BCE Beats Estimates as FIFA and AI Boosts Continue

BCE Inc. came ahead of analyst expectations in the third quarter, continuing to be buoyed by the FIFA World Cup and its artificial intelligence bet.

Canada’s biggest telecommunications firm by revenue earned 74 Canadian cents per share on an adjusted basis, more than the 70 cents expected by analysts in a Bloomberg survey, according to a Thursday statement. Net earnings were C$701 million ($502 million), down from C$4.6 billion in the prior-year period, which included a windfall from selling the company’s stake in Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment to Rogers Communications Inc.

Revenue was C$6.2 billion, 2.2% higher than last year and slightly above estimates.

“In the year since our Investor Day 2025, Bell’s Q3 results show responsible investment in key growth areas and steadfast execution of our long-term priorities,” Chief Executive Officer Mirko Bibic said in a statement.

Revenue in the company’s media business grew 9.7%, beating analyst estimates. The segment continued to benefit from airing the FIFA World Cup, which attracted subscriber and advertising revenue. Subscriptions for its streaming service, Crave, grew 21%.

The business markets division rose 9.2%, driven mainly by its AI segment. The company said in September that it plans to expand its data center campus in Saskatchewan to as much as 1.2 gigawatts of capacity.

Last month, BCE’s Bell Canada division agreed to sell a 49.9% stake in a newly formed wireless tower infrastructure company to Caisse de Dépôt et Placement du Québec for C$2.45 billion. The move will allow BCE to “strengthen the balance sheet and fund future key growth areas,” it said.

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BCE’s mobile division added 24,110 net postpaid subscribers over the quarter, nearly double the 12,599 a year earlier and modestly below the 24,920 expected by analysts. The company pointed to more customers moving away from prepaid options and lower levels of customer churn. Slowing population growth in Canada has decreased the pool of new wireless customers generally.

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BCE’s media division owns BNN Bloomberg Television, which has a content partnership with Bloomberg LP.