Sky+ Subscription Charge Ending

Sky has made the decision to scrap the subscription charge for the Sky+ PVR service starting 1 July 2007.

Since its inception in 2001, Sky has been charging users of the Sky+ service £10 per month to keep using it, this includes receiving the EPG information, required to drive the service.

Interestingly in PR terms Sky chose DigitalSpy to break the story.

There’s no doubt that Sky+ is a highly polished product that’s been extended to now include remote programming via mobile phone or PC, but as to why Sky might be moving to give the service away is a little more unclear.

Not known as giving money away for the sake of it, the official reasoning

Many of you have said that you want Sky+, but to get it, it needs to be more affordable. We believe that by removing the Sky+ subscription cost for Sky Digital customers, it will mean that more of you are able to enjoy the benefits of Sky+.”

doesn’t really give the whole picture.

We think it’s a reaction to the extra pressure that Sky is feeling from other competitors – such as their non-friends, Virgin Media and BT Vision, who have just launched a significant advertising campaign which will see them giving away a PVR. Sky will continue to charge £99 for the Sky+ box – as well as charge monthly for the actual Sky TV service.