The British-based broadcaster Sky (with operations in the EU and elsewhere) has decided it doesn't need to keep attaching satellite dishes to the walls of its customers' homes.
The BBC reports:
The pay TV company already offers some programming online on its Sky Go and Now TV* services and through Sky boxes.
Sky said offering the option was a "major development" that would let it enter new markets.
It hopes that making its hundreds of channels more widely available will increase both revenue and profits.
Italy will be its first market to get all Sky channels online, followed by Austria, with the UK expected to follow later this year or in 2019.
Sky is not proposing to stop broadcasting by satellite. The move will allow customers who cannot have a dish or do not want one to get Sky, a spokesperson said. A Sky box will still be required.
The company's move is a response to greater competition from the likes of streaming services such as Netflix and Amazon.
*Now TV is an internet-based, subscriptionless pay-TV service. Established 5 years ago, it's wholly owned by Sky.
(Score: 3, Interesting) by bob_super on Friday January 26 2018, @10:10PM
There are many areas in Southern Europe where people have sat dishes so they can catch sats broadcasting to North Africa (probably also true in the US with Latin America broadcasts).
Obviously, those people are not paying a company in another country for their service, but it will become more obvious once official sat companies finish ditching the dish.
Also, that's a sign of the need for Net Neutrality. Sky, not being an ISP, would not be able to make such a move in the US.