Sky's New Prices and Subscription Line up.

Radio Ruderham · 04/07/05 - 10:59

Sky’s subscription prices going up again from September 1st the same time that Sky is creating six genre-based mixes of basic channels.: Variety; Kids; Knowledge; Style and Culture; Music; and News and Events. Subscribers can build their own package by selecting any two, any four or all six of the new channel mixes. They will pay £15 per month for a two-mix pack, £18 for a four-mix or £21 for all six mixes (known as the Entertainment Pack). Customers can further subscribe to any combination of Sky's premium channels.
Channel line-ups: Variety: Bravo (main channel plus catch-up channel, +1), Challenge (+1), E!, E4 (+1), ftn, FX, Hallmark, LIVINGtv (+1), LIVINGtv2, Paramount, Paramount2, Sci-Fi, Sky Mix, Sky One, Sky Vegas Live, TCM, UKTV Drama, UKTV Gold (+1), UKTV Gold 2 (+1), RTE One, RTE Two, TG4 (in Northern Ireland)
 Kids: Boomerang, Cartoon Network (+1), Discovery Kids, Jetix (+1), Nick Jr, Nickelodeon (+1), Nicktoons, Toonami, Trouble (+1)
 Knowledge: Adventure One, Animal Planet (+1), Biography, Discovery (+1), Discovery Civilisations, Discovery Science, Discovery Wings, History Channel (+1), Nat Geo (+1), UKTV Documentary (+1), UKTV History (+1), UKTV People (+1)
 Style & Culture: Artsworld, Discovery Real Time (+1), Discovery Home & Health (+1), Discovery Travel & Living (+1), DW-TV, Sky Travel (+1), Sky Travel Extra, Sky Travel Shop, Star Plus, TV5, TVEi, UKTV Bright Ideas, UKTV Food (+1), UKTV Style (+1), UKTV Style Gardens, Fashion TV.
 Music: Amp, Flaunt, Kerrang, Kiss, Magic, MTV, MTV Base, MTV Dance, MTV Hits, MTV2, Music Choice, Music Choice Extra, Q, Scuzz, Smash Hits, The Box, The Hits, TMF, VH1, VH1, Classic, VH2.
 News & Events: At The Races, Bloomberg, CNBC, Eurosport UK, Eurosport2 UK, Fox News, Sky News (available without a Sky viewing card), Sky Sports News, Star News, Motors TV, radio, TalkSPORT, along with Big Blue radio (Greater London only), The Saint radio (Southampton area only), The Villan (West Midlands area only) {From dtg.org.uk}

gs1 · 04/07/05 - 11:24

This has been known for many days.

See http://forum.digitalspy.co.uk/board/showthread.php?t=229011

Heinz · 04/07/05 - 12:13

gs1 wrote:

This has been known for many days.

See http://forum.digitalspy.co.uk/board/showthread.php?t=229011

Indeed - http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/article/ds22023.html

http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/article/ds22024.html

http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/article/ds22025.html

Radio Ruderham · 04/07/05 - 16:05

Heinz wrote:

Indeed - http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/article/ds22023.html

http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/article/ds22024.html

http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/article/ds22025.html

Brilliant! Now it's all in one place.

[Deleted User] · 04/07/05 - 21:53

Suppose the thing about the price rising again is that you still have the choice of whether or not you subscribe.

The subscription I have a problem with is the BBC one that you have to pay just for owning a television.

Radio Ruderham · 04/07/05 - 22:14

But ask yourself, truthfully,
Could you really be without the BBC.
With all the TV and Radio services you get, for such little money?

cowman · 04/07/05 - 22:25

Having stopped my Sky for the summer I was thinking that I may not go back even to the Family Pack but looking at the new line up I could get nearly all I ever watched for £15 with the variety and knowledge options. I always said that Sky had one of the best marketing operations around and I think this proves it.

[Deleted User] · 04/07/05 - 22:31

I am thinking if coming back to sky, and these new price plants/packs seem very good

[Deleted User] · 04/07/05 - 23:07

JL wrote:

Suppose the thing about the price rising again is that you still have the choice of whether or not you subscribe.

The subscription I have a problem with is the BBC one that you have to pay just for owning a television.

You are both right and wrong at the same time. Yes, you do need to pay just for owning a television, but that has NOTHING to do with the BBC. The TV license fee is a ring fenced tax given to the BBC by the governement, but it is a license fee for owning a TV not to pay for the BBC. So even if the BBC was subscription/advertisment/ppv or even ceased to exit, doesn't mean you wouldn't need a TV license, just that the money would go somewhere else.

[Deleted User] · 04/07/05 - 23:15

geo-nomad wrote:

Yes, you do need to pay just for owning a television

That’s not true, you don’t need a licence if you just use your TV to watch Videos/DVD’s or use it for games consoles.

http://www.tvlicensing.co.uk/gethelp/faqs.jsp#link1

GrahamBCFC · 04/07/05 - 23:47

Is the Sky pricing structure shown here http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/article/ds22025.html correct?

I currently subscribe to Sky Family Pack with Sky Movies even numbers, Sky Sports 1 & 2 and Film Four at £41.00 per month.

My letter from Sky says it will increase to £43 per month from 1st September.

According to the price structure on the DS page, "6 Mix" pack with 3 premium channels - £39.50/mo. Does that mean I will be getting Film 4 for £3.50 per month?

[Deleted User] · 05/07/05 - 10:09

Radio Ruderham wrote:

But ask yourself, truthfully,
Could you really be without the BBC.
With all the TV and Radio services you get, for such little money?

Easily. I do at the moment. Don't find much of interest on the BBC. The occasional sporting event perhaps.

[Deleted User] · 05/07/05 - 10:11

geo-nomad wrote:

You are both right and wrong at the same time. Yes, you do need to pay just for owning a television, but that has NOTHING to do with the BBC. The TV license fee is a ring fenced tax given to the BBC by the governement, but it is a license fee for owning a TV not to pay for the BBC. So even if the BBC was subscription/advertisment/ppv or even ceased to exit, doesn't mean you wouldn't need a TV license, just that the money would go somewhere else.

The TV Tax/Licence goes to the BBC in bulk. If you remove the BBC funding element then I'm sure you'd be paying a minimal amount for owning a TV and maintaining the network as it were (transmitters etc.).

I'm not saying do away with the BBC. I'm merely saying that people should be given the choice of whether they subscribe to the BBC or not.

Spot · 05/07/05 - 11:11

JL wrote:

I'm not saying do away with the BBC. I'm merely saying that people should be given the choice of whether they subscribe to the BBC or not.

And the chances are that any system which gave you what you wanted would mean that many millions of people on low incomes who do want to continue with the BBC - who appreciate having access to a very wide range of programmes made without the need to generate a profit for shareholders - would not be able to do so. That is not giving choice, it is taking choice away.

[Deleted User] · 05/07/05 - 12:16

And remember, although the BBC get the largest slice of the licence fee ITV and Sky also get a percentage of it.

IMHO, when you consider the all the radio stations (both local and national), web-content, local TV news etc. the licence fee represents remarkable value for money.

Nathan

Radio Ruderham · 05/07/05 - 12:23

nathanhill69 wrote:

And remember, although the BBC get the largest slice of the licence fee ITV and Sky also get a percentage of it.

IMHO, when you consider the all the radio stations (both local and national), web-content, local TV news etc. the licence fee represents remarkable value for money.

Nathan

As yet, ITV and SKY DO NOT get any money from the license fee, although Channel 4 are looking to see if they can have some!
Hmm!

[Deleted User] · 05/07/05 - 12:47

Spot wrote:

And the chances are that any system which gave you what you wanted would mean that many millions of people on low incomes who do want to continue with the BBC - who appreciate having access to a very wide range of programmes made without the need to generate a profit for shareholders - would not be able to do so. That is not giving choice, it is taking choice away.

Absolute bollocks that.

Those on low incomes (would be interesting to see how many families on low incomes subscribe to Sky or cable) would still have three channels (at least) to satisfy their television needs.

I assume they will pay the TV licence anyway at the moment.

With regards to the radio stations and internet content. That shouldn't come into the debate as I can quite legally use both without paying the TV licence. It could be argued that the presence of Radio 5 for example is bad thing as they pay over the odds for EPL rights pushing up the price and not allowing rivals to bid.

[Deleted User] · 05/07/05 - 13:04

channel 4 are the pbs of the uk, I don't see why they can't get money from the tv licence if they use if rightly and it does not go up that much, as I can see channel 4 becoming (in a few years time) the bbc of the uk. As in my mind, I do think channel four show and produce a lot more thought provoking programing.

Phil S · 05/07/05 - 14:00

These packages are still too restrictive. Channels should be available on an individual basis for real choice. The good ones would survive and the bad go bust which is how it should be.

I cancelled Sky because I was paying for the Family Pack 80% of the channels I didn't watch. I will not go back. Freeview is wonderful for Free.

[Deleted User] · 05/07/05 - 19:39

Variety + News & Events + Knowledge + Style and Culture for me please!

John

Coljj · 06/07/05 - 03:44

I'm a bit annoyed that you can only take genre based packages in multiples of 2.

I am currently on the Sports World package. How much will it for SS1,2,3 and X?

gs1 · 06/07/05 - 07:29

Coljj wrote:

How much will it for SS1,2,3 and X?

SS1,2,3 & Xtra= 2 premium channels (SS1 & SS2)=

£36 with 6 mixes.
£35 with 4 mixes.
£34 with 2 mixes.

See the appendix at the bootom of the Sky press release here:

http://media.corporate-ir.net/media_files/LSE/BSY.UK/pricepackagePressreleaseFINAL.pdf

ffocused · 06/07/05 - 14:32

Does anyone know if RTE1+2/TV3/TG4 will be on a mix pack in ROI or will they remain 'Family pack and above'?

[Deleted User] · 06/07/05 - 21:32

So with Sky's new pricing policy does this mean an end to the G1 package? (Sky Sports 1,2,3,X plus even numbered Movie channels).
I'm still on G1 at present but i think this could be the end of a beautiful relationship...

Harshad · 06/07/05 - 23:29

bigmelon wrote:

So with Sky's new pricing policy does this mean an end to the G1 package? (Sky Sports 1,2,3,X plus even numbered Movie channels).
I'm still on G1 at present but i think this could be the end of a beautiful relationship...

Yes us G1 people are screwed.

Fookin Sly bastards :mad:

uncletupelo · 08/07/05 - 19:47

Not sure if this is what you meam by the G1 but I got a letter from Sky today saying I would continue to recieve the offer I got in March last year (G1) BUT the price was going up to £35.06/month. For that I get ALL the movies, not just the even numbers, plus of course all sports.

Still seems like a bargain to me? Bloke next door will pay £42.50 for the exact same channels.

Hey there!

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