Sky will offer cheaper sports packages to customers when they undergo a major revamp in the near future by replacing its traditional numbered channels with themed offerings such as football, golf and cricket.
As first reported by the Guardian, Sky Sports 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5 will go out of service and be replaced with something similar to the current Sky Sports F1 channel. Football will be separated into two channels, with golf and cricket making up the other two, while a new channel called Sky Sports Arena will host other content including rugby, tennis and more. It is not known yet how Sky's GAA coverage will be affected.
The cost of sports rights has rocketed up in recent years with Sky paying £4.2bn in its latest Premier League TV deal – 83 per cent more than the previous deal and almost £11m per game – while viewing has dropped significantly for various reasons, mainly the rise in illegal internet streams and TV boxes.
The move means that certain Sky Sports packages will be available at a rate almost two thirds cheaper than is currently on offer, although it is not understood yet in what way or whether it will be possible to buy individual channels.
When contacted by The Irish Times a spokesperson for Sky said that they would be making no comment.
Sky Sports’ current cheapest package costs €49.50 for the first six months and €69.50 thereafter in Ireland. The cheapest option available under the new rebrand will be £18 in the UK, however the cost of certain Sky packages do differ between the UK and Ireland. According to figures from Nielsen, Sky has 700,000 subscribers in Ireland.
The move comes after Sky recently launched its Now TV service in Ireland – offering Sky-owned content, including English Premier League and GAA matches and dramas such as Game of Thrones, available to people who do not want to subscribe to Sky’s satellite television service.
A Sky Sports “day pass” via Now TV costs €10, while a week pass is €15 and the cost for a month is €50.
Football remains Sky Sports’ primary seller, despite BT Sport coming into the Premier League market and also securing exclusive Champions League rights for the next three seasons.
Since acquiring the Open Championship last year, Sky now show all four golf majors exclusively live as well as every European Tour and PGA Tour event. They also have exclusive rights for all of England’s Test, one-day and twenty20 cricket matches.
Their Champions Cup and Challenge Cup rugby coverage is split with BT Sport while last year they dropped their coverage of US Open tennis after 25 years and may not look to make an offer to renew their ATP Tennis Tour rights.
The Sky Sports Mix channel, which Sky uses to showcase sport to its wider subscriber base by offering it free to basic package holders, will be continued.
