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Old 25-04-2013, 20:38
muppetman11
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Thanks for that information muppetman11. It's not a development that I was familiar with, but I've just read up on it a little, and see that BSkyB have been involved in its development.

If I've understood it correctly, its benefits are that satellite has the bandwidth to deliver high-quality and volumes of content to the home, but it can then be distributed around the home through an ethernet-based network.

I think I understand how it would work in practice, without having technical expertise of the detail.
Yes that's exactly how I read it , certainly looks good , try googling IP-LNB
Re Sat Broadband - £65 a month for an unlimited package or £45 for only a 30GB allowance. Ouch! I didn't know it cost that much.

http://www.toowaybroadband.co.uk/order_now.php
It's not satellite broadband , it allows satellite program's to be distributed like traditional IPTV over any IP network.

I've just given notice on my ESPN just waiting on pricing for BT's Sports channel now.
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Old 25-04-2013, 20:52
casinoman13
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Yes that's exactly how I read it , certainly looks good , try googling IP-LNB

It's not satellite broadband , it allows satellite program's to be distributed like traditional IPTV over any IP network.

I've just given notice on my ESPN just waiting on pricing for BT's Sports channel now.
Surely 12.00pound month would be a realistic figure?
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Old 25-04-2013, 23:37
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The business customer section of the BT Sport website has been updated, bit more information on it now.

https://btsportbusiness.com/
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Old 26-04-2013, 13:43
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BT have won the right to appeal the CAT's decision on Sky Sports pricing.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2013...ts-price-bskyb

Will be heard in the next few weeks apparently.

Nomura have done some interesting research on BT. They are also forecasting a 60 percent increase in the cost of Champions League rights.
29% expressed interest in subscribing to BT Sports.

33% would pay GBP 10 or more per month. 51% would pay GBP 5 p.m.

Only 7% would look to switch to BT if BT keeps BT Sports exclusive.

27% of Sky subscribers and 37% of VMED users might move TV and broadband to BT if BT were cheaper. The majority said the BT bundle would need to be GBP 10 cheaper or the Sports channels given free.

Only 4% said they were likely to move to Pay TV in the next 12 months.

17% said they were likely to upgrade to high-speed broadband in the next year, with interest greatest with Sky and Talk Talk users. Matt has upgraded Sky fibre projections with his report, and we remain confident that the BT Sports launch will help to accelerate the pace of fibre adoption in the UK – a key driver of Openreach valuation.
http://www.economy-news.co.uk/shares...ressure-453543
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Old 26-04-2013, 14:06
1andrew1
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BT have won the right to appeal the CAT's decision on Sky Sports pricing.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2013...ts-price-bskyb

Will be heard in the next few weeks apparently.
Interesting and those interested in upcoming TV providers might be interested in the final paragraph.

Meanwhile I see Sky has cleverly repackaged its services to effectively increase the price of Sky Sports in some circumstances without explicitly raising the price. http://forums.digitalspy.co.uk/showp...7&postcount=36
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Old 26-04-2013, 14:17
mogzyboy
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Meanwhile I see Sky has cleverly repackaged its services to effectively increase the price of Sky Sports in some circumstances without explicitly raising the price. http://forums.digitalspy.co.uk/showp...7&postcount=36
Not quite. That poster has interpreted it wrongly. You can still have only 'Basic' Entertainment (£21.50), SS £21.00), and HD £10.25) making it £52.75).

The 'extra' £5 for HD that he mentions there is if you take the premium stuff (Sports/Movies).

Essentially, though, the prices are identical, but arrived at in a slightly (unnecessarily complicated in my view, hence that post) different way.

*Oh...re-read what you sid and now realise that you almost certainly already knew that. I now get your point. My bad...
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Old 26-04-2013, 14:23
mlt11
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BT have won the right to appeal the CAT's decision on Sky Sports pricing.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2013...ts-price-bskyb

Will be heard in the next few weeks apparently.
I would be surprised if the appeal process is completed before the start of the next football season.

These things normally take a very long time and even once the case is heard it can then often be months before the Court actually issues its verdict.

I can only think that in this case maybe the Court of Appeal has decided to fast track it given how long the CAT process took and the immediate impact the verdict could have on the different parties.

We'll have to see what happens.
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Old 26-04-2013, 14:28
mlt11
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Not quite. That poster has interpreted it wrongly. You can still have only 'Basic' Entertainment (£21.50), SS £21.00), and HD £10.25) making it £52.75).

The 'extra' £5 for HD that he mentions there is if you take the premium stuff (Sports/Movies).

Essentially, though, the prices are identical, but arrived at in a slightly (unnecessarily complicated in my view, hence that post) different way.

*Oh...re-read what you sid and now realise that you almost certainly already knew that. I now get your point. My bad...
Can you?

If you go into this page (see link) it won't let you choose Entertainment, Sports and HD.

http://www.sky.com/quickbuy/build

EDIT: This thread appears to confirm it - you can't now have Entertainment, Sports and HD.

http://forums.digitalspy.co.uk/showthread.php?t=1818153

Obviously existing customers are unaffected. But if anyone was looking to get Sky for the first time and has no interest in the Entertainment Extra channels then their price has just gone up £5.
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Old 26-04-2013, 14:46
mogzyboy
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Can you?

If you go into this page (see link) it won't let you choose Entertainment, Sports and HD.

http://www.sky.com/quickbuy/build

EDIT: This thread appears to confirm it - you can't now have Entertainment, Sports and HD.

http://forums.digitalspy.co.uk/showthread.php?t=1818153

Obviously existing customers are unaffected. But if anyone was looking to get Sky for the first time and has no interest in the Entertainment Extra channels then their price has just gone up £5.
My mistake.

I saw the thread that Andrew posted above the other day and one contributor (also wrong, obviously) said you could. Unless he was referring to existing customers, which may have been the case. Ah well.

I'm sure the CS team would negotiate...
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Old 26-04-2013, 14:51
mlt11
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My mistake.

I saw the thread that Andrew posted above the other day and one contributor (also wrong, obviously) said you could. Unless he was referring to existing customers, which may have been the case. Ah well.

I'm sure the CS team would negotiate...
Yes, I'm sure existing customers aren't affected at all by any changes like this - just like they weren't affected by the switch from 6 basic packages to Entertainment and Entertainment Extra.

But it's a very substantial rise for new customers and whilst some people may negotiate, most won't. This will gain Sky a lot of revenue - whilst total customer numbers are now nearly flat, that still means 1m join and 1m leave every year.

So that's a significant number of people who could be paying higher prices within a fairly short space of time.

Again, so much for the price war some people were expecting!

It's also a way of segmenting the market to a greater degree - ie price is unchanged for "bottom tier" who just want Entertainment + Sports with no HD.

ie Get more money out of well off people who are price inelastic but don't lose poorer people on lower package who are much more price elastic.
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Old 26-04-2013, 14:59
casinoman13
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The business customer section of the BT Sport website has been updated, bit more information on it now.

https://btsportbusiness.com/
Interesting still no news on commentary front...I wonder as was first reported they are still struggling to find a main co-commentator for prem matches?
A few names on the main commentators have been mentioned but none as to whom may also be calling the action.
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Old 26-04-2013, 14:59
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Yes, I'm sure existing customers aren't affected at all by any changes like this - just like they weren't affected by the switch from 6 basic packages to Entertainment and Entertainment Extra.

But it's a very substantial rise for new customers and whilst some people may negotiate, most won't. This will gain Sky a lot of revenue - whilst total customer numbers are now nearly flat, that still means 1m join and 1m leave every year.

So that's a significant number of people who could be paying higher prices within a fairly short space of time.

Again, so much for the price war some people were expecting!
Yes that's what I've always said, when you have two channels bidding so much money for the rights, prices for the subscribers for sports will go up, despite some saying competition is good. Thank goodness I'm an excisting customer for Sky Sports, but I can still eventually see Sky Sports going up alot for myself and others.
Ian.
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Old 26-04-2013, 15:05
mogzyboy
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Again, so much for the price war some people were expecting!
Indeed, unless the 'real war' will begin in the summer when BT give some pricing information.

Having said that, there have been quite a few of the 50% codes doing the rounds this last month or so.

MoneySavingExpert had it's third batch within the last month go live the other day - 10,000-15,000 codes a pop I believe. Obviously not every single code will be used by those that claim them, but I'd expect the majority would be.
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Old 26-04-2013, 15:19
d'@ve
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Seems to me like just another move by Sky towards amalgamating the HD charge into packages - lower tier packages with no HD, higher tier packages with HD. Perhaps to stop us all complaining about the "anachronistic £10 HD charge". That would also deter people like me from dropping their HD subscription, because it would automatically downgrade the channel package! They have maybe had a lot of HD subscription cancellations, or too much churn on that?

I see no overall change to pricing for me if I want SS + the minimum other channels, whether or not I am an existing customer or not. But if I am an existing customer, I retain the £5 discount they gave me on Entertainment Extra when they re-bundled the non-premium packages. If I leave then come back, I lose the fiver.
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Old 26-04-2013, 15:20
mlt11
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The OFCOM Pay TV ruling also makes price war very unlikely re Sky Sports.

Because for every £1 Sky moves the Sky Sports price up or down the wholesale price paid by VM / BT goes up or down by the same £1.

So Sky can't gain any competitive advantage by cutting SS price to own customers.

And Sky knows that if they raise SS price to own customers then wholesale price goes up which means VM / BT will have to increase price they charge their customers for SS (unless VM / BT want to absorb it which is unlikely, certainly not for long - and probably not worth it anyway).
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Old 26-04-2013, 15:35
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The OFCOM Pay TV ruling also makes price war very unlikely re Sky Sports.

Because for every £1 Sky moves the Sky Sports price up or down the wholesale price paid by VM / BT goes up or down by the same £1.

So Sky can't gain any competitive advantage by cutting SS price to own customers.

And Sky knows that if they raise SS price to own customers then wholesale price goes up which means VM / BT will have to increase price they charge their customers for SS (unless VM / BT want to absorb it which is unlikely, certainly not for long - and probably not worth it anyway).
But it could reduce the hd charge without affecting sky sports wholesale price, that would be one way of trying to retain sports HD customers.
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Old 26-04-2013, 15:46
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Any news on any plan [or lack of] that BT has for the Irish market?
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Old 26-04-2013, 15:55
mlt11
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But it could reduce the hd charge without affecting sky sports wholesale price, that would be one way of trying to retain sports HD customers.
Correct.

And you've spotted something which may explain this pricing change.

The cost of basic channels also comes into the SS wholesale charge calculation - that may seem bizarre at first sight but it is actually the case!

The way it works is that all TV revenues come in (including multiroom but not HD) and this is used to calculate weighted average price a Sky customer with SS is paying - including basic channels. (Then the costs of providing the basic channels are allowed for together with the retailer margin to get back to the regulated wholesale price - though this allowance is fixed, it just rises with RPI).

It's all explained around 536/659 - paragraph headed:

"Different packages of basic channels: we have calculated a weighted average retail price across basic channel mixes"

So what this means is that it is in Sky's interests to reclassify the price a Sky customer pays from HD to basic channels - as it will inflate the SS wholesale charge to VM / BT!!!!

Very, very, clever!!!!

http://stakeholders.ofcom.org.uk/bin..._statement.pdf
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Old 26-04-2013, 16:01
mogzyboy
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Correct.

And you've spotted something which may explain this pricing change.

The cost of basic channels also comes into the SS wholesale charge calculation - that may seem bizarre at first sight but it is actually the case!

The way it works is that all TV revenues come in (including multiroom but not HD) and this is used to calculate weighted average price a Sky customer with SS is paying - including basic channels. (Then the costs of providing the basic channels are allowed for together with the retailer margin to get back to the regulated wholesale price - though this allowance is fixed, it just rises with RPI).

It's all explained around 536/659 - paragraph headed:

"Different packages of basic channels: we have calculated a weighted average retail price across basic channel mixes"

So what this means is that it is in Sky's interests to reclassify the price a Sky customer pays from HD to basic channels - as it will inflate the SS wholesale charge to VM / BT!!!!

Very, very, clever!!!!

http://stakeholders.ofcom.org.uk/bin..._statement.pdf
Absolutely fascinating stuff. Thanks for that.
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Old 26-04-2013, 16:20
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Daily Mail The broadcaster, who will air 38 Premier League games next season, confirmed the news on Twitter that Van Persie will appear alongside Gareth Bale in ad campaigns for their coverage.
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/foo...=feeds-newsxml
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Old 26-04-2013, 16:41
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Not strictly BT related but interesting to note that, from their results presentation next Thursday onwards, Sky will alter how they calculate the amount of new subscribers added and will apparently not distinguish between new Sky subscribers and new Now TV subscribers.
On May 2nd when CEO Jeremy Darroch unveils BSkyB’s latest quarterly results, the DTH numbers will be merged with its ‘NOW TV’ numbers and a single ‘Customer Number’ will be used. NOW TV is Sky’s pay-as-you-go movies and sport service which while perfectly appealing to many viewers has no monthly subscription obligation. One well-regarded analyst, Sarah Simon of Berenberg Bank, stated “We believe that, even if the rationale behind it is understandable, the market may not welcome this change in reporting, which reduces clarity on operating progress.”
http://advanced-television.com/2013/...dth-reporting/

If recent trials are anything to go by we may also see Sky announce a Now TV set top box next week, manufactured by Roku. It's been in the works since late last year,

http://mobile.bloomberg.com/news/201...v-service.html

BT's 4th quarter results are due on May 10th, which would seem like a fairly good time to announce more details about BT Sport (pricing in particular).
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Old 26-04-2013, 16:48
mlt11
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Not strictly BT related but interesting to note that, from their results presentation next Thursday onwards, Sky will alter how they calculate the amount of new subscribers added and will apparently not distinguish between new Sky subscribers and new Now TV subscribers.

http://advanced-television.com/2013/...dth-reporting/
Agreed - this will make it much more awkward to analyse.

I can understand Sky are doing this but one presentational downside is surely that it will depress ARPU - so actually maybe a bit surprising they are doing this.

I guess they allowed ARPU to be depressed by including broadband / phone only customers in the ARPU calculation so maybe they don't see it as a big issue (or maybe they'll do something different with ARPU).

EDIT: Posted before reading article so some duplication!
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Old 26-04-2013, 17:19
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Daily Mail The broadcaster, who will air 38 Premier League games next season, confirmed the news on Twitter that Van Persie will appear alongside Gareth Bale in ad campaigns for their coverage.
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/foo...=feeds-newsxml
Now that is quite a coup for BT. GB + RVP will certainly catch the eye of any football fan! And they are directly relevant to the Premier League, unlike for example David Beckham who is more of a showbiz personality these days (albeit an eye-catching one but at undoubtedly a much higher price than BG + RVP!)
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Old 26-04-2013, 17:24
d'@ve
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Not strictly BT related but interesting to note that, from their results presentation next Thursday onwards, Sky will alter how they calculate the amount of new subscribers added and will apparently not distinguish between new Sky subscribers and new Now TV subscribers.
The suspicion will be that they are doing this to disguise a first-time drop (or stagnation) in subscriber numbers...
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Old 26-04-2013, 17:56
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Advanced Television Sarah Simon of Berenberg Bank, stated “We believe that, even if the rationale behind it is understandable, the market may not welcome this change in reporting, which reduces clarity on operating progress.”
The suspicion will be that they are doing this to disguise a first-time drop (or stagnation) in subscriber numbers...
I wonder what Sarah Simon's understanding is? To simplify matters? Now TV's subscriber numbers at the moment are insignificant (think I've heard 25,000 banded around) so adding these in now won't make any sizeable difference now.
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