Screenshot: Will GB News’ traditional TV bet pay off? April 30, 2021 This week **Media Moment of the Week: Blair’s hair mare **Will GB News’ traditional TV bet pay off? **BT puts sport on the sideline Media Moment of the Week: Blair’s hair mare With allegations of sleaze, rows over John Lewis and Kevin Keegan-esque outbursts, it’s fair to say that all the attention has been on [...]
Sky owner Comcast beats forecasts on pandemic broadband boost April 29, 2021 Comcast today posted better-than-expected revenue for the first quarter after cashing in on higher demand for its broadband services during the pandemic. The US media giant booked a two per cent rise in revenue to $27.2bn (£19.5bn) in the first three months of the year, ahead of analyst forecasts of $26.7bn. The upbeat figures came [...]
Premier League set for TV cash boost after it agrees to renew £4.7bn contracts with Sky, BT and Amazon on same terms April 27, 2021 The Premier League is close to renewing its £4.7bn domestic broadcast contracts with Sky, BT and Amazon, according to reports. It has chosen a private sale to current partners on the same terms as existing deals rather than a traditional auction of the rights for 2022-2025, according to SportBusiness Media. The arrangement must still be [...]
The show must go on: How UK film and TV ploughed through the pandemic February 6, 2021 From Tiger King to The Serpent, hit TV shows have become cultural currency in an era defined by lockdowns. With millions of Brits forced to stay at home, film and TV has been one of the few avenues for entertainment over the last year, providing a much-needed dose of escapism during the pandemic. But for [...]
Sky owner Comcast beats revenue forecasts on broadband and streaming boost January 28, 2021 The US owner of Sky, Comcast, has posted better-than-expected revenues as broadband sales offset its losses from closed themeparks and empty cinemas
BBC Sounds launches on Sky in latest streaming tie-up January 12, 2021 Sky has agreed a deal with the BBC to embed the Sounds app on its platform, marking the pay-TV giant’s latest effort to become a one-stop shop for streaming services. From today the BBC Sounds app will be available to all Sky Q customers in the UK, offering more than 80,000 hours of audio content. [...]
Sky chief executive Jeremy Darroch to step down January 6, 2021 Sky chief executive Jeremy Darroch is stepping down after 13 years at the helm of the media giant. Darroch, who is one of the UK’s longest-serving bosses, will retire as chief executive and take up the role of executive chairman. He will be replaced by Dana Strong, who is currently president of consumer services at [...]
Sky’s Kay Burley to be off-air for six months following Covid rule breach December 10, 2020 Sky News presenter Kay Burley has agreed to be off-air for the next six months after breaking coronavirus restrictions rules. Last weekend Burley celebrated her 60th birthday with a group of 10 friends the Century Club, a private members’ club on London’s Shaftesbury Avenue. The party sat across two tables, with six at one and [...]
Sky Sports attracts record viewing figures for second time in two months December 8, 2020 Sky Sports has thrived during the second national lockdown, breaking its audience records for the second time in two months. Sunday 29 November saw an average of 1.17m viewers and a peak of 4m tune in to the Sky Sports portfolio of channels. Drawing the record audience were a triple header of live football that [...]
Chernobyl effect drives British TV exports to record high November 26, 2020 The value of UK TV exports hit a record high last year as blockbuster dramas such as Chernobyl sparked a boom in international demand. Hit TV shows generated £1.48bn in the year to March, a six per cent increase year on year, according to figures from industry body Pact. Scripted drama was the key driver [...]