ALMR slams Sky's latest 'price freeze'

By Paul Collins

- Last updated on GMT

Related tags Sky sports Setanta sports

Sky TV in pubs now costs £1,000+ a month

Sky TV in pubs now costs £1,000+ a month

A trade body has condemned Sky's 'price freeze', which will see pub and bar owners face huge increases to provide the same level of service as last year. The Association of Licensed Multiple Retailers (ALMR) said bills could be up as much as 18% from 2007.

Pub owners who signed up for the Base or Football+ services before 22 June

last year were billed at 2006/2007 levels. Now they will be brought in line with current pricing in Sky's restructuring move.

Pubs must now take out a separate £43-per-month subscription to the At The Races channel, previously provided as part of the packages.

Customers subscribing to the Base package will receive Sky Sports 1, 2 and 3. The Ultimate package, which replaces the Football+ service, also makes Sky Xtra, Setanta Sports 1 and 2, and Setanta Golf available to customers.

Pub owners now face charges of more than £1,000 per month to show live sport. As an incentive, Sky is offering a free additional viewing card, which enables pubs to show two live events at the same time.

ALMR chief executive Nick Bish said: "The reality for many operators is that this isn't a freeze at all.

"They face double-figure percentage increases to provide the same service."

Paul Wigham, chief executive of Bar Group, said: "It is outrageous."

The Kent-based operator uses Sky in most of its 37 bars, but Wigham said: "We will be removing Sky from a significant number of venues."

A Sky spokeswoman said: "We have listened to the trade and recognise pubs are suffering with the credit crunch, smoking ban and rising utility bills, and so we have agreed this price freeze."

Esta: licensees denied fair trial

A campaign group says it will appeal licensee prosecutions for foreign satellite football screenings at the European Court of

Human Rights.

The European Satellite TV Association (Esta) claims five licensees

and a foreign satellite provider from North Wales have been denied a fair trial in their prosecutions at Llandudno Magistrates Court.

Esta alleges that trading standards did not follow correct procedure when collecting evidence.

Esta chairman Colin McGhee said the group had written to all trading standards departments that have seized screening equipment from pubs, urging them to return the goods or face being sued. Esta said it is also taking new cases to court to claim back half the money that hosts have paid in Sky fees.

Esta said Sky's market dominance represents "an illegal cartel and a monopoly in breach of EU competition law".

Related topics Sport

Property of the week

Follow us

Pub Trade Guides

View more