2011 loss: $773 million
The Denver-based broadband cable operator does most of its business in Europe, where its amping up market share. With a string of recent acquisitions, Liberty Global's revenues increased 5% last year, not including acquisitions, to $9.5 billion. Last year acquired Germany's third largest cable-television company for $4.5 billion (notably, it already owned the second largest), plus Poland's fourth-largest cable operator.
At the end of 2011, Liberty Global had 19.5 million customers in 14 countries, a number the company says is second in the worldonly to Comcast. It also saw 1.2 million organic subscriber additions, a 42% jump from 2010. The company landed on this list mostly via its leverage strategy -- it keeps high debts on the books ($25 billion at the end off 2011). Interest payments on that debt, debt modifications, and unfavorable exchange rate movements caused the hefty 2011 net loss.
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