Canal Plus, the European pay-TV giant which has seen its shares more than double since November, reported 1999 turnover up by 16%.

Driven by its international businesses and film division Le Studio Canal Plus, the group saw revenues for its majority owned operations hit $3.33bn (euro3.29bn), up from $2.78 in the year to December.

While revenues from the domestic French pay-TV operations were up less than 5% at $1.46bn, TelePiu showed that there is still growth in the Italian market, climbing 39% from $357m to $497m. The smaller operations in Benelux and the Nordic region improved 19% to hit $217m. Excluded from the group results are the broadcast operations in Spain, French-speaking Belgium and East Europe where Canal Plus has minority interests. Similarly excluded is Multithematiques, the channel packaging division which is soon to be folded into a joint venture with Lagardere.

Le Studio Canal Plus, the film production and distribution arm, saw its revenues increase 36% from $65m to $88m. Revenues from rights management operation Canal Plus DA dropped from $117m to $88m, reflecting temporary unavailability of some of its library titles and the shifting of all new movie business to Le Studio.