Numbers above the sky sports dog

What is with the numbers above the skysports dog?

I have notyiced it quite a few times recently and just wondered why it keeps fashing up for a while. I have figuered out its to do with the skycard but why?

I believe it's a crackdown on Pubs using a domestic subscription.

how?

(sorry for sounding very naïve)

This is has been discussed a bit in the Sport thread. When you say the numbers had something to do with the viewing card, do you mean the numbers on screen ARE the same numbers as on the viewing card?

Presumably there are multiple Sky Sports feeds, the appropriate one decided by your card.
Since you're not legally allowed under Sky T&Cs to use a domestic licence in a business environment such as in a pub, presumably somebody under cover can scribble the number down, as it appears to be unique to each card, and Sky can trace it back to where the card was originally sent.

Major talking point on forums at the moment. *edit* from a quick Google search, the numbers appear to not be the viewing card number itself, but the code to generate it is based on the card. Therefore since each card should have a unique number (or a unique code on the chip if nothing else), each number generated to appear above the DOG should be unique. In theory.

Sky cracking down it would appear.

I have also seen it on Sky Germany and Sky italy as well (there again Sky Italy has 12 numbers compared to our 9!)

Would there need to be multiple feeds? I have no idea, but isn't what's shown in pubs the same as what you'd see at home?



Or can they just disable it?

David

the pub feeds have the little pint glass in the corner don't they?

How's that woman who's suing Sky and the FA re: this doing btw?

There's a domestic feed for homes and also a pub feed which has more pub/men/sports-orientated adverts etc, as well as more promos for Sky Sports programming rather than Sky 1 / Sky Movies etc. So while the programming you see may be the same, the stuff between it isn't.

I was watching the Man City/Arsenal game in a pub/hotel this afternoon and quite frequently the numbers kept appearing on the top right above the Sky Sports 1 DOG, as well as the pint glass symbol (red on white) in the bottom right of the screen.

Hadn't heard about that - what's she suing them for, exactly?

David

Not exactly.

Both Sky and the FA tried to sue her for showing Football from another satellite system (other than sky). They succeeded but she has taken it to appeal and now to European Courts under the European Competition laws.

Basically if she wins then the way FA pacakages the broadcast rights will definitely have to change out of recognition of what they do currently because basically people will be able to choose which European Satellite system the want to view (basically in real terms it will be open skies with no boundaries). this will also mean that peope will now have the chance to view the Saturday 3pm matches as well.

Currently the FA sell the rights based on various packages for each INDIVIDUAL country within Europe - for instance in UK it is Sky, BBC and ESPN but no one is allowed to show the Saturday 3pm matches whereas in Netherlands only Sport1 has the rights invcluding ALL Saturday 3pm matches, same in italy (where Sky Italy has the rights) etc etc etc

Sky are anxious because they could lose their near monopoly of the broadcasts - and as such trying to save themselbves from losing customers and possibly making lower profits (and/or make losses) from their balance sheets.