Sky To Launch Text Service On Freeview
Satellite giant BSkyB has announced plans to launch its digital text service on Freeview, hoping to tempt potential subscribers away from the free-to-air system with a further demonstration of its own-brand satellite content services.
Sky Text will be available in December to all digital terrestrial viewers and will add a further 3.7 million Freeview households to its current audience of 7.4 million Sky subscribers.
Sky Text will only be accessible through the three Sky channels already available on Freeview; Sky News, Sky Sports and Sky Travel. Viewers who press the ‘text’ button on their remote control will be given admission to a wide range of news, sport, finance and weather information.
Like the existing Sky Text service on the digital satellite platform, the Freeview service will be integrated within the broadcast environment, enabling viewers to continue watching a Sky channel while reading the latest headlines or sport results.
David Klein, general manager of Sky Text said: “Sky Text is already an established and valued source of news and information for millions of satellite viewers. We are pleased to be able to make it available to a wider audience on the digital terrestrial platform.”
Last month David Chance, chairman of Top UP TV and former BSkyB executive claimed by December 2005 Freeview homes will outnumber their Sky counterpart. Sky has consistently failed to meet their self-set targets of 100,000 per month, adding only 62,000 new subscribers during the three months to September. Freeview on the other hand is quickly climbing up the digital ladder and could pose a serious threat to the satellite superpower (see Freeview Penetration Set To Equal Sky Next Year).
Freeview: 08708 80 99 80 www.freeview.co.uk Sky: 08702 40 40 40 www.sky.com
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