BSkyB risks upsetting over two thirds of its current subscribers if it raises the Sky Sports subscription fee, according CIA MediaLab’s latest Sensor survey. The results come amid industry speculation that a rise would be necessary to help BSkyB fund its recent £670 million four-year deal with the Football Premier League – a deal which could yet be referred to the Office of Fair Trading.
According to the survey, only 10% of current subscribers who expressed an opinion would not mind the increase so long as they could see all the matches. 21% would understand why the increased price was necessary, but would not be particularly happy about it. The vast majority of subscribers (69%) believe that any rise would be completely wrong if it were to mean paying more to see exactly the same matches.
Overall, 78% of all adults who expressed an opinion believe that any increase would be completely wrong, 16% would understand it and just 6% would accept a rise. The group least concerned about a subscription increase is the 15-to-24 year-olds, with 15% claiming that they would not mind an increase and 27% understanding why it might be necessary. The group most opposed to any rise is the over-45 year-olds, with a massive 91% completely against paying more to see the same matches.
Anthony Jones, head of CIA MediaLab, said: “BSkyB might find itself in trouble if the plan is to fund the Premier League deal by raising subscriptions, as only a few viewers seem willing to pay more. Sky Sports might well need to provide a significantly enhanced package to help justify any subscription rise”.
CIA MediaLab also examined whether adults would consider paying £10 each month to access a television channel devoted entirely to the football team they support. While the vast majority of people (86%) said that they would be unlikely to subscribe, 10% claim they would. This figure rises to 12% of current cable and satellite subscribers.
Overall, the idea is particularly popular among 15-to-24 year olds, 18% of whom claim that they would be willing to subscribe to a team-specific football channel. Men (17%) and tabloid newspaper readers (15%) are also keen on the idea.
Anthony Jones commented: “As digital broadcasting approaches, tightly focused niche channels become a possibility. Although the percentages of people who claim they would pay for a TV channel devoted to their favourite football team are small, when these are converted into actual numbers of people paying for example £10, the potential for making money out of a low-cost channel becomes very clear indeed.”
CIA MediaLab: 0171 633 9999
