Sky signs exclusive deal with HBO!

[hammill]

6th.replicant:daveh75:6th.replicant:6th.replicant:Very depressing. "Undomesticated equines" couldn't get me to sign for Sky... Oooooo noooooooo! Now pulling a size-10 from my gob. Due to move to the sticks in 10 days, where, I've just been informed, the only means of getting TV is via Sky (dish)...

There's always Freesat!
You'd think, but according to my neighbour - it's a semi-detached in the middle-of-nowhere - Freesat is also a non-starter. Anyway, isn't Freesat turing out to be a 21st-century Betamax - BBC HD and umm, er..? This is serious - I do not want to have to get Sky!

Er I think your neighbour is a loon. How could it be that you cannot pick up freesat but you could get sky as they both need a satellite dish?

 

[daveh75]

6th.replicant:daveh75:6th.replicant:6th.replicant:Very depressing.

"Undomesticated equines" couldn't get me to sign for Sky...
Oooooo noooooooo!

Now pulling a size-10 from my gob.

Due to move to the sticks in 10 days, where, I've just been informed, the only means of getting TV is via Sky (dish)...

There's always Freesat!

You'd think, but according to my neighbour - it's a semi-detached in the middle-of-nowhere - Freesat is also a non-starter.Both services use the same satellites,so if you can get Sky you can get Freesat!!!

Anyway, isn't Freesat turing out to be a 21st-century Betamax - BBC HD and umm, er..?

This is serious - I do not want to have to get Sky!

Not really, its providing the service it's obligated to provide, as well as providing a couple of HD channels...

 

[SpiceWeasel]

daveh75:
"

The first HBO series to be shown on Sky will be Martin Scorsese's
much-anticipated gangster drama Boardwalk Empire. Set in the east coast
resort town of Atlantic City in the 1920s, it stars Steve Buscemi as a
mob boss who makes a fortune importing illegal alcohol. It makes its
debut on HBO in America in September and broadcast in the UK shortly
after.



Ooooooh can't wait to see that, Tony uncle Al (Steve B) on the other hit HBO series The Sopranos. You know you have been watching to much Sopranos when you can't stop saying oh marone.

 

[6th.replicant]

hammill:6th.replicant:... You'd think, but according to my neighbour ... Freesat is also a non-starter... This is serious - I do not want to have to get Sky!

Er I think your neighbour is a loon. How could it be that you cannot pick up freesat but you could get sky as they both need a satellite dish?
If you say so.

Freesat it is, then. Phew!

 

[hammill]

6th.replicant:hammill:6th.replicant:... You'd think, but according to my neighbour ... Freesat is also a non-starter... This is serious - I do not want to have to get Sky!

Er I think your neighbour is a loon. How could it be that you cannot pick up freesat but you could get sky as they both need a satellite dish? If you say so. Freesat it is, then. Phew!

It is distressingly common that people think freesat and freeview are the same thing, which could be what your loon was banging on about.

 

[Anonymous]

Sorry if this was mentioned.

Does anyone know when this will start, and any news on HBO - HD ?

Thanks

 

[daveh75]

canada16:Sorry if this was mentioned.Does anyone know when this will start,

quote from my OP,below...

daveh75:The first HBO series to be shown on Sky will be Martin Scorsese's much-anticipated gangster drama Boardwalk Empire. Set in the east coast resort town of Atlantic City in the 1920s, it stars Steve Buscemi as a mob boss who makes a fortune importing illegal alcohol. It makes its debut on HBO in America in September and broadcast in the UK shortly after.


canada16:any news on HBO - HD ?

Thanks
There wont be one, HBO aren't launching channels on Sky-Sky have just bought the rights to HBOs programming...

 

[tvmog]

I was listening to a radio programme yesterday that suggested that part of the reason for this deal was to provide more "female friendly" subscription programming to offset a percieved male bias in the current sport and movies subscription offerings. Not sure that I would entirely agree with that but what I do know is that this is a very poor developement for viewers. Up until now the high quality HBO programming has been available across a variety of different platforms including some requiring a basic Sky subscription (FX for example). Now these will only be available from one source, at whatever price they choose to impose. When Sophie Laing says "Like HBO, we believe that innovative, high-quality content is worth paying for" I doubt that it is the basic Sky "Variety" package that she has in mind. I expect that "Broadwalk Empire" will make its debut on Sky Movies on the grounds that it is created by a major hollywood director, but in the long term I think we are looking at a dedicated "HBO" standalone subscription channel with new programming supported by re runs of the back catalogue. Where else can Sky screen the massive archive of programmes that it has purchased?

As I have said before, Sky are assuming that during hard financial times people will turn to home entertainment to occupy their leisure time and apparently pay through the nose for the privilige. When all the various price rises and HD package adjustments are applied in October I will be paying Sky more than 10% extra just to maintain the service I have currently. If they then expect me to start paying even more to continue watching my usual choice of programming (season 3 of "True Blood" for example) then they may find that my TV viewing will end up being "Freeview" and blu ray box sets - and I'm pretty sure I'm not the only one who feels that way.

 

[daveh75]

tvmog:I think we are looking at a dedicated "HBO" standalone subscription channel with new programming supported by re runs of the back catalogue.I disagree...Having paid £150m for exclusive rights, Sky will want that programming on 'Sky' branded/owned channels, otherwise they would have done a deal with HBO to launch it's own channels on the platform (as it already does on various other platforms across europe).

Where else can Sky screen the massive archive of programmes that it has purchased?Sky 1,2 and 3,the newly acquired Bravo etc,Sky Premiere, its upcoming VOD/Anytime+ services etc,etc...

 

[Anonymous]

scene:Andrew Everard:

scene:so Sky have got to find £30 million a year extra from somewhere...

...Although given that it's just announced a pretax profit of £1.17bn...

According to the Beeb it was £878m for the year to the end of June

I believe it's even more than that, i remember some time back a friend of mine audited their books and he was telling me that the figures are just out of this world.

 

[hammill]

tvmog:

I was listening to a radio programme yesterday that suggested that part of the reason for this deal was to provide more "female friendly" subscription programming to offset a percieved male bias in the current sport and movies subscription offerings. Not sure that I would entirely agree with that but what I do know is that this is a very poor developement for viewers. Up until now the high quality HBO programming has been available across a variety of different platforms including some requiring a basic Sky subscription (FX for example). Now these will only be available from one source, at whatever price they choose to impose. When Sophie Laing says "Like HBO, we believe that innovative, high-quality content is worth paying for" I doubt that it is the basic Sky "Variety" package that she has in mind. I expect that "Broadwalk Empire" will make its debut on Sky Movies on the grounds that it is created by a major hollywood director, but in the long term I think we are looking at a dedicated "HBO" standalone subscription channel with new programming supported by re runs of the back catalogue. Where else can Sky screen the massive archive of programmes that it has purchased?

As I have said before, Sky are assuming that during hard financial times people will turn to home entertainment to occupy their leisure time and apparently pay through the nose for the privilige. When all the various price rises and HD package adjustments are applied in October I will be paying Sky more than 10% extra just to maintain the service I have currently. If they then expect me to start paying even more to continue watching my usual choice of programming (season 3 of "True Blood" for example) then they may find that my TV viewing will end up being "Freeview" and blu ray box sets - and I'm pretty sure I'm not the only one who feels that way.

I would not call HBO "female friendly", but I would call it intelligence friendly. The Guardian media page pointed out that their demographic are quite resistant to the charms of Sky and this might be an attempt to broaden the audience appeal.