offering bundles of broadband, TV, mobile and fixed line services to customers.

Problems at home
Vodafone struggled in its home market over recent months. In its latest trading update the company reported revenue in the UK fell 19 per cent and service revenue declined 3.2 per cent year-on-year, which it attributed to competition in enterprise, lower MVNO revenues and the continued impact of roaming regulation.

However, the company did report good traction in its home broadband unit. Last year, Vodafone focused significant marketing efforts into the promotion of its UK fibre business. It attempted to differentiate the service from incumbent BT by removing line rental fees and promoting its lower price deals.