Pubs drop Sky due to excessive cost

digidude

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Pubs are ditching Sky because of the cost, according to a survey by the Association of Licensed Multiple Retailers (ALMR) via the MA’s website.

The ALMR said it confirms a survey of its own members, which found two-thirds of multiple operators are cancelling subscriptions on the grounds of cost.

A total of 139 licensees responded to the survey, of which 41% were currently Sky subscribers.

It found 45% of respondents had recently cancelled a subscription. When asked why, 90% cited the cost.

Of the 82 non-subscribers — who had never used Sky or had cancelled — all said the reason for not taking it was the cost.

None said it was because Sky did not fit their business model.

Sky announced an 11% rise in the subscription costs for pubs to show Premiership football in the 2007/2008 season.

This followed double-digit percentage increases over previous seasons.

ALMR spokeswoman Kate Nicholls said: “For the first time, we have clear evidence of the impact of Sky’s successive swingeing price increases — potential subscribers are being priced out of the market and existing customers are being forced to cancel subscriptions.

“As a result, pub customers are being denied the ability to watch big games for free in a social atmosphere.

"In the end, it is not just the licensee who is out of pocket, but also ordinary sports fans.”

Big turn-off

Nicholls said the findings mirror the ALMR’s membership survey, which covers 25% of the UK managed multiple estates.

This found a 20% fall in the proportion of operators’ estates subscribing to Sky in March 2008, compared to March 2003.

It revealed a year-on-year fall in subscriptions in each of the past five years, with two thirds of multiple operators cancelling a subscription on the grounds of cost.

“The product may still be a ‘must have’, but the cost is a big turn-off.

"Operators are clearly at the end of their tether with Sky, and these surveys send a clear message — enough is enough.”

The ALMR was asked by media regulator Ofcom for details on any harm caused to licensed premises by Sky’s prices, as part of its investigation into the pay-TV market.
 
Anybody know the details of costs for pubs? Heard it depends on the size of the pub but don't know how much they actually pay?
HH.
 
Thanks for the link digidude. Thought it would be excessive but that's taking the piss. Hit bad enough by the smoking ban, rising costs, cheap off-sales prices now Sky take even more of a liberty if that's possible. No wonder pubs are closing at an alarming rate.
HH.
 
Yes and there arent many in the lower end of the scale. Most will be over a £1000 per month, and dont forget 3pm games are banned from uk pubs too so theres no value/worth to these ridiculous figures.

With more tax, fast spiraling running costs, health & safety laws, smoking ban, insurance probs for play areas, PC brigade, general resession, sky monopoly, etc, you really have to see that pubs have been destroyed from every direction :(.
 
I had no idea that the costs were so high, I'm surprised that more pubs didn't pull out earlier.

I take it most non sky pubs just have the arab sat cards and can watch for a vastly reduced figure or has sky put an end to that as well?
 
bloody hell that is excessive. at work we had to have the pub channels because it a business premises - our depot manager cancelled the subs a little while back to our disgust, i can now see why. sky are rip of merchants, because of their greed i cancelled my sky+ years back and never looked back - it now looks like others are following suit. i cant wait for the time to come when this empire falls, hopefully then we will get some sanity back in our pay tv services.
your right though pubs are getting it from every which way now, to get a proper english pub now you have to go abroad!!!!!
 
bloody hell,thats expensive....in my opinion everyone should boycott sky...how can they justify that price??
 
bloody hell,thats expensive....in my opinion everyone should boycott sky...how can they justify that price??

surely ofcom cant let them away with this for ever?

Cheers
MFCGAVMFC
 
Im on the road all day every day and the amount of pubs that have shut down is unbelievable hit in the neck from every angle its a shame.
 
The pubs should vote with their feet (errr not sure if thats the right analogy) and cancel their subscriptions. If they all did so then Sky would have to reconsider their exhorbitant prices.
 
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