ITV And Sky In Carriage Deal Rumour

ITV and BSkyB have reportedly signed a deal allowing ITV channels to be shown on BSkyB’s digital platform ending a long-running dispute between the two broadcasters.

According to a report in a national newspaper today, ITV and BSkyB have reached an agreement that could see ITV channels appear on Sky’s pay-per-view platform “as early as tomorrow.” A spokesperson for BSkyB could not confirm that an agreement had been reached, but said: “Discussions are continuing.”

ITV has promised to secure carriage on Sky’s digital platform in the past (see ITV Available In Sky Digital Homes “Soon”), but has been unable to reach an agreement with the rival broadcaster. ITV1 currently loses potential viewers to Sky because Sky digital subscribers have to turn off their satellite receivers in order to watch the channel.

A carriage deal would benefit ITV allowing it to increase its share of viewing and draw additional revenue by offering advertisers the chance to target specific ITV regions. BSkyB, which currently has over 5 million subscribers (see Sky Reports Revenue Increases) compared to ITV Digital’s 1.4 million, would also benefit from the addition of extra channels to its electronic programming guide (EPG).

Earlier in the year Sky said that ITV would have to pay over £20m a year for ITV and ITV2 to be carried on the platform (see Sky Asking £20m For Carriage, Says ITV). ITV turned down this offer but negotiations have rumoured to have been taking place ever since (see ITV Partners May Co-operate With BSkyB).

ITV: 020 7843 8000 www.itv.co.uk BSkyB: 020 7705 3000 www.sky.com

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