London: Sky, the European pay TV group that Rupert Murdoch is trying to buy, said it made a strong start to its latest financial year, with like-for-like revenue up 5 per cent and 160,000 new customers. Sky reported like-for-like first-quarter revenue of £3.3 billion (Dh16 billion, $4.4 billion) and core earnings of £582 million, up 11 per cent in the three months to end of September. Murdoch’s Twenty-First Century Fox bid for full control of the broadcaster was referred last month by the British government for a lengthy review to assess Murdoch’s commitment to British broadcasting standards and his influence in the media. Sky Chief Executive Jeremy Darroch was pleased with progress for the group, which offers broadband and fixed and mobile telecoms in addition to pay-TV in its biggest market in Britain, as well as pay-TV in Germany, Austria and Italy.