sky tv in business premises!!!! any answers?

[fergal71]

Hi everyone I would like to setup a thread or a forum to where , small to medium size businesses can share information relating to the monopoly sky tv has on its business customers. Sky has just increased its prices by approx 11% which for some publicans means a rise of anything from £50 -£200 per month. The bandings in which sky operates means the smallest pubs with one or 2 TV's pay disproportianate amounts compared to huge pubs with vast numbers of TV's.

 

Pubs lose money if they do not have football on TV. The smoking ban has hit lots of business but small pubs already have a hard time keeping their head above water. This increase is the final straw. The strength this forum has in numbers is amazing and I feel this is another fight worth fighting.... please pass this thread to all your local publicans and maybe we can get a few law people on here to look at this ridiculous pricing structure SKY tv operates.....

 

any advice would be much apprecaited...

[buzby]

Well, Sky say they charge what the customers will pay - and if they don't, they'll have to adjust their pricing. You could course have cable, or arrange your football from alternative satellite feeds whilst Sky wonder why their profits are down, but at the end of the day, it is what commerce is all about - freedom of choice.

[fergal71]

hi bizby I can not find another supplier who will offer the football package in pubs other than sky ??????

 

sky seems to have monopoly

[IdaInFife]

You can get Setanta sports. Different games though if you look on their website it will tell you what games they are going to be shown. Most Scottish pubs have them as they have the right to the SPL games and not sky .

[fergal71]

do you happen to know how much to have setanta in business premises and through which provider as I can not find anywhere....

[IdaInFife]

Hi, Sorry I don't know the costs but here's their customer services number 08700506980

 

 

idax

[buzby]

Many of the independent satellite suppliers know where the relevant (free to air) satellite feeds are, avoiding the cost of Sky and Setanta. Not all games are shown (as they can be encrypted by the EBU) but any competent dealer can advise whether the alternative services are worth having.

[Publican]

I have had Sky in my pub for many years and almost every year had to make the decision to keep it or drop it following an increase in rental. The latest increase of 9-11% quoted by Sky is added to by the fact that they base their rates on business rates so my own actual increase is 49%. This fact is not highlighted in the trade press as Sky are their customers. In fact the two editorials in "The Morning Advertiser" look suspicously as though they have been written by Sky.

As well as these prices they also have a Sky Ultimate package for an extra £60 a month.

People in the trade generally do not like this situation but as Sky have the monopoly we either have to pay it or lose it.

I am very sure that Sky is not worth the price that they are now asking and am very inclined to dump it, but I will think it through for a few days.

Anybody thinking of entering this trade should only consider business premises that can be run without Sky.

When I decide what to do I will post the decision here.

[buzby]

The reason why you think the story was written by Sky, Mr P, is that it was! As the paper puslished a Press Release and was printed verbatim. This is a common tactic where the editor (or publisher) is unaware of the real issues affecting users, and print it at face value as a cheap way of stopping the adverts bumping not each other!

 

Why not contact the paper with your concerns? It might not change anything, but they might not accept another release so readily if they know of the issues. That, and it might just cause Sky Pubs a small bit of embarrassment!

[Publican]

Thanks for your comments Raymond, I did contact the MA editor over a week ago but no reply has been received to date.

As I say, I will keep the site informed of any progress or not.