Sky UK - Sports pricing. Could it work in NZ?

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ockel

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#223129 14-Sep-2017 10:12

Sky UK announced changes to the sports channels a few months ago. Stratifying the sports into their specific codes. Wondering if it would work here.

First up - you have to get the Basic package. Still that cross package subsidy going on so lets eliminate the concept and discussion of buying just a sports package. This is just a "is the sports offering over there better than here"

Second - you dont get HD unless you upgrade to the top package (an additional GBP16/mth). And you still have to pay an additional HD charge per month (GBP6/mth). So lets eliminate the discussion on HD being included in the price. This is just a "is the sports offering over there better than here"

And this would be Skysport only - not including ESPN or BeIN Sports.

Buy one channel of sports (either Premier League or Formula 1 or golf etc - you pick the one you want) for GBP18/mth.

Buy two channels of sport for GBP22/mth

Buy three channels of sport for GBP24/mth

Buy all the sports for GBP27.50/mth.

Better or worse?

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#1866285 14-Sep-2017 14:56

Is their basic package cheaper then here?, If is then that needs to be considered.

Second a pound is expensive for us, but in U.K. They earn their income in pounds, so need to know what most Brits earn to what NZ's income is to compare.

I was looking at Sky.uk and it looks like if subscribe to one sport, once a month can change what that sport is as well.

Edit: 22 pounds for HD sounds a bit harsh.

ockel

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#1866325 14-Sep-2017 15:53

rugrat: Is their basic package cheaper then here?, If is then that needs to be considered.

Second a pound is expensive for us, but in U.K. They earn their income in pounds, so need to know what most Brits earn to what NZ's income is to compare.

I was looking at Sky.uk and it looks like if subscribe to one sport, once a month can change what that sport is as well.

Edit: 22 pounds for HD sounds a bit harsh.

Basic package is GBP22/mth. That doesnt get you HD. To get HD you have to subscribe to the box set package at GBP38/mth. And then you get the privilege of being about to subscribe to HD for another GBP6/mth.

But to get Sport it starts from GBP40/mth - for 1 channel of sport (being basic+1 sport).

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tripp

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#1866334 14-Sep-2017 16:09

I would like to see the numbers of who only has 1 or 2 sports channels. At that price you may find most people go for the "all sports". Also this would open the door for to a few people getting mad if there 1 channel does not cover everything that they "think" is important.

vexxxboy

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#1866344 14-Sep-2017 16:22

dont forget the extra 60 million people they can sell to .

Common sense is not as common as you think.

ockel

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#1866348 14-Sep-2017 16:30

tripp:

I would like to see the numbers of who only has 1 or 2 sports channels. At that price you may find most people go for the "all sports". Also this would open the door for to a few people getting mad if there 1 channel does not cover everything that they "think" is important.

Okay. I'm not sure you understand the changes that Sky UK made.

There is 1 sports channel that is only EPL (no other sports content). 1 channel of football (some EPL plus other football comps from around the world). 1 channel of cricket. 1 channel of golf. 1 channel of Formula 1. The two "generalist" sport channels are called action and arena.

And there is a Main Event sports channel which is the best live sports which you only get if you subscribe to the whole sports package (ie you cant pick this one separately).

You pick the channel(s) you want. If you want football and say, darts, then you need either EPL or football PLUS action and arena. There is no one channel that gives you the mix you think is important especially if you want the core selected channels.

Think in NZ - a SANZAR channel for rugby, a rugby channel for some SANZAR plus other rugby comps. A cricket channel. A golf channel. A motorsport channel. A rugby league channel. And two generalist sports channels for everything else. You wont get any cricket or golf or motorsport or rugby on the generalist sports channels......

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rugrat

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#1866350 14-Sep-2017 16:32

I vote worse then, and it would go down like a ton of bricks in NZ.

Only people that would be happy are ones that don't care about HD, or ones that earn a lot so it's only fraction of income.

I be surprised if there's a big amount subscribers on the 2, or 3 sport option.

tehconz

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#1866390 14-Sep-2017 17:22

So if I'm reading this right to get the full sport package in HD costs GBP71.5. Assuming 1GBP = 1NZD it's slightly cheaper than here, but I don't think that's fair since they don't earn the equivalent in pounds in the UK, their median household income is only GBP23,500. Doing the currency conversion, the full package comes to NZ$130.

Droping the full sport package and picking only one sport to follow only saves GBP9.50. I wouldn't bother personally, but it might interest someone who only follows one sport.

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tripp

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#1866394 14-Sep-2017 17:26

ockel:

tripp:

I would like to see the numbers of who only has 1 or 2 sports channels. At that price you may find most people go for the "all sports". Also this would open the door for to a few people getting mad if there 1 channel does not cover everything that they "think" is important.

Okay. I'm not sure you understand the changes that Sky UK made.

There is 1 sports channel that is only EPL (no other sports content). 1 channel of football (some EPL plus other football comps from around the world). 1 channel of cricket. 1 channel of golf. 1 channel of Formula 1. The two "generalist" sport channels are called action and arena.

And there is a Main Event sports channel which is the best live sports which you only get if you subscribe to the whole sports package (ie you cant pick this one separately).

You pick the channel(s) you want. If you want football and say, darts, then you need either EPL or football PLUS action and arena. There is no one channel that gives you the mix you think is important especially if you want the core selected channels.

Think in NZ - a SANZAR channel for rugby, a rugby channel for some SANZAR plus other rugby comps. A cricket channel. A golf channel. A motorsport channel. A rugby league channel. And two generalist sports channels for everything else. You wont get any cricket or golf or motorsport or rugby on the generalist sports channels......

God that is worse than what I was thinking it would be.

I can tell you right now if sky nz went that way I could just see the pitchforks and torches from my office window.

Quinny

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#1866398 14-Sep-2017 17:36

Worse. Most of the sport I watch is not on "one channel" I am a mix of surfing, cricket and motorsport.

old3eyes

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#1866402 14-Sep-2017 17:44

tehconz:
So if I'm reading this right to get the full sport package in HD costs GBP71.5. Assuming 1GBP = 1NZD it's slightly cheaper than here, but I don't think that's fair since they don't earn the equivalent in pounds in the UK, their median household income is only GBP23,500. Doing the currency conversion, the full package comes to NZ$130.

Droping the full sport package and picking only one sport to follow only saves GBP9.50. I wouldn't bother personally, but it might interest someone who only follows one sport.

1 GB pound equal to NZ$1.82

Regards,

Old3eyes

ockel

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#1866625 15-Sep-2017 07:52

I think this is a fascinating discussion to be had.

There are plenty of calls to remove the basic/sport cross subsidy but frankly if Sky UK arent willing to remove this cross-subsidy then there is almost zero chance of it happening in NZ. So what we are seeing is the breakdown of the cross-sport subsidy within the sports tier (ie golf and cricket and F1 are subsidising the elite cost of EPL).

So how could it look in NZ? First we have to remove ESPN from the sports tier. In the UK thats through BTSport so its already out of the UK equation (ie you have to subscribe separately already). But at GBP12/mth for non-sport subscribers and GBP9/mth for Sports subscribers we can get an idea of what ESPN might cost if it was re-removed from the SkyNZ Sport package. Speculate NZD6/mth for Sports subscribers and NZD8/mth for non-sports?

So SkySport1-4 costs NZD24/mth for all sports. We know that BeIN charges $18/mth for Football but maybe that includes a "common cost element"?

Maybe its a NZD15/mth for 1 sport, NZD19/mth for 2 sports, NZD22/mth for 3 sports and NZD24/mth for the whole package? Add ESPN at $6/mth for Sports subscribers, and $8/mth for non-Sports subscribers.

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rugrat

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#1866641 15-Sep-2017 08:21

I'd pay $8 for ESPN, but not $30 for the lot.
There was stuff on ESPN that interested me, but there isn't on the other sports channels.

The UK can do stuff for their market, and Sky NZ has to work out what works for NZ market, what works in one is not necessary going to work in another, people in different countries can have a different way of thinking about things.

If they don't want to lower cost of basic then the other option is to up the perceived value of it, I.e more channels like box sets, or improving the download service to satellite quality, without adds,

One sport to a channel seems to be a waste of Satellite capacity.

tdgeek

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#1866660 15-Sep-2017 08:55

tripp:

God that is worse than what I was thinking it would be.

I can tell you right now if sky nz went that way I could just see the pitchforks and torches from my office window.

I think the point that is being made, is despite the fact that the UK has well over 10 times NZ population, you cannot get away from the cost of sport.

And we are not too bad at all here.

We all know that Sky doesn't rort us, so we seem to be ok down under IMHO

ockel

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#1867121 15-Sep-2017 22:13

tdgeek:

tripp:

God that is worse than what I was thinking it would be.

I can tell you right now if sky nz went that way I could just see the pitchforks and torches from my office window.

I think the point that is being made, is despite the fact that the UK has well over 10 times NZ population, you cannot get away from the cost of sport.

And we are not too bad at all here.

We all know that Sky doesn't rort us, so we seem to be ok down under IMHO

Crikey! You're not suggesting that the grass might not be greener, are you? Wash your mouth out.

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tdgeek

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#1867181 16-Sep-2017 08:29

ockel:

tdgeek:

tripp:

God that is worse than what I was thinking it would be.

I can tell you right now if sky nz went that way I could just see the pitchforks and torches from my office window.

I think the point that is being made, is despite the fact that the UK has well over 10 times NZ population, you cannot get away from the cost of sport.

And we are not too bad at all here.

We all know that Sky doesn't rort us, so we seem to be ok down under IMHO

Crikey! You're not suggesting that the grass might not be greener, are you? Wash your mouth out.

:-)

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