Well, I for one would cancel my Sky subscription - movies, included.
I get Sky for the football - Champions League, Spanish League, and Premier League - in that order. I have BT for the Bundesliga and Serie A. Ligue 1 is a bonus. I like Sky's coverage of F1 and the US Open tennis, but I'd live without them.
Sky's coverage of the Champions League is revolutionary in the UK and Ireland. Access to 15 of the 16 matches is a sensational proposition. Personally, as a huge football fan, I think it's worth the subscription alone.
However, if they lose the rights to the Champions League - or even to seven or eight of the matches on the red button - I'd question that subscription. It's not cheap, so you need to be getting your money's worth. BT Sport provide an excellent European domestic football service, so I'm not sure I could justify shelling out for Sky (I've got the full package) if I can get an adequate hit from BT at a much cheaper price.
I take the movies simply because there's not much value in NOT taking them when you take the sports pack. However, that house of cards would collapse for me if the CL rights are seriously compromised (i.e., Sky lose a night of red button choice). I'd be asking myself if I watch enough Premier League matches on Sky to justify the layout. I don't - and I can watch the Barclay's Premier League Review show (my personal preference for highlights over MOTD) on BT, along with whatever games they are showing. I'd also be asking myself if the Spanish League coverage justifies the layout. There's no easy alternative to this, but that would be a flimsy basis on which to continue lashing out quite as much as I am every month...
I realise I'm very much an exception - and I doubt too many think like me - but I do think the loss of even one night's CL coverage would be a hugely significant defeat for Sky. All of a sudden, people would be faced with a new reality that Sky are no longer the dominant provider, that others can successfully strip them of rights that they did have and did want to keep hold of. Sky charge a premium because people think that Sky is, effectively, the only game in town. Lose the CL and that perception changes.
For some people, paying for Sky provides them with the option of watching a match (or selection of matches). They may not actually watch a massive amount of games, but they like the option of watching a game if the mood takes. In that sense, I think the loss of CL rights would affect that "luxury good" sector of their audience - those that pay for the option of seeing something when they fancy it, rather than appointment-to-view types. If Sky lose the CL rights for even one night, my choice is restricted. I'm prepared to pay for the option of watching, say, Borussia Dortmund in the Champions League or to flip between match screens as a night progresses. Take that away from me, and I don't think I'll keep the movies. They've bugger all got to do with sport, but a plank of what makes the entire package attractive/essential to me is gone and then everything can collapse...
Archie.