The financial result of Sunrise has indicated that its subscriber growth in 2024 was accompanied by a strategic approach to capital expenditures (Capex).
Sunrise has achieved an increase of 159,000 mobile postpaid RGUs (+6.0 percent) and 31,000 broadband Internet RGUs (+2.4 percent).
Sunrise’s Capex for the year declined by 5.2 percent to CHF 509.9 million, accounting for 16.9 percent of annual revenue. The reduction in Capex, particularly in the fourth quarter (–10.1 percent), suggests an emphasis on efficiency while maintaining network expansion and service enhancements to support continued customer acquisition and retention.
Improved customer loyalty, reflected in a more than 10 percent reduction in churn, indicates that Sunrise was able to sustain growth without proportionally increasing investments. The company’s focus on optimizing Capex while achieving steady subscriber growth aligns with its target of maintaining Capex at 15-16 percent of revenue in 2025.
Andre Krause, CEO of Sunrise, said: “After an action-packed year with a successful spin-off, our excellent networks and a pipeline full of innovations have driven a sustained commercial momentum in the fourth quarter and we successfully closed the year 2024.”
Innovation
In 2024, Sunrise drove customer growth through a revamped youth offering, online-only services, enhanced Internet security features, and high-profile advertising campaigns featuring Roger Federer and Marco Odermatt.
The Smart Upgrade and Flex Upgrade programs made smartphones more accessible with flexible payment, trade-in, and repair options, leading to a 7 percent year-on-year increase in device sales, countering the industry trend.
These programs accounted for over 65 percent of mobile phone sales. In November, Sunrise introduced the Sunrise TV Shop, simplifying the purchase and management of streaming services within its TV platform.
The number of over-the-top (OTT) partnerships doubled, with campaigns featuring Disney+ and Netflix reinforcing Sunrise TV’s role as an entertainment hub. The exclusive oneplus Sunrise Edition, now including Paramount+ content, further strengthened its streaming offerings and customer loyalty.
Sunrise’s revenue
In 2024, Sunrise’s revenue declined slightly by 0.6 percent year-on-year, totaling CHF 3,018.0 million. This was driven by ongoing price harmonization within the customer base and the absence of a price increase effect in the second half of the year.
Sunrise said the residential customer segment saw a revenue decline of 3.3 percent year-on-year, but this was largely offset by a 6.9 percent year-on-year growth in the business and wholesale segment. In the fourth quarter, revenue declined moderately by 1.3 percent year-on-year, reaching CHF 784.7 million.
Baburajan Kizhakedath
