SKY Active to Launch in September

speedfreak

Confirmation from Business and Finance mag....but how many of us will actually ever use it???

Sky plans September launch for interactive service

Thursday, 27th June 2002 08.59am



Sky, the UK-based digital TV service provider, is to launch its long anticipated interactive service, Sky Active, in Ireland in September.

This week's Business&Finance magazine reports the initial offer will include email, betting, games and interactive voting on TV shows. The media operator is also understood to be in negotiations with a number of third party Irish providers to offer banking and shopping through televisions at a later stage.

The launch will be a further blow to the cable companies NTL and Chorus, who have already fallen behind in their digital TV and interactive services offerings due to financial constraints. Sky has managed to make serious inroads into the pay-TV market since last year and by the end of March had clocked up 232,000 subscribers in the Republic.

While the company insists that its prime interest is selling premium content rather than going for high volumes of basic package subscribers, it nevertheless means that it can now offer premium interactive services throughout the country, unlike the cable companies who are restricted by expensive network upgrade requirements.


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Genghis

In spite of my contract, my digibox is a full room away from the nearest phone point. None of those services would really make me want to trail a lead across the living room floor, or along skirting boards etc.

That said, if Sky Active offered imaginative, cheap and attractive services I would be among the first to commission an electrician to install a dedicated point.

I love gadgets, new technology etc. The problem with the Sky Active service is that you can do many of the things they allow you do easily and cheaper elsewhere - online and offline.

Yes and as I kinda pointed out,in another thread,Sky have a lovely windfall now from it's 232,000 irish subscribers amounting to approximately £200,000 sterling a month,due to the strength of the Euro, predicted to continue over the next 12 months..
Plenty to finance extra interacive services and of course ITV and and ch4.
Will they be investing their windfall in this way-doubtfull:rolleyes:

regarding gadgets-I've just sold my Dvd player as I'm getting a multiregion dvd recorder :cool: :cool: so Sky you might be losing me as a subscriber....I don't want your Sky plus anymore ,I'm not waiting any longer for that - you can keep it:D
mm

ShaneOC

Originally posted by madman
regarding gadgets-I've just sold my Dvd player as I'm getting a multiregion dvd recorder :cool: :cool: so Sky you might be losing me as a subscriber....I don't want your Sky plus anymore ,I'm not waiting any longer for that - you can keep it:D
mm

Oh drool. Do you mind telling us how much such a gizmo costs?

Shane 'Ive replied in the other thread" e-mails and phoning sky..." so as to keep the mod's sweet:D
mm

ShaneOC

Thanks mm. Saw the reply. Still drooling.

The Gopher

How can sky only be making £200,000 from 232,000 subscribers ?Surely costs arent that high that 90% of our cash goes to the upkeep of the service.

Genghis

I think the £200,000 figure madman mentioned refers to the exchange rate bonus that Sky are currently making on the Euro. They set their prices to be on a par with UK prices, but with fluctutuations, madman reckons that they are actually making £200,000 extra from Ireland than they intended to make when they set their prices.

ShaneOC

The point that madman is making is that with the Euro getting stronger Sky are getting an extra £200,000 from us. This is on top of what the already get.