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Sky forced to hand over customer details in file-sharing shakedown
Some Sky Broadband customers could soon receive a letter demanding compensation for films they've allegedly downloaded illegally. As TorrentFreak reports, Sky has been forced by a recent court order to hand over the names and addresses of customers which the company TCYK LLC believes were involved in illegal file sharing. TCYK LLC owns the rights to several movies, including the 2012 political thriller The Company You Keep, and, according to Sky, has identified apparent infringements through IP addresses.
Sky director teases BT following record Premier League TV rights auction
Earlier this week, the Premier League announced the winners of its latest TV rights auction. As expected, Sky and BT were the (only) big winners, paying a whopping £5.14 billion for coverage over the next three seasons. The following morning, Sky's shares took a hit, with investors seemingly unhappy at the fact the company paid almost £4.2 billion for 126 live games, 70 percent more than the previous auction. In comparison, BT paid £960 million, an increase of just 18 percent.
Freeview's new on-demand service will be called Freeview Play
It's been eight months since we first become aware that Freeview is looking to take on YouView with a new on-demand service, but since then we haven't heard much about it. Thankfully, the company has decided now is the right time to share a little more information, which includes what the connected service will be called. Freeview Play will offer consumers the choice of live television and on-demand TV when it launches later this year. Like Freeview, Play will be subscription free and will be integrated in connected TVs and set-top boxes, although we don't yet know what it will look like. We do know, however, that with support from Freeview shareholders Arqiva, BBC, Channel 4, ITV and Sky, you can expect iPlayer, ITV Player and the new All 4 brand to be available on the service when it launches, finally letting you catch up on all the stuff you missed.
Sky and BT just spent a record £5.14 billion on Premier League TV rights
It's safe to say that there's a lot of money in Premier League football. Clubs are profitable businesses in their own right, but a large share of its revenue is provided by investments for live TV rights. Over the past week, Sky and BT, who have locked horns over high-profile competitions in the past, joined a number of other parties behind closed doors to bid on the TV rights for the three seasons from 2016-17. It took longer expected, but we now know where we'll be watching all 168 live matches next season and that the two main parties involved paid a record sum to secure them.
Sky confirms a 'next-generation' Now TV box is coming this year
With the rise in cord-cutters and streaming services such as Netflix, Sky knows it needs a cheaper alternative to its traditional TV bundles. At the moment its answer is Now TV, a standalone service that lets viewers pick and choose from three smaller packages: sport, movies and entertainment. Just over 18 months ago, Sky supplemented it with a dedicated set-top box -- and now it's planning a refresh. In an investor presentation, the broadcaster today revealed plans for a "next-generation" Now TV box coming later this year, which will feature a refreshed UI and a new marketing campaign. Notably, Sky has been an investor in set-top box maker Roku since 2012, and last December it launched a rebranded model called the Sky Online TV Box in Germany. It's quite possible that Sky is planning a similar move for the UK, which means we could see a much-needed leap to full HD.
Expect Sky and BT to launch new 4K boxes sooner rather than later
It's no secret that BT is after Sky's sports broadcasting crown -- it's already taken away Sky's access to Champions League coverage and will soon go toe-to-toe with its rival again to spend big on more live Premier League matches. While it isn't quite as dominant as its rival in terms of customers, Sky deems BT a credible enough threat that it will reportedly bring forward the launch of its new 4K set-top box to ensure it doesn't lose subscribers when those major European football broadcasts vanish. That's according to The Telegraph, which says the broadcaster will debut a new internet-connected 4K set-top box in the Spring. It's meant to be capable of sharing streams to smartphones and tablets, allowing access to recorded programmes while a user in on the move -- similar to EE's new TV hardware.
Sky and Virgin Media have a lot to say about how much sport should be on TV
There's never been more sport for Brits to watch on TV. That should be cause for celebration, but there's a problem: broadcasters are fighting for the rights to show different leagues and tournaments, which is locking sports away behind different satellite and internet TV services. Want to watch every Premier League fixture? You'll have to fork out for both BT Sport and Sky Sports, or make do with the highlights on Match of the Day. There's even talk of the rugby Six Nations competition going pay TV only.
Sky confirms launch of its own O2-powered mobile network
Talks between Three owner Hutchison Whampoa and O2 haven't yet reached a conclusion, but already some of the UK's biggest companies are keen to take advantage of a future merger. After briefly flirting with Vodafone in a recent trial, Sky has confirmed it will become a quad-play provider with the launch of its own O2-powered mobile network in 2016. According to Sky, O2's current owner Telefónica UK will provide access to the carrier's 2G, 3G and 4G services, allowing it to go up against BT, Virgin Media and also TalkTalk, which signed a deal with the operator in November, to offer phone, broadband, TV and mobile bundles.
Sky Go finally arrives on the PlayStation 3
Sony's PlayStation 3 is getting a bit long in the tooth, but if it's still your preferred device for streaming video, Sky is finally ready to lend its support. Following the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 4, the broadcaster is launching a Sky Go app today for Sony's older gaming console. As per usual, the service lets you watch live programming and stream videos on-demand, including the bevy of films offered via Sky Movies. Simply having a Sky TV subscription isn't enough though -- like its other supported gaming consoles, to use Sky Go on the PS3 you'll need an active Sky Go Extra subscription (£5 per month) or Sky Multiscreen. If that sounds like quite a stretch for your wallet, there's always Now TV, which separates some of Sky's offerings into standalone monthly subscriptions.
Sky will soon switch on adult broadband filters for indecisive customers
As part of David Cameron's plan to protect young internet users, broadband providers have been forced to offer an "unavoidable choice." This impels new subscribers to decide whether they want to enable or disable blocks on adult content. However, UK consumers have already highlighted their dislike for such filters, with only one in every seven customers letting the big four UK ISPs guard them from porn and the darker parts of the internet. One of those major providers, Sky, saw just eight percent of customers enable the option before July 2013, but that statistic could change drastically as part of new measures announced today.
Now TV gets a Windows 8 app
Whether you're a sports fanatic or a movie buff, December is generally a good month to sit down in front of the tellybox. One way to treat your eyeballs is via Sky's standalone Now TV streaming service, which is preparing for a busy Christmas full of movies, TV shows and live sports coverage. Instead of grappling with the Now TV website though, Sky has finally released a proper Windows 8.1 app for you to sink your teeth into. Available from the Windows Store, the new app embraces Microsoft's unique Metro aesthetic and features both live channels and on-demand video for its three (Entertainment, Movies and Sports) passes. In recent months, Sky has been busy bringing Now TV to new set-top boxes, including Apple TV and Chromecast. Broader platform support is always welcome, but it's good to see that Sky hasn't forgotten about desktop users -- so how about a native Mac app?
Sky Go comes to the PlayStation 4 under another name
With Christmas on the horizon, many households will be fighting for control of the TV remote. Sky hopes to keep the peace with its new "TV from Sky" PS4 app, which gives console owners the ability to stream live TV and video on-demand. Although it goes by a different name, this is essentially Sky Go. Just like the existing Xbox 360 app, you'll need an active Sky Go Extra subscription (£5 per month) on top of your normal Sky TV membership to use the service. The add-on is touted as a way to download Sky content for offline playback, but consoles are a notable exception; you can only use the new "TV from Sky" app to watch online content on your PS4. So if you have a spotty internet connection, you might want to look elsewhere. Cord-cutters can, of course, opt for Now TV instead to save some pennies and continue streaming some of Sky's content this winter.
Virgin Media customers can now access the Sky Movies Android app
While Virgin Media customers have been able to access Sky Movies and Sky Sports on their iPhone or iPad for over three months now, Android users have been left twiddling their thumbs. Luckily, that wait is now over, for film fans at least, after a new update to the Sky Movies Android app unlocked access to the broadcaster's bumper collection of motion pictures. If you subscribe to the M+ Virgin TV package or above, then you should be able to log in with your Virgin account details. However, if your device is running Android 5.0 Lollipop, then you'll have to wait until early next year to get your streaming on. There's currently no word on when the Sky Sports Android app will get the same treatment, but Virgin Media says it's "working hard" to get it ready.
BT is in talks to buy back O2
Following in the footsteps of Take That, S Club 7 and 5ive, BT appears determined to get the band back together. The company has confirmed to us that it is in talks with European communications giant Telefonića to buy back O2, almost a decade after it sold the operator for £17.7 billion. It's no secret that BT is currently readying its own mobile service (with a little help from EE), but according to to Spanish news site El Confidencial, it could be willing to hand over a 20 percent stake as part of a "strategic alliance" between the pair.
Ofcom probe could lead to more live Premier League matches on TV
Less than half of all Premier League matches are broadcast live in the UK, and Virgin Media believes that simply isn't good enough. After filing a complaint in September, Ofcom has agreed to investigate whether the low number of televised fixtures is breaching competition law and leading to higher prices for customers and broadcasters. At the moment, the Premier League sells live TV rights for 154 games (out of 380 each season) through a handful of different match bundles. Sky used to dominate this bidding war, but in recent years BT has muscled in by spending big on a couple of the League's key packages.
Vodafone in talks to bundle Now TV boxes with its new broadband service
Vodafone only confirmed it will take another stab at selling broadband last week, but already rumours of potential tie-ups are starting to circulate. According to The Telegraph, the operator is in talks with Sky to bundle Now TV access in with its internet service when it launches next Spring, like it already does for its 4G plans. Although negotiations are said to be in the early stages, Now TV streamers could provide Vodafone with a short-term answer to set-top boxes offered by rivals EE, BT and TalkTalk, allowing it to offer quad-play packages in the UK. Let's not forget, Sky is also set to become a member of the exclusive quad-play club, after it began trialling its own mobile network (with Vodafone's help) late last month. While you might not be a Vodafone customer, you could still benefit from a potential tie-up with Sky -- increased competition provides more choice and greater choice often results in lower pricing.
TalkTalk ditches Vodafone to offer 4G plans with O2's help
As one of the UK's only quad-play providers, TalkTalk offers mobile plans alongside its TV, phone and internet packages. Since 2010, the company relied upon Vodafone's infrastructure to underpin its own network, but it's now decided it wants to try something new. In a joint announcement, TalkTalk and Telefónica (UK) today publicised an agreement that will see the UK media company switch across to O2's network, allowing the carrier to provide 3G and 4G services for its customers. With Virgin Media bundling mobile plans with its traditional home bundles and Sky thought to be readying the public launch of its own network (with Vodafone's help), TalkTalk now faces significant competition in the battle over low-cost tariffs. However, considering 9.5% of its total customer base already own one of its SIMs, the provider is already off to a pretty decent start. Update: Chatting with Bloomberg, TalkTalk's CEO said the partnership with Telefónica will go beyond simply using the latter's mobile network. With help from its new friend, TalkTalk wants to outfit its customers with femtocells (akin to small, indoor mobile masts), so they'll never have to worry about spotty mobile signal at home.
BT Sport claims it's now in more pubs than Sky Sports
A few years ago, if you were a pub landlord and wanted to provide your customers with live sports coverage, you'd just stump up the cash for Sky Sports and be done with it. However, now that BT Sport has emerged as a genuine alternative, publicans have more choice over what they can show. The telecoms giant is often keen to gloat when it has one over its rival, so it's today sharing news that its sport channels are now live in more UK pubs than Sky Sports. According to an independent survey, BT Sport is now live in 7,200 public houses, making up 30 percent of its total commercial subscriptions.
BSkyB is dead, long live Sky
Following the merger of Sky Television and British Satellite Broadcasting in 1990, BSkyB grew to become the biggest pay-TV broadcaster in the UK. Domestic success was fine, but in July, the company decided it was time to cast its net wider, so it agreed a deal with 21st Century Fox to snap up Sky Italia and buy a 57-percent majority share of Sky Deutschland. That transaction has now been approved, creating what Sky says is now "Europe's leading entertainment company." While much will stay the same, some things inevitably must change. You see, now Sky has divisions in Italy and Germany (and 20 million total customers), the British Sky Broadcasting Group name befit a company embarking on an expansion across Europe. As a result, it's changing its name to Sky and listing itself on the London Stock Exchange under the symbol SKY. Shareholders will need to approve the name change first, but we're sure that's just a formality.
BT admits it's not even close to hitting its original fibre broadband target
When BT first set out plans to connect Britain with fibre optic broadband, it wanted to get 25 percent of homes on its network online without using old copper cables. That meant fibre optic wires running straight into your home, rather than just to your local cabinet on the street, where BT's aging infrastructure has to make the final push. Alas, the company's plans didn't pan out and it eventually resorted to its copper network to get fibre connections in more homes in a shorter space of time. However, that means slower downloads; while BT's fibre-to-your-door can get you speeds of up to 300 Mbps, its copper lines top out at 80 Mbps (although it could theoretically get a whole lot faster).
