[motor mouth]

Sky is to show the first episode of the new series of 24 on its Sky Travel channel as well as Sky One, allowing viewers in Freeview homes to see the beginning of the cult series.

A two-hour special of Day 4 will air at 9pm on 30 January on both channels, although the remaining episodes will be broadcast exclusively on Sky One.

Sky will be hoping Freeview viewers will be so hooked by the new show that they will want to upgrade to a satellite package.

A Sky spokesman said: "The exhibition on Sky Travel gives a wider audience an opportunity to enjoy two hours of amazing television. We think that many Sky Travel viewers without access to Sky One will value the opportunity to watch such a great example of the channel's premium US drama offering."

New faces brought in to support leading man Kiefer Sutherland, who plays 24’s counter-terrorist agent Jack Bauer, include Oscar-nominated actress Shohreh Aghdashloo.

[Psycho Jack]

Oooo, the little so and so's!

Was there a press release?

[motor mouth]

On BroadcastNow.

I have a feeling the rest of the series will be shown on Sky Travel but not for a long time.

They have got the Free-to-air rights after all and by showing the first episode on Sky Travel it knocks the price a bit had they considered selling them to another broadcaster.

If the viewing share on Sky Travel is huge for 24, we should expect more tricks like this from Sky.

[skytv-viewer]

Your not Kidding, very big news for Freeviews fans (even though its just the first 2 hours, I've heard these episodes are like a movie)

Good idea if you ask me, i'm sure it will maximise the ratings as well, expect wall to wall advertising for this on lots of other stations too (FIVE, C4 , ITV etc)

[Psycho Jack]

Originally Posted by motor mouth

On BroadcastNow.

I have a feeling the rest of the series will be shown on Sky Travel but not for a long time.

They have got the Free-to-air rights after all and by showing the first episode on Sky Travel it knocks the price a bit had they considered selling them to another broadcaster.

If the viewing share on Sky Travel is huge for 24, we should expect more tricks like this from Sky.

Yea, I can see them exploiting that.

I'd say they'll start repeating them on Travel after the season has finished.

I’ll promise you the repeats will get more viewers that the originals!

[the-med]

Expect to be hooked. This series is going to be one of the best - if not the best. Remember Sunday 30th January at 9pm on Sky One/Travel.

[paulsalter]

Sounds ok, but what is the point it watching part of something if you cant see the rest of it

[Psycho Jack]

Originally Posted by the-med

Expect to be hooked. This series is going to be one of the best - if not the best. Remember Sunday 30th January at 9pm on Sky One/Travel.

Woah! Dejavu... I'm sure you've said that before.

Seriously . . . are you getting paid for this?

[Psycho Jack]

Originally Posted by paulsalter

Sounds ok, but what is the point it watching part of something if you cant see the rest of it

None whatsoever.

It's just a very clever ploy imo.

[skytv-viewer]

Its wierd that Sky have a Freeview channel and I have never (or anyone I know) watched a single thing on it. I watched Long way Round on Sky One which i would have watched if I hadn't already seen it !

But Sky could make this channel huge if they wanted, by putting on all there big Exclusive shows on Sky Travel (even 1 year later) this channel would be massive. Just think having 24, Battlestar Galactica, Cold Case, Rescue Me and Las Vegas on their, Freeview would instantly be improved greatly.

[motor mouth]

Originally Posted by paulsalter

Sounds ok, but what is the point it watching part of something if you cant see the rest of it

Lots of people wont know that you wont be getting to see the next episode.

[Psycho Jack]

Originally Posted by skytv-viewer

Its wierd that Sky have a Freeview channel and I have never (or anyone I know) watched a single thing on it. I watched Long way Round on Sky One which i would have watched if I hadn't already seen it !

But Sky could make this channel huge if they wanted, by putting on all there big Exclusive shows on Sky Travel (even 1 year later) this channel would be massive. Just think having 24, Battlestar Galactica, Cold Case, Rescue Me and Las Vegas on their, Freeview would instantly be improved greatly.

I'd be first in line for one if that were the case!

[motor mouth]

Originally Posted by skytv-viewer

Its wierd that Sky have a Freeview channel and I have never (or anyone I know) watched a single thing on it. I watched Long way Round on Sky One which i would have watched if I hadn't already seen it !

But Sky could make this channel huge if they wanted, by putting on all there big Exclusive shows on Sky Travel (even 1 year later) this channel would be massive. Just think having 24, Battlestar Galactica, Cold Case, Rescue Me and Las Vegas on their, Freeview would instantly be improved greatly.

I think if they did this, it would probably get bigger ratings that Five/Channel 4/BBC2 (freeview ratings that is), but it doesnt make Sky that attractive if you get all the good programmes on Sky Travel anyway.

[paulsalter]

Originally Posted by motor mouth

Lots of people wont know that you wont be getting to see the next episode.

That is very true

I would expect them to be a bit annoyed though at the end when it mentions the rest of the episodes are on Sky One only

[dpb]

I was surprised last series didn't appear on Sky Travel after it finished on Sky One seeing as they spent all that money....

Doesn't bother me now as I've got the DVD for last series.

For this series, I'll be assigning my brother the task of recording them all :-)

its to make people ditch freeview and tempt them to sky

[chrisdafur]

Originally Posted by skytv-viewer

Freeview would instantly be improved greatly.

I think thats why they arent doing it!!!

[qpegasus]

Originally Posted by skytv-viewer

But Sky could make this channel huge if they wanted, by putting on all there big Exclusive shows on Sky Travel (even 1 year later) this channel would be massive. Just think having 24, Battlestar Galactica, Cold Case, Rescue Me and Las Vegas on their, Freeview would instantly be improved greatly.

Exactly....and Freeview is serious competition for Sky. The shows you mention are the reason most people sign up for Sky (along with the movie channels). Even if they did wait a year or so it would still significantly affect them.

Sky news doesnt exactly have people rushing out to buy a freeview box, and Sky travel is there because they make money from their travel shop.

I dont see 24 (the full series that is) ever appearing on sky travel.

Personally I didnt see series 3 till the DVD came out, and thought it was well worth the wait. Watch it in your own time, DVD quality, no adverts.

[Netizen]

Well it just goes to show they were lying when they said Travel wouldn't be turned into an entertainment channel after all. They really need to change it's name or launch a new channel altogether, after all who's going to look for episodes of 24 on a travel themed channel?

[Hamlet77]

The B******s, tempting people like me who positively refuse to subscribe to Sky to tempt and tease us poor Freeviewers with the start of what I believe to be still the best programme on the telly, probably with a convenient reminder of how to get Sky One every ad break.

As I say B******s, give 'em their due though, it is a rather good marketting ploy. If it works might start happening with other programmes.

Watch this space to see if H77 finally succombs.

[andyk22]

Originally Posted by Hamlet77

The B******s, tempting people like me who positively refuse to subscribe to Sky to tempt and tease us poor Freeviewers with the start of what I believe to be still the best programme on the telly, probably with a convenient reminder of how to get Sky One every ad break.

As I say B******s, give 'em their due though, it is a rather good marketting ploy. If it works might start happening with other programmes.

Watch this space to see if H77 finally succombs.

Well what do you expect.

It gets free press attention , can you see the story tomorrow , and on the next page , to see the whole series of 24 subscribe to Sky now. By giving people a taste of what Sky has to offer hopefully it will tempt them to upgrade (Battlestar Galactica, 24 , Las Vegas , Cold Case , Nip/Tuck , Entertainment Today , Rescue Me , Dead Like Me).

By showing people what exclusive content Sky has with Sky Travel it's basically so people will trade up , put the freeview box in the kitchen TV and get Sky for the living room.

Select reviews are saying all the changes made to the series have made it bigger and better , so much the series will run non stop through till May which is unprecedented in America where often networks are wary of paying upfront for 24 episodes of a series without an initial indicator of how well it will do.

[jaxconrad]

Interesting news, does seem silly having 24 on a Travel channel though. Wished they rename it, if only to make it a big more generic sounding.

Perosnally I think they should go the whole hog and just make Travel Sky One or Sky Lite. hen you think about it, in say 10 years time, everyone will have freeview, because analogue will be switched and the majority of people are likely to opt for DTT/Freeview TV, as a large number of people have 2-4 TV sets in a house and they are not going to get 4 Sky boxes and pay for all those additional subs. The most likely outcome IMHO is that 98% of the population with have some form of Digital terrestrail TV (about the same who have a TV at the mo) other will have Sky and most likely DTT on the other TV's in the house. This being the case, DTT will be the dominant platform, its just logic. Therefore, it would make a great deal of sense for Sky to convert Sky Travel into its Sky One type channel. What better advertisment for Sky, than having your most watched channel on the rival platform, with regular promos for the other Sky channels on it to further tempt viewers to also get Sky.

Anyhoo, back to 24. Can't see them airing it on Travel having much impact. Unless they heavily promote it, most people will be unaware that it'll also be on, also will they be hooked enough after just 2 episodes? It would be better (for Sky) to offer up to Sky Travel viewers the first 6 weeks and once people are truly hooked, then make them subscribe to Sky!

Originally Posted by clivegriffiths

Interesting news, does seem silly having 24 on a Travel channel though. Wished they rename it, if only to make it a big more generic sounding.

Perosnally I think they should go the whole hog and just make Travel Sky One or Sky Lite. hen you think about it, in say 10 years time, everyone will have freeview, because analogue will be switched and the majority of people are likely to opt for DTT/Freeview TV, as a large number of people have 2-4 TV sets in a house and they are not going to get 4 Sky boxes and pay for all those additional subs. The most likely outcome IMHO is that 98% of the population with have some form of Digital terrestrail TV (about the same who have a TV at the mo) other will have Sky and most likely DTT on the other TV's in the house. This being the case, DTT will be the dominant platform, its just logic. Therefore, it would make a great deal of sense for Sky to convert Sky Travel into its Sky One type channel. What better advertisment for Sky, than having your most watched channel on the rival platform, with regular promos for the other Sky channels on it to further tempt viewers to also get Sky.

Anyhoo, back to 24. Can't see them airing it on Travel having much impact. Unless they heavily promote it, most people will be unaware that it'll also be on, also will they be hooked enough after just 2 episodes? It would be better (for Sky) to offer up to Sky Travel viewers the first 6 weeks and once people are truly hooked, then make them subscribe to Sky!

Will they not also click: "that was the 24 part series... and Sky are advertising it on Sky One... so this is just a con".

[andyk22]

Originally Posted by clivegriffiths

Interesting news, does seem silly having 24 on a Travel channel though. Wished they rename it, if only to make it a big more generic sounding.

Perosnally I think they should go the whole hog and just make Travel Sky One or Sky Lite. hen you think about it, in say 10 years time, everyone will have freeview, because analogue will be switched and the majority of people are likely to opt for DTT/Freeview TV, as a large number of people have 2-4 TV sets in a house and they are not going to get 4 Sky boxes and pay for all those additional subs. The most likely outcome IMHO is that 98% of the population with have some form of Digital terrestrail TV (about the same who have a TV at the mo) other will have Sky and most likely DTT on the other TV's in the house. This being the case, DTT will be the dominant platform, its just logic. Therefore, it would make a great deal of sense for Sky to convert Sky Travel into its Sky One type channel. What better advertisment for Sky, than having your most watched channel on the rival platform, with regular promos for the other Sky channels on it to further tempt viewers to also get Sky.

Anyhoo, back to 24. Can't see them airing it on Travel having much impact. Unless they heavily promote it, most people will be unaware that it'll also be on, also will they be hooked enough after just 2 episodes? It would be better (for Sky) to offer up to Sky Travel viewers the first 6 weeks and once people are truly hooked, then make them subscribe to Sky!

Sky have no plans to change Sky Travel , they are just showing the occasional broadcast in order to persude viewers to trade up from standard dtt to pay-tv digital.

As I said in an earlier post such a decision will no doubt garner press intrest and will benefit ratings for the screening on Sky Travel , Sky have no plans to make a Sky One Lite , as was said last year they are committed to pay television , this is merely showing what content they own in order to entice people to get Sky.

Why would Sky want to invest £££ in a Sky One lite when they can show the first episode on Sky Travel and hopefully encourage people to sign up to watch the rest of the series and earn the company £££ in subcription revenue.

[paul_hadley]

They should have something like Sky Picks on Freeview, which could show popular Sky shows like 24, Family Guy, Futurama, The Simpsons (although this would probably be impossible, as Channel 4 have all terrestrial rights), classic ER, Long Way Round, Sky Travel Shop, Sky Vegas Live, Mile High, etc.

I am very pleased it is available on Sky Travel, but surely 24 doesn't have anything to do with travelling, whereas when Sky One put Long Way Round on Sky Travel after the Sky One airings, it did.