Pubs could be hit by cheap Sky Sports at home
More people could get cut-price Sky Sports at home, as BT and Virgin Media suggest they will reduce charges if media watchdog Ofcom forces Sky to drop its prices to rival broadcasters.
The news could spell more bad news for pubs, as cash-strapped customers may choose to stay at home instead of going to the pub to watch the football.
Ofcom's board will meet this week to discuss how big proposed cuts to Sky's wholesale rights should be, as part of its investigation into the Pay-TV market, before announcing its final decision at the end of March.
The Ofcom decision refers to the domestic market and does not affect commercial platforms.
According to the Guardian newspaper, BT hopes to start offering Sky Sports 1 to domestic subscribers for £15 a month. Sky customers currently pay upwards of £25.50 for the channel, and most of them pay at least £36 a month for a package including sports and movies.
Virgin boss Sir Richard Branson already said he expects the price of Sky Sports 1 to fall by 20% for cable customers.
Nick Bish, chief executive of the Association of Licensed Multiple Retailers, said it was "very disappointed that Ofcom had not extended its decision to commercial markets".
He added that should Ofcom attempt to force Sky to cut its prices, the broadcaster would oppose the decision, meaning it would not happen "today or tomorrow".
He also said many people simply preferred watching sport in pubs, where there is an atmosphere rather than in their home.
