Sky TV hints at big plan changes, low-cost broadband

Sky TV plans could undergo a major shakeup, with tighter pricing and more pick and mix options, and your pending internet service could be very cheap if you subscribe to enough channels.

You can also get the option to bundle apps like Netflix, Disney +, and Spark Sport at discounted rates, if you sign up for 12 months.

All these possibilities are raised in the latest round of questions to the Sky Nation panel of the pay TV station.

Sky’s director of external relations Chris Major said the latest questions were part of an ongoing process to get customer feedback on potential changes.

“We are getting excellent participation from our Sky Nation panel and will spend some time evaluating the feedback,” said Major.

Sky CEO Martin Stewart has already confirmed that his company will offer ultra-fast fiber broadband (UFB) next year, in partnership with Chorus, making Sky a one-stop-shop for internet and content.

The survey asks for feedback on Sky Broadband priced from $ 60 per month to $ 100 per month, one respondent tells the Herald, and the price of your internet drops as you commit to more Sky channels (or apps).

Major said a wide range of options was being explored, so people shouldn’t read too much about any particular price mentioned in the survey.

It also says that Sky could remove its $ 25.99 / month Starter Pack, which is currently a must-buy for those who want to purchase another package like Sky Sport or Sky Entertainment.

Another change is that MySky recording (currently charged at $ 15 per month) is included “free” with the various proposed new packages.

The survey raises the possibility of more package selection and mixing options to build your own package, but the proposed new plans are cheaper if you buy in packages, and the more packages, the greater the discounts.

Sky Sport, for example, is priced at $ 49 per month, including MySky recording, compared to the current cost of $ 57.98 per month ($ 31.99 for Sky Sport plus $ 25.99 for the mandatory Sky Starter).

Sky Movies is priced at $ 30 / month, again with the option to purchase it independently (currently $ 46.92 per month, including Sky Starter).

Sky Entertainment is priced at $ 55 per month, but with Netflix (which starts at $ 11.99 per month separately) included, up from $ 46.92 today, including Starter.

The survey also featured the Spark Sport app, typically $ 24.99 after a $ 5 price increase that matches national cricket streaming Spark, at a discount, for those who commit to 12 months.

Spark did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Sky TV boss Stewart said early that he was willing to partner with all participants, including Spark.

Although the two companies are in dispute on some levels, and Sky is on the verge of a foray into Spark’s home with their internet service, they have also shown a degree of pragmatism behind the scenes at times.

At one point, Spark offered Sky’s (now Sky Sport Now) Fanpass app to its customers at a discounted rate under a wholesale offering. Sky supplied a Spark Sport channel for bar and club customers during the 2019 Rugby World Cup to help the telco to quickly resolve business customer issues; and the couple reached a mutual wholesale agreement after Sky bought Lightbox from Spark.

An earlier Sky survey solicited customer feedback on a new $ 199 4K Android box, which would carry all of Sky’s channels and further allow customers to install the apps of their choice.

If Stewart gets a Spark Sport package with Sky over the line, it will give Sky a point of difference with Vodafone NZ’s Vodafone TV service, which is similar to Stewart’s proposed “next-gen” box and service, but comes with a “pre-installed” suite of applications not included with Spark Sport.

Sky recently delivered a challenging result, with write-offs leading to a loss, but the company forecasts a return to earnings in 2021.

Its total number of subscribers grew as its Neon, RugbyPass and Sky Sport Now streaming services grew faster than Sky’s traditional satellite business declined.

But the average streaming customer only spent a quarter of the average satellite customer per month, reducing overall revenue.

Vodafone welcomes Sky broadband competition and adjusts billing

With its internet service pending, Sky will compete with its former merger partner Vodafone for broadband customers.

“We welcome Sky to the highly competitive world of broadband,” said a Vodafone spokesperson.

“We continue to value our strategic partnership with Sky and are confident in the value that the partnership provides to our customers.”

However, some billing adjustments are on the way.

“Vodafone and Sky enjoy a strong long-standing relationship that has resulted in many collaborations, such as giving Vodafone customers the opportunity to be billed for their Sky TV services through their Vodafone bill along with their services. Vodafone, “said the Vodafone spokesman.

“However, as part of Vodafone’s push to simplify its product and service offering, starting later this year, customers using a MySky set-top box will be billed directly from Sky.

“We have communicated this billing change to all affected customers and this does not change the benefits our customers receive through our partnership with Sky.

“Our VodafoneTV customers can continue to enjoy Sky TV services through the VodafoneTV box, including VodafoneTV cloud recording and three-day rewind features at no additional charge.”