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How does Sky work?
zeebre12
Posts: 1,167 Forum Member
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Can anyone explain how Sky works?. I've always wanted to know, like how do different channels get on Sky? Do Sky pay certain popular channels to be on the platform or who pays who?, or like how do the minor channels like Filmon TV, Showcase get on the platform when they have a tiny audience?etc
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1] Channel space on the Astra satellite constellation (servicing Sky) is available to anyone with deep enough pockets, it's an open market. But the channel would by completely orphaned from the Sky platform, and could only be discovered through manual tuning or via a generic non-sky receiver box.
Which brings us nicely to :
2] For a fee, Sky will list such a channel in their EPG.
and alternatively
3] If it's a prime channel, part of the Sky subscription multichannel package, then obviously a different kind of deal is done, where the channels do get a small amount (literally pence I believe?) from the subscription revenue.
1.Massive amounts of marketing, a bigger marketing budget than most channels have for their tv budgets.
2. Buy up rights for things people value, so they have to get Sky - HBO content, movies, sports, HD versions of channels like 5HD, E4HD.
3. Increase prices every year.
4. Make as little original content as possible.
5. Make it as difficult as possible to cancel. If someone does cancel offer them a better deal.
It's actually VERY easy to cancel Sky.
After several phone calls, and offers from them to throw in movies and/or sports packages for an extra few pounds per month while we "have a think about it", we simply cancelled the direct debit with the bank.
Boom. There. We lost it 2 months later.
Sure we got letters from them asking for the 2 months worth of subscription, but I just ignored those.
Would that not affect your credit rating?
Nobody pays for a prime position, that would be a breach of the Broadcasting Act.
The five heritage PSB channels are guaranteed the first five EPG slots. Every other channel is allocated it's EPG slot on a first come, first served basis.
Sky doesn't get a share of ad revenue from ITV Encore, and does not fund the channel in any way. It does pay ITV for the channel to be exclusive to the Sky Digital platform though, as it does with many other channels.
And yet as a sports fan i have more 'original' content from them than any other broadcaster ever could of has done not to mention the stuff they buy in from the US etc!
Yes no one can pay for a good EPG slot
But there is no PSB guarantee for the 101 .... Slots
PSB channels .... Which are defined as ANY BBC servuce , the legacy PSB from analogue days viz ITV ch4 channel five and s4c. And now local TV
have to have appropriate prominence.
So sky has decided that yellow button for local TV n the sky platform ...
And the UK wide legacy analogue PSB have positions at the top of the EPG with the broadcasters indemnifying sky against any action as a result of the HD swaps ...
And other BBC channels have positions allocated
... And there is a Festering row over the position of CBBC and CBeebies ..
There is no guarantee of any EPG position for the PSB
Read section 310 of the Comms act 2003.
And the method if allocation of EPG from sky as required by ofcom
https://corporate.sky.com/documents/about-sky/policies/method_for_allocating_listings_in_skys_epg_july_2014.pdf
And the ofcom code
http://stakeholders.ofcom.org.uk/binaries/broadcast/other-codes/epgcode.pdf
I guess it depends on whether you followed the correct cancellation procedure and gave proper notice (31 days from day of cancellation instruction to stopping DD). If you did and SKY are just ignoring your instructions you'd properly have a case to appeal if it did affect your credit rating.
Their operators will do everything they can to persuade you to stay though, that's the real reason you have to speak to them and can't simply cancel by letter, including transferring you to another department if you're insistent, that they say will finalise the cancellation but never picks up! So you have to start the procedure all over again.
Surprised it took so long for someone to post comments like this...FFS!!!
Which of those points isn't actually true and accurate then? Okay. 4HD and 5HD are available via cable too. But neither are available FTA; which I assume was the point.
Okay, maybe point 5 isn't. I have no experience of a direct Sky sub
Live sport is definitely original and any programming is content, so you are wrong there.
Sky wouldn't be employing well over a hundred sport producers, plus countless freelancers if they weren't producing content.
Pointing a camera at any event that would happen regardless of whether they were there or not is not "creating original content".
If it were, the BBC could count their coverage of Glastonbury as "original content" but I don't think anyone (not even they or their staunchest supporter) would say that it is.
Neither is buying-in pre-made programmes.
They make a lot more than they used to, though. There was a time when the only original content on Sky One was cheap, sleazy Ibiza Exposed documentaries.
Do they all sell their own ad airtime or is all this done centrally?
This is why im all for the likes of BT and Netflix coming along to try and take Sky on.
Sky have had it there own way for far to long.
I do agree that Sky still seem to have some of the best content but others like I have said are trying there best to take Sky on.
Darren
I think it would. Sky use standard credit rating procedures and part of that will - more likely than not - include adding non-payment of debt to the subscriber's record.
I know it's a bait to get a sign up, but even then it's half price, and on a month to month basis. Why wouldn't everyone take this instead of Sky's own contract at £50-£60?
yes, and fair does to them. However, it's nowhere near as much as the main PSB channels, and it's - supposedly - under threat due to the new football deal.
We'll see if it manifests itself in original programming cuts.
Also it is said Sky is losing some of its customers to Now TV.
But it is true.
Yet I know someone who done the same thing, Sky did not do a thing and yet they also went back to Sky a couple of years later only to cancel it again 6 months into the contract and still nothing have been done. I bet Sky would take them back again,.
I doubt they are losing that much, if they do then you will see the price of Now Tv rise. Sky came out with Now Tv to take on Netflix and Amazon.
How much does the BBC pay Sky and for what?