The great $ky rip-off continues...

[1701-e]

... saw this on DTG site:

"BSkyB is raising subscription rates for the second time this year as it tries to squeeze more revenue from customers and reach its target of £400-a-year average revenue per user.

The new charges, effective September 1, will add £1 a month on top-tier packages and 50p on cheaper subscriptions, raising an estimated £50m a year as the satellite broadcaster prepares to launch its 'freesat' service in competition with the Freeview digital terrestrial service.

The company said that some customers on cheaper packages would pay only 50p more per month, while those on its most basic package would pay nothing extra. He added that the broadcaster would not increase prices again in January, but did not rule out further increases later next year."

So with another increase on DSAT how long will NTL hold out until they have to bump up our bills?? $ky obviously want to pay for the "freesat" rip-off! Will NTL give us some bull story about improvements etc etc??

[themelon]

Not surprising really.

I see this as another tactical move by $ky, apparently they are moving the price increases into the summer unless they up twice a year..........this means that ntl will be forced to up prices around Christmas time making them look like scruges.

Generally they hold the prices for about 6 months. ntl cant really help but increase the price unfortunately as the Sky Channels dictate the price rises on ntl.

[Alanmelon]

But I think we'll find that the price ntl pay Sky for these channels is probably fixed in a contract, which I suspect has a greater duration that just 6 months. Us ntl'ers may be given a reprieve on this one.

[Marge]

Originally Posted by Alanmelon

But I think we'll find that the price ntl pay Sky for these channels is probably fixed in a contract, which I suspect has a greater duration that just 6 months. Us ntl'ers may be given a reprieve on this one.

No, sorry, prices increases are just that and are passed on from Sky to Ntl to Customer

[Alanmelon]

But when arranging contracts for carriage of Sky channels surely a price is set which ntl pay Sky for the duration of the contract? They then charge their customers on the basis of this contract?

Or do they just give Sky free rein over the price they charge their customers?

[bigitup_j]

ntl really only have to increase charges for the Sky premium channels, when sky increase their subscriptions.
but, ntl has no excuse to increase the non-premium packages! telewest have held their non-premium prices for 3 years (par from £1 increase for Essentials pack next month).
so, when ntl say prices (for non-premium packs) have gone up because of sky, it's a load of tosh. the price for non-premium channels is fixed in the contract, it don't go up each year.
ntl like lying to customers

but, what can you do...

[themelon]

Not a great deal because $ky like lying just as much??

In fact they dont even do the duty of lying to us!!

What exactly is the reason for more increases from $ky?? They have more subs which means more money yet they have to charge more!

To be fair no TV company makes a great deal out of the non Premium channels a fair percentage of the subs go to UKTV etc etc....Of course even the Base Pack on ntl includes Sky One which is dictated by $kys charging.

I expect Telewest are operating the essentials pack at a loss in the hope that most people will subscribe to other packages.

[Bob]

What also helps TW is the fact that they don't get Sky's big channels as quickly as ntl: - so they wait longer and negotiate cheaper contracts