Game on...the go
Subscribers to the Sky Sports Pack will be given free access to Sky Mobile TV and Sky Player for a limited time to differentiate Sky's offering from other providers that now sell Sky Sports channels.
Consumers will be given bonus admission from 12 July until the end of the year to Sky Mobile TV and Sky's online TV player, the imaginatively named Sky Player.
The offer comes at the same time BT announced its customers will be able to sign-up for Sky subscription channels from July and Sky Sports 1 and 2 from its on-demand service from August. The telecoms giant has also reportedly indicated it intends to undercut Sky on subscription cost for premiership football staples Sky Sports 1, 2 and ESPN.
BSkyB came under fire from Ofcom to allow Sky Sports 1 and 2 to be made available to other pay TV providers, and for monopolising the TV coverage of major sporting events such as headline boxing matches and the Premiership.
The regulator's investigation suggested Sky's long-standing strategy of out-bidding its rivals to gain a near monopoly of sporting events was unfair. Ofcom has insisted that Sky should offer its sports channels to other providers and cut its fees for the popular Sky Sports channels.
BT now joins Virgin in being able to offer subscription services to Sky Sports 1 and 2 to its customers. BSkyB recently acquired Virgin Media's TV channels for a cool £160m, allowing Sky to supplement its offerings with Virgin brands such as Bravo and in return, Virgin will be able to offer Sky's full channel line-up.
With rumours of undercutting and providers finally challenging the TV sport monopoly, Sky has swiftly rolled out a free service to its Sports Pack subscribers, to offer them extra value for money and differentiate its offering from its new peers'.
Sky Sports Pack subscribers will now be able to watch sports and their favourite TV shows across a range of platforms until 31 December, including iPhone, iPod touch and iPad, plus PC, Mac, Windows Media Centre and Fetch TV as well as Sky HD and Red Button.
Sky Mobile TV allows users of compatible Apple products to stream live TV via their 3G or Wi-Fi connection. The application is available to download at the App Store. Sky Player will give subscribers the chance to watch live streams of sport included in their package plus all the latest headlines from Sky News. ESPN will also be available to subscribers who already have an existing subscription to the channel.
Sky Mobile TV on iPhone or iPod usually costs £6 a month and is also £6 a month for iPad users who are also Sky Sports Pack consumers...or it will set users back £35 a month.
Consumers who take advantage of the free access offer should also be aware they will automatically be charged for the standard price of Sky Mobile TV if they fail to unsubscribe before 31 December of this year. Sky warns the same will happen if they cancel their Sky Sports subscription.
