Sky Signs Deal For HBO Shows

Minstrel27

article wrote:

BRITISH BROADCASTERS Sky have entered into a multiyear deal with the television production company Home Box Office (HBO), which will bring popular American programmes to Irish homes later this year.

The full range of HBO programming will only be available to Sky customers. A spokeswoman for Sky said HBO programming would be available on the broadcaster’s ordinary television channels and no extra cost would be included.
The first HBO programme due to be broadcast on Sky is Boardwalk Empire , a Prohibition-era drama from Martin Scorsese. The show makes its US debut in September, with a UK and Ireland premiere due to follow shortly after.
HBO has developed a reputation for critically acclaimed programming, having previously produced series including The Wire , The Sopranos and Sex and the City .

Under the agreement, all new HBO programmes and series will be broadcast exclusively by Sky, who will also have right of first negotiation for all future programmes that are co-produced in the UK.

Sophie Turner Laing, managing director for entertainment, news and broadcast operations at Sky, said there is a demand for HBO programming because it produces “must-see TV”. Sky recently broadcast two of HBO’s most popular series of the year, the second World War epic The Pacific from Steven Spielberg and Tom Hanks, and the award-winning drama In Treatment , which returns shortly for a second season.

http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/ireland/2010/0729/1224275692920.html


What will this do to the world of Sky?

Richard Dower

^ sounds like an excellent deal and good for IRE/UK viewers...lots of original HBO programming can only be a good thing.

Otacon

Hopefully it will mean we get 'A Game Of Thrones' at around the same time as the US.

Roadend

Sky recently broadcast two of HBO’s most popular series of the year, the second World War epic The Pacific

They did indeed........on Sky movies

Basq

Yeah.. I suspect anything "epic" (e.g 'Game of Thrones', 'Boardwalk Empire' etc) will be on Sky Movies.

It's a cunning ploy by Sky, but it'll work!

I mean why should they not be screened on Sky Movies? HBO is a subscription service, is it not? So it would make sense for it be shown on something similar over here.

Basq

We're already paying a minimum of about €22 a month for a basic service, is that worth nothing?

I'm not prepared to pay €35 to watch a series / mini-series among their 5 repeated movies day after day after day - especially given the fact that plenty of HBO series in the past have been shown on network TV (The Ricky Gervais Show, True Blood, Hung, Entourage, Curb Your Enthusiasm, Flight of The Conchords, Deadwood, The Wire, Band of Brothers, Six Feet Under, The Sopranos, Sex and the City, Oz etc) - what has changed now in that we need to be charged a hefty premium to watch any future productions from them?

Nah, that's absolutely ridiculous!

Minstrel27

Deleted User wrote: »

I mean why should they not be screened on Sky Movies? HBO is a subscription service, is it not? So it would make sense for it be shown on something similar over here.

Sky Movies is a channel for movies. HBO is not a movies channel in the states so your comparison is not true.

basquille

basquille wrote: »

We're already paying a minimum of about €22 a month for a basic service, is that worth nothing?

I'm not prepared to pay €35 to watch a series / mini-series among their 5 repeated movies day after day after day - especially given the fact that plenty of HBO series in the past have been shown on network TV (The Ricky Gervais Show, True Blood, Hung, Entourage, Curb Your Enthusiasm, Flight of The Conchords, Deadwood, The Wire, Band of Brothers, Six Feet Under, The Sopranos, Sex and the City, Oz etc) - what has changed now in that we need to be charged a hefty premium to watch any future productions from them?

Nah, that's absolutely ridiculous!

Understandable - however I would be willing to pay the extra money if it means it wasn't interrupted by ad breaks.

Basq

Deleted User wrote: »

Understandable - however I would be willing to pay the extra money if it means it wasn't interrupted by ad breaks.

Sky+ it, start watching 15 minutes in and forward through ads..

.. problem solved!

basquille

basquille wrote: »

Sky+ it, start watching 15 minutes in and forward through ads..

.. problem solved!

Only if you don't have Sky+ you're left at a disadvantage.

Adverts are the sole reason for me giving up watching TV. I don't care about products you're selling, I don't want to channel surf and find countless more adverts and I really don't appreciate you stopping at the best part of a show.

emaleth

Minstrel27 wrote: »

http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/ireland/2010/0729/1224275692920.html


What will this do to the world of Sky?

Doesn't the bit about HBO programming being available on regular Sky channels mean that they won't be shown on Sky Movies? So it'll be on SKY 1 like House or whatever.

Which is a pain, if you ask me, I'd rather the lack of logos and the lack of ads on Sky Movies. Still, once I don't have to wait for Game of Thrones....

Basq

emaleth wrote: »

Doesn't the bit about HBO programming being available on regular Sky channels mean that they won't be shown on Sky Movies? So it'll be on SKY 1 like House or whatever.

Yeah.. this would seem to indicate so:

A spokeswoman for Sky said HBO programming would be available on the broadcaster’s ordinary television channels and no extra cost would be included.

But I've a feeling that may change in time!

mike65

Hmmm on one level its bad for "free tv" on the other hand it means the likes of AMC will be more likely to sell to BBC and C4.

emaleth

basquille wrote: »

Yeah.. this would seem to indicate so:



But I've a feeling that may change in time!

You are more than likely correct

So. Back to feverish tippy-toe bouncing while I await Game of Thrones (and lurk around Boards, rarely posting, always watching.....)

robby^5

If there is the same delay between the US start date of The Pacific and the Sky start date, this deal wont be enough to stop me getting the show through the usual avenues. But I dare say it's good to know it'll be on normal Sky channels. I have friends looking forward to Boardwalk who only use their TV and dont have sky movies, so it'll be nice be able to actually discuss the show with them.

amacachi

robby^5 wrote: »

If there is the same delay between the US start date of The Pacific and the Sky start date, this deal wont be enough to stop me getting the show through the usual avenues. But I dare say it's good to know it'll be on normal Sky channels. I have friends looking forward to Boardwalk who only use their TV and dont have sky movies, so it'll be nice be able to actually discuss the show with them.

Same here. Funny thing is I don't think the yanks care an awful lot, a lot of us fools over here still buy the DVDs at inflated prices when it's done airing.

heebusjeebus

robby^5 wrote: »

If there is the same delay between the US start date of The Pacific and the Sky start date, this deal wont be enough to stop me getting the show through the usual avenues.

That's exactly how I feel.
If Sky had shown The Pacific on Sky One I still would have not seen it due to the month delay (and ads).

JP Liz V1

Roadend wrote: »

They did indeed........on Sky movies

I can see Boardwalk Empire also going on Sky Movies

MikeHoncho

Deleted User wrote: »

Only if you don't have Sky+ you're left at a disadvantage.

Adverts are the sole reason for me giving up watching TV. I don't care about products you're selling, I don't want to channel surf and find countless more adverts and I really don't appreciate you stopping at the best part of a show.

Yeah they should do away with ads. Lets see what the quality of TV is like then.

Dman001

Hmmm will be interesting to see how Sky will handle the Shows.

In one sense, could they really afford to put some of the Shows on Sky Movies? They could with The Pacific because two big names were involved (Speilbeg and Hanks) and was a World War II mini-series. Im not sure they could pull it off with regular drama series.

But in another sense, it is a major, pricey deal for Sky so Im sure they will want to milk it for all its worth.

Still though, it will be nice to see the older series on Sky. I never got around to seeing The Sopranos, Band of Brothers, Six Feet Under, Carnivale and the others so will really look forward to watching these this winter especially with the lack of good new series from the other networks. This is a great move from Sky too, as the better quality shows are coming from HBO, AMC, Starz and Showtime these days. Now if only they would get the rights to Breaking Bad.

Minstrel27

Dman001 wrote: »

Now if only they would get the rights to Breaking Bad.

It looks like they will.

article wrote:

Sky's headline-grabbing deal with HBO last week - acquiring the exclusive rights to the US channel's archive as well as all future shows and a first-look deal on all co-productions for around £150m – is just the start of the channel's aggressive assault on the high ground of scripted programming.


Sources in Los Angeles indicate that Sky is close to similar tie-ups with both Showtime and AMC, which would mean that Mad Men, Breaking Bad, Dexter and forthcoming zombie epic The Walking Dead, would pass behind BSKYB's paywall for at least five years – unavailable to free-to-air broadcasters like the BBC and Channel 4.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2010/aug/02/sky-hbo-deal-tv-drama


It looks like Sky are really going for the premium tv content. This will leave hardly any decent shows for non Sky channel if true.

mike65

Just saw that

Basq

If it means 'Breaking Bad' gets an audience over here.. I'm all for it tbh!

MikeHoncho

MikeHoncho wrote: »

Yeah they should do away with ads. Lets see what the quality of TV is like then.

Do they have adverts on HBO or other premium channels like that in the States?

ballsymchugh

could be a problem for TG4, they showed the wire a few years before i'd heard about it, and they've been showing Curb and a few other things from HBO.

Cantona's Collars

TG4 are great for pulling off coups to get quality American drama,pity not many people cop on to it.Irish tv tends to be immune from Sky's influence when it comes to U.S imports-take Lost for example,aired a week before Sky.I posted the plans Sky have for the future(must put link up here) on another thread-it seems the HBO tie-in is concentrated on Sky1.They have alway's played catch up to BBC and ITV in the UK but this could be their ace in their sleeve.

Minstrel27

Deleted User wrote: »

Do they have adverts on HBO or other premium channels like that in the States?

No adverts on HBO or Showtime.

RolandIRL

bit weird for sky to taking the plunge like this. usually they just wait for a show to become popular before taking it for themselves (like house, lost etc). maybe now they'll actually show something from the first season :eek:
hope sky isn't the only channel that will get most American imports. too pricey for me. channel 4 and bbc better get some of this content.

Cantona's Collars

whiteman19 wrote: »

bit weird for sky to taking the plunge like this. usually they just wait for a show to become popular before taking it for themselves (like house, lost etc). maybe now they'll actually show something from the first season :eek:
hope sky isn't the only channel that will get most American imports. too pricey for me. channel 4 and bbc better get some of this content.

Have a look at Minstrels link-seems your of luck for the fta route with BBC etc. getting any of these shows.

robby^5

basquille wrote: »

If it means 'Breaking Bad' gets an audience over here.. I'm all for it tbh!

Breaking Bad isnt made by HBO it's from AMC.

On this point, it's not been on TV over here yet? They have the DVD's in HMV etc. that's a bit odd.

RolandIRL

zerks wrote: »

Have a look at Minstrels link-seems your of luck for the fta route with BBC etc. getting any of these shows.

it doesn't mean i'm going to get sky anyway, but i suppose this means the end of the likes of Hung being on More4.
i'll have to get my american cousins to send it over to me then

that's something i never got about sky. you pay to get their channels yet you end up watching more ads than on RTÉ. i know there's sky+ but fast-forwarding kinda takes the flow out of the show

Minstrel27

robby^5 wrote: »

Breaking Bad isnt made by HBO it's from AMC.

On this point, it's not been on TV over here yet? They have the DVD's in HMV etc. that's a bit odd.

Sky are reported to be talking to Showtime and AMC. See post number 22 of this thread.

Basq

robby^5 wrote: »

Breaking Bad isnt made by HBO it's from AMC.

As someone has mentioned, they're close to a deal with AMC also.

robby^5 wrote: »

On this point, it's not been on TV over here yet? They have the DVD's in HMV etc. that's a bit odd.

It's been on Channel Five in the UK.. so not exactly a core audience there considering it's not even on the Sky EPG.

And not one Irish station has considered it.

Cantona's Collars

basquille wrote: »

As someone has mentioned, they're close to a deal with AMC also.


It's been on Channel Five in the UK.. so not exactly a core audience there considering it's not even on the Sky EPG.

And not one Irish station has considered it.

Was it not on FX also? I remember catching a few episodes.With Sky doing deals with HBO,Showtime and AMC there won't be a whole lot left for the terrestrial channels except the usual comedy-lite programs.If it means seeing decent U.S drama sooner instead of a lot of the usual guff that's out I don't care.So far it's been the slightly dubious route for a lot of em that I want to watch without waiting 6 months.
Slightly off topic,why does TV3 drop shows without warning or reason? They had new series of V before anyone and recently dropped it,managed to catch the rest of it on SCYFY. The Shield was another one.It seems the few decent shows they get end up being bumped in favour of reality tv without even a word of why or when they'd return.:mad:

Minstrel27

zerks wrote: »

Was it not on FX also?

It certainly was at some point.

http://fxuk.com/shows/breaking-bad

TV3 should never be allowed to show programming again. Their treatment of The Shield was absolutely appalling.

amacachi

I think Sky are positioning themselves very wisely, with the Tories likely to be reining in the BBC so Sky are ready to dominate, and with Murdoch trying to buy out the bit of Sky he doesn't own there's something more behind all this.

Elmo

Seems like co-productions only not HBO serials????

Disappointing for FTA viewers but we are waiting so long for FTA channels to show the programmes anyway I wonder if it will really effect the current rights issues for Irish channels?

Basq

Minstrel27 wrote: »

It certainly was at some point.

http://fxuk.com/shows/breaking-bad

Yeah.. sorry, FX UK showed the first season but lost the rights to Five USA, who then showed the second season at the appalling time of 12am on a Friday night.

Elmo

amacachi wrote: »

I think Sky are positioning themselves very wisely, with the Tories likely to be reining in the BBC so Sky are ready to dominate, and with Murdoch trying to buy out the bit of Sky he doesn't own there's something more behind all this.

They need to start making quality UK production. A UK version of HBO that can compete with FTA TV in the UK.

It seems they might be going down that road.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2010/aug/02/sky-hbo-deal-tv-drama

amacachi

Elmo wrote: »

They need to start making quality UK production. A UK version of HBO that can compete with FTA TV in the UK.

That's my point though, with the BBC being reined in what FTA or FTV competition would Sky have? ITV? LOL. :P

Minstrel27

amacachi wrote: »

That's my point though, with the BBC being reined in what FTA or FTV competition would Sky have? ITV? LOL. :P

Internet downloads.

Elmo

Minstrel27 wrote: »

Internet downloads.

This deal is to try to prevent illegal downloads. Sky will have the shows airing on Sky One a day or 2 after HBO channels (If they don't the deal is useless). Sky Player provides it online for all subscribers while Sky provide it in HD on their pay platform. You have to remember for many people pay = Convenience, without having to involve their american cousins.

Minstrel27

Elmo wrote: »

This deal is to try to prevent illegal downloads. Sky will have the shows airing on Sky One a day or 2 after HBO channels (If they don't the deal is useless). Sky Player provides it online for all subscribers while Sky provide it in HD on their pay platform. You have to remember for many people pay = Convenience, without having to involve their american cousins.

Sky said 'shortly after'. This would suggest to me a time line similar to The Pacific. They were a month behind HBO?

Richard Dower

To prevent illegal downloads original programs need to be broadcast over here the next day, or even on the same night. New episodes of US shows are up within a couple of hours after being broadcast.

Dman001

I was willing to wait a few days for Lost to be shown on RTE2 rather than watch it online. If the is a reasonable gap I would watch shows on Sky rather than online.

I hope Sky do get the rights to the AMC and Showtime shows. Maybe then we will get a decent place for Mad Men (although it being free and adless on BBC HD was nice, but RTE put it on a ridiculous times), Breaking Bad and Californication.

We pay a premium for Sky, so it's about time we got some premium content. It's time for Sky to cut down on the content from Fox (Simpsons, Lie To Me, Bones but not House ) and offer a bit more variety.

JP Liz V1

http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/tv/news/a255160/sky1-picks-up-the-middle-three-fox-series.html

Sky1 has announced four new US acquisitions as part of its Autumn/Winter lineup, including The Middle.

The pickup of the family comedy, which stars Patricia Heaton, is part of channel head Stuart Murphy's ongoing strategy to make Sky1 known as a destination for comedies. The Middle returns for a second season on ABC in the US next month.

Sky1 has also acquired Raising Hope, a new comedy about a man who has fathered a baby with a wanted felon. The cast includes Cloris Leachman and Martha Plimpton.

From the autumn Sky1 will also premiere two new Fox dramas, including Ride-Along, a new Chicago-set police drama from The Shield creator Shawn Ryan. The other is Lone Star, about a man who juggles two secret lives.

Sky1 has several holes in its schedule this season following the loss of long-running hits 24 and Lost.

Elmo

Richard Dower wrote: »

To prevent illegal downloads original programs need to be broadcast over here the next day, or even on the same night. New episodes of US shows are up within a couple of hours after being broadcast.

I think many would be willing to wait 2 or 3 days for it to appear on TV and on the TV channels on demand service.

MikeHoncho

Deleted User wrote: »

Do they have adverts on HBO or other premium channels like that in the States?

Would you be willing to pay €15 per month extra for a single channel? I don't think you would find many in Ireland that would.

Basq

MikeHoncho wrote: »

Would you be willing to pay €15 per month extra for a single channel? I don't think you would find many in Ireland that would.

** cough **

Setanta!

** cough **

amacachi

basquille wrote: »

** cough **

Setanta!

** cough **

Still 16.99 a month!? How the **** are they still going, and interfering with me seeing sports. :pac: