General Election 2019: How to watch the results on live TV December 12, 2019 The UK has been plunged into a political broadcast blackout today, with channels forced to put their election coverage on hold as Brits go to the polls. But when voting closes at 10pm, the BBC, ITV, Channel 4 and Sky will all fire up their cameras to provide rolling coverage until the UK’s next Prime [...]
Sky to unveil major new Elstree studio as it ramps up production December 3, 2019 Sky has announced plans to build a new film and TV studio complex in north London as it ramps up its production budget amid growing pressure from streaming rivals. The 32-acre production hub will be located in Elstree, close to the existing Elstree Studios complex, which is home to Netflix’s hit series The Crown and [...]
Top Sky exec calls for regulatory overhaul as he takes swipe at ‘anachronistic’ ITV November 26, 2019 A senior Sky executive has called for a radical overhaul of broadcast regulation to adapt to the streaming age as he took a swipe at ITV’s “anachronistic” business model. David Wheeldon, Sky’s group director of policy and public affairs, said regulator Ofcom’s approach was “not particularly radical” and would not help public service broadcasters fulfil [...]
Comcast profit beats estimates after boost from broadband and Sky deal October 24, 2019 Media and communications company Comcast has beaten Wall Street estimates for third-quarter profit, which were boosted by its acquisition of Sky last year. Comcast reported an 11 per cent rise in net profit for the third quarter, ahead of analysts’ expectations, driven by a rise in broadband customer numbers. Read more: BBC ‘may not be [...]
Broadband firms pledge to cut prices after Ofcom review September 25, 2019 Major UK broadband providers have pledged to cut prices for out-of-contract customers after Ofcom carried out a review into the market. Sky, BT and Talktalk have all agreed to allow customers whose initial contracts have ended to get the same deals as new customers when they renew their contracts. Read more: BT leads push for [...]
BT lines up Champions League bid as it looks to retain lucrative rights September 22, 2019 BT is gearing up to defend its control of Champions League TV rights as the telecoms giant cashes in on price rises in its broadcast division. BT Sport paid £1.2bn in 2017 to secure exclusive rights to Champions League and Europa League matches for three seasons, cementing its control of European football coverage. Read more: [...]
Sky and Channel 4 sign advertising deal as streaming threat looms large September 17, 2019 Channel 4 has signed a deal to use Sky’s advertising technology as the broadcasters strengthen ties amid growing competition from streaming rivals. The two companies today announced a multi-year deal that will see Channel 4 use Sky’s Adsmart platform to deliver targeted ads on its linear channels. Read more: Ofcom clears Channel 4 News over [...]
Sky Studios takes stake in UK natural history producer True to Nature August 7, 2019 Sky Studios today announced it has taken a stake in UK-based natural history production firm True to Nature (TTN), marking the first investment for the media group’s new content division. Sky Studios has secured a 24.9 per cent stake in TTN, which will create new wildlife programmes for distribution on Sky’s platform. Read more: Sky [...]
Comcast grows revenue and profit thanks to broadband boost July 25, 2019 Comcast has posted a rise in revenue and profit for the second quarter as an increase in broadband customers helped offset a decline in its TV business. The US media group posted revenue of $26.9bn (£21.5bn) in the three months to the end of June, up 24 per cent on the same period last year. [...]
Sky puts Netflix in its sights as it doubles investment after Chernobyl success June 12, 2019 Sky has unveiled plans to double its investment in original programming as it looks to build on the success of hit show Chernobyl and take on streaming services such as Netflix. The company said it has secured backing from new owner Comcast to launch Sky Studios, a new Europe-wide development and production division. Read more: [...]