Premier League set for £4bn in TV auction bids and Sky and BT prepare for battle February 5, 2015 Today marks the closing of the deadline for bids in the multi-billion pound auction for the UK TV broadcast rights of the Premier League. The three seasons to 2019 of the most-watched football league in the world will certainly see BT and Sky battle it out for the coveted rights. But with the added possibility [...]
Sky staves off the cold winter once again as profits and customer numbers rise February 4, 2015 The City cheered Sky yesterday as – despite increasing competition in sport, huge amounts of industry consolidation occurring all around it and a mobile offering due to launch behind those of rivals – the firm continues to grow. With the former exclusively UK broadcaster now reporting solid growth across all of its three European markets, [...]
Ofcom refuses Virgin Media’s request to delay Premier League rights broadcast auction February 4, 2015 Ofcom has refused a request made by Virgin Media to delay the auction of Premier League broadcast rights. The high-stakes bidding for the rights to broadcast the UK’s biggest football games will now continue as usual and is expected next week. Virgin Media is not making a bid for the rights, but the auction is [...]
Sky beats expectations with strongest UK growth in nine years February 4, 2015 Sky has beaten expectations in its first set of results as a Europe-wide business, with profits jumping thanks to the best UK performance in nine years and record demand in Germany. The figures In its first results including the Italian and German businesses – following the completion of the merger in November – Sky's adjusted [...]
Sky agrees deal with O2 owner Telefonica to launch mobile service January 29, 2015 Sky has agreed a deal with Telefonica to launch a mobile network in the UK. The broadcaster will launch a mobile service for customers in 2016 using Telefonica’s 2G, 3G and 4G networks. The move follows hot on the heels of rivals moving into the mobile business in order to offer customers so-called "quad play" [...]
A polar bear on the loose in London – or is it? Animatronic animal promotes new Sky Atlantic series Fortitude January 27, 2015 We know it's cold in London, but we didn't think it was Arctic. Why else would a polar bear be wandering the capital's streets? For a major publicity stunt perhaps? Sky Atlantic has gone all out to promote its new big-budget series Fortitude, sending an eight-foot long semi-animatronic polar bear around the city centre. [...]
Mobile market activity booms as Sky eyes deal with O2 or Vodafone January 26, 2015 Mobile consolidation is set to be a hot topic again this week as European pay-TV operator Sky has been linked in talks with O2 and Vodafone to launch its own mobile offering on one of their networks. The talks come as BT races to finalise more details around its £12.5bn takeover of EE, which it [...]
Sky and TalkTalk join the list of bidders circling Telefonica’s O2 January 20, 2015 EUROPEAN pay-TV broadcaster Sky has been named among the growing list of parties interested in bidding for Telefonica’s UK mobile network O2, which was spurned by BT before Christmas in favour of a £12.5bn bid for rival EE. Talks between Telefonica and Sky, as well as interest from UK value player TalkTalk, were first reported [...]
Sky and Talk Talk are the latest in the frame to buy O2 from Telefonica January 20, 2015 Sky and Talk Talk are the latest to join the queue of apparent bidders to snap up UK mobile business O2 from Telefonica. Talks between the Spanish telecoms firm and Sky and Talk Talk are said to be taking place, according to reports, just days after it was revealed China’s Hutchison Whampoa, the owner of [...]
Wiggins signs Sky deal for Paris-Roubaix bid January 5, 2015 CYCLIST Sir Bradley Wiggins has confirmed plans for a final attempt at winning one of the sport’s most iconic events, the Paris-Roubaix one-day classic, before he swaps road for track racing later this year. Former Tour de France winner Wiggins has agreed a short-term contract with Team Sky that will take him into a sixth [...]