Sky to launch a pay-TV digital terrestrial service

Yes - but Sky aren't going to make all their biggest selling points available on a "Sky lite" service.

Only Premiership Football is promised for the sport service, so that'll all be on Sky Sports 1 and then things like the FA Cup, Internationals and Test Cricket will be put on the other Sky Sports channels as a reason for people to buy the main service.

The same goes for Sky Movies - selected films will premiere on SM1, but others will be restricted to the other channels again too entice people to the full service.


And even this lite service can't be competitively priced as it'll be of little advantage to Sky. They currently offer one channel (Sky Sports or Sky Movies) via Homechoice for £22, rising to £26 for two channels - so that is probably the sort of price we're talking.

And if people are willing to spend that much they might as well opt for Sky Digital itself.

I wonder if they may also be planning to incorporate Sky Anytime into the service. It's quite conceivable that they may provide overnight downloads in the same was as TUTV Anytime to a PVR, which would probably make the service rather more attractive.

I don't think it has the bandwidth for it. I personally think it would have made more sence for them to buyout TopUp TV and then use their bandwidth for the new service, that way no services are lost on Freeview, but there is a decent pay option (because let's face it, TopUp isn't that great).

But are there are still are good many people who won't or can't put a satellite dish on the side of their house/flat.

By doing this, Sky will be able to offer selected premium content to these people.

This will also help Sky in their wars with the anti Sky pressure groups.

Well, i for one aren't too bothered about this little scheme SKY are planning.

Basically i wont miss...

SKY Thrcc- Repeats of repeats of repeats channel

SKY News- Hardly ever watch due to seemingly endless ad breaks and IMO News 24 provides a better news service

SKY Sports News- Even though i am an avid sports fan its basically run on a loop with a few 'breaking news' stories. True i will miss Soccer Saturday but its not a void which BBC Score can't replace.

Its just a plan that will supposedly spoil the Free-to-view concept.
At the end of the day Freeview will still offer a great package even without SKY being present.
So i say HA. Take your SKY channels Mr Murdoch and see if i care.
Oh and can you take some of the home shopping channels on to your Pay TV DTT service as well please...

If they decide not to broadcast the four channels overnight, they'll have more bandwidth than TUTV.

Wondering what it'd be called made my mocking instincts twitter.

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I'd guess they'll end up with a name like Sky Lite or Sky Express. The 't' for terrestrial mightn't be too obvious for some... but time will tell I suppose.

Out of interest, does anyone know if Sky News will cease to be FTA on DSat as well? It's always promoted as being part of the News & Events Mix, with only a small disclaimer that it's available without subscription. I could see the change on DTT marking the end of Sky News as an FTA channel on all platforms.

I was wondering that myself. Always annoyed me it being promoted as part of something that really it isn't.

I can't see them encrypting Sky News, it is a loss-leader really. They would be removing their only free advert on Dsat if they did.

Wouldn't put it past them though if they were that worried about Virgin.

Personally I'm cancelling my Movies World this month because I expect the Sky+ sub to be removed.

I'm sure this time last week we'd have said the same about its presence on DTT. Plus when you read comments by John Ryley saying...



...it does make you wonder.




Incidentally is there anything more than rumours on this yet?

Hmmm...

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