Pay TV phase three document - Stakeholders - Ofcom

Pay TV phase three document – non-confidential version
reflects current thinking. For example, a senior executive at Sky [ � ] stated in a
letter to the Vice President of Orange Home UK plc, on 8 February 2007, when
discussing Orange’s request for wholesale access to Sky Sports channels, that:
“The value of our channels to a platform operator is not simply a
function of the subscription that such a platform operator can earn as
a distributor of packages of channels that include our channels. The
mere availability of our channels on a particular platform has
considerable value to the relevant platform operator that is difficult to
capture through a per subscriber charging mechanic or the
imposition of enforceable marketing obligations” 23 .
3.28 The importance of premium sports and movie content to Sky’s platform is evident
from other internal documents that we have obtained.
� [ � ] 24 . [ � ] 25 . [ � ] 26 [ � ].
� [ � ] 27 .
3.29 These are echoed by various internal documents which we have obtained following
various information requests to other pay TV providers:
� [ � ] 28 . [ � ] 29 . [ � ] 30 .
� [ � ] 31 [ � ] 32 . [ � ] 33 [ � ] 34 [ � ].
� [ � ] 35 . [ � ] 36 .
23 Provided by Orange in response to formal information request of 9 June 2008.
24 [ � ]. Provided by Sky in response to information request of 14 May 2008.
25 [ � ]. Ibid.
26 [ � ]. Ibid.
27 [ � ]. Ibid.
28 [ � ]. Provided by Virgin Media in response to information request of 23 May 2008.
29 [ � ]. Ibid.
30 [ � ]. Ibid.
31 [ � ]. Ibid.
32 [ � ]. Ibid.
33 ‘[ � ]. Ibid.
34 [ � ]. Ibid.
35 [ � ].
36 ‘[ � ].
43