Sky Sports 5

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Sky are launching Sky Sports 5.

Sky today announces good news for millions of its customers ahead of the new football season with confirmation that Sky Sports is to launch the first-ever television channel dedicated to European Football.

Sky customers should visit www.sky.com/2yearsfree on June 12 to activate Sky Sports 5 and register for two years’ free Sky Broadband Unlimited.
Sky Sports 5 will screen up to 600 live European football matches next season featuring some of the best players, the best teams and the best competitions. Sky Sports 5 will be the seventh channel from Sky Sports and will be the home of European Qualifiers, UEFA Champions League, La Liga and Copa del Rey for Sky Sports viewers, plus a host of other European football programming including Revista De La Liga and Champions League Weekly.

For the first time Sky Sports will also offer exclusively live coverage of Holland’s top division Eredivisie. The new 4-year deal announced today will bring live matches each week to Sky Sports 5, enabling viewers to follow the domestic campaigns of the Netherlands’ top teams including Ajax, Feyenoord, FC Twente and PSV Eindhoven.
Sky customers will be able to register for Sky Sports 5 from June 12 via red button, online and by calling Sky. In a further bonus, Sky Sports customers can also get two years’ free Sky Broadband Unlimited worth £7.50 a month. This, Sky’s best ever broadband offer, means people could save up to £330 – and get the great value of Sky’s totally unlimited broadband with no usage limits and no extra download charges.

Barney Francis, Managing Director of Sky Sports said: "Sky Sports 5 takes our unrivalled live football coverage to the next level offering more European football than ever before. There’s never been a better time to be a Sky Sports customer and with two years’ free totally unlimited broadband, we offer the ultimate package for sports fans."
Sky ambassador David Beckham added: "Some of my greatest playing moments were on the European stage with Manchester United, playing in El Clasico for Real Madrid and captaining England in Euro qualifiers. Sky Sports 5 will offer all the drama and excitement that European football has to offer and I’ll certainly be gripped."
Sky customers are reminded they should visit www.sky.com/2yearsfree on June 12 to activate Sky Sports 5 and register for two years’ free Sky Broadband Unlimited. Availability on other TV platforms will be confirmed closer to launch.

radiowaves

More on this here:

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/10888216/Sky-Sports-to-launch-new-European-football-channel.html

The channel will launch on Aug 12 but can be activated by viewers from Thursday and will feature a nationwide marketing campaign starring Sky Sports ambassador David Beckham.
Sky Sports’ managing director, Barney Francis, said: “Sky Sports 5 takes our unrivalled live football coverage to the next level offering more European football than ever before. There’s never been a better time to be a Sky Sports customer.”
Sky Sports 5 is only the second new channel to be launched by the broadcaster since 1999, the other being Sky Sports F1 two years ago.
This year has seen Sky Sports bounce back strongly from BT Sport’s shock £897 million capture of the exclusive rights to European club football from next summer.

STG.Otaku

Will this be open to Sky Ireland customers from June 12th?

I don't want the broadband offer so I wonder if there will be a hidden fee or if the channel is just added for free to Sky Sports subs?

lertsnim

I will be astounded if it is not available to irish viewers. It would never cross my mind that it could be a UK only channel.

NUTZZ

STG.Otaku wrote: »

Will this be open to Sky Ireland customers from June 12th?

I don't want the broadband offer so I wonder if there will be a hidden fee or if the channel is just added for free to Sky Sports subs?

It will be added to the Sky Sports pack as confirmed in Sky's press release. The broadband deal is an 'added bonus' which you do not have to join if you chose. (If broadband deal even applies to Ireland)

machiavellianme

STG.Otaku wrote: »

Will this be open to Sky Ireland customers from June 12th?

I don't want the broadband offer so I wonder if there will be a hidden fee or if the channel is just added for free to Sky Sports subs?

It should be added by default to all Sky sports subs with no messing about registering.

mikeym

I doubt the 2 years free broadband applies to Irish customers.

STG.Otaku

Looks like that site isn't working for Sky Ireland customers. :mad:

Going to call them and activate my pack this morning I think. Hopefully they won't say "it's not available in Ireland yet". If so that's my subscription cancelled. I only have the subscription for Barcelona and Norwich City matches.

...oh and the occasional 6 hours of Live Speedway when you're dying on the couch on a Sunday. Or perhaps some Live Water Polo from Aberdeen when there's nothing else on to watch.

STG.Otaku

OK, just got off the phone with Sky and here is the full rundown on Sky Sports 5 for Sky Ireland customers.

1. The channel should be on your EPG from today on Channel 407 (SD) and 451 (HD).
2. The 2 years free broadband is for NEW customers only and does NOT apply to Sky Ireland customers OLD or NEW.
3. Sky Sports 5 will be promoed from today. However the first live broadcast is the UEFA Super Cup on August 12th.
4. Sky Sports 5 will broadcast La Liga, Eirdivisie as well as Copa del Rey, Dutch Cup and all Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland and Ireland Euro 2016 qualifiers (and friendlies I think). No England matches though.

You DON'T NEED TO CALL SKY to activate the channel or press the red button to order it. This is solely for Sky UK customers. Sky Ireland customers will receive the channel FREE OF CHARGE from today.

All of the above is what I was just told on the phone with Sky Customer Service. Hope that helps.

Drag00n79

I don't really get the purpose of this channel. From 2015/6 season BT Sport have the Champions League and Europa League matches. Sky will have none. Maybe its to prepare for the increased live broadcasting of the Euro qualifiers.

STG.Otaku

Not sure about the point behind the channel either. Though delighted it's focusing on La Liga and European football all on the one channel which is handy. Indeed the Sky CS guy I spoke too said they are showing tonnes of Euro 2016 qualifiers and (i think) friendly matches. No England games though as those have to be FTA.

Can anyone confirm it's on their EPG yet? Will have to test mine tonight. It's not on Sky Go anyway. Doubt it will be available on Go until August anyway?

Is BT Sport the sole Champions League and Europa League broadcaster now then? No RTE/ITV/UTV/C5 etc coverage? Looks like another bloody subscription to pay for next season!

s8n

will UPC carry this channel ?

radiowaves

STG.Otaku wrote: »

Not sure about the point behind the channel either. Though delighted it's focusing on La Liga and European football all on the one channel which is handy. Indeed the Sky CS guy I spoke too said they are showing tonnes of Euro 2016 qualifiers and (i think) friendly matches. No England games though as those have to be FTA.

Can anyone confirm it's on their EPG yet? Will have to test mine tonight. It's not on Sky Go anyway. Doubt it will be available on Go until August anyway?

Is BT Sport the sole Champions League and Europa League broadcaster now then? No RTE/ITV/UTV/C5 etc coverage? Looks like another bloody subscription to pay for next season!

Channels normally get added to the EPG (checks clock) around about now

theoneeyedman

STG.Otaku wrote: »

Is BT Sport the sole Champions League and Europa League broadcaster now then? No RTE/ITV/UTV/C5 etc coverage? Looks like another bloody subscription to pay for next season!

Sole UK broadcaster from 2015 I think. AFAIK Irish rights not announced yet. Also BT will have to make a number of games FTA as part of their deal.

STG.Otaku

STG.Otaku wrote: »

Not sure about the point behind the channel either. Though delighted it's focusing on La Liga and European football all on the one channel which is handy. Indeed the Sky CS guy I spoke too said they are showing tonnes of Euro 2016 qualifiers and (i think) friendly matches. No England games though as those have to be FTA.

Can anyone confirm it's on their EPG yet? Will have to test mine tonight. It's not on Sky Go anyway. Doubt it will be available on Go until August anyway?

Is BT Sport the sole Champions League and Europa League broadcaster now then? No RTE/ITV/UTV/C5 etc coverage? Looks like another bloody subscription to pay for next season!

Think BT have it for the 2015-2016 season onwards and only have rights for UK. Ireland is still separate.

BT has not yet released its prices and its coverage does not start until 2015-16.

As a non-paying television viewer will I be able to watch the Champions League?

Yes. As part of the negotiations, Uefa insisted that some matches, including both finals, were shown free-to-air in order to preserve the value of its sponsorship deals and ensure that they could be seen by a wider audience. Under the current agreement, one game in every round of Champions League matches is shown on ITV, as well as some Europa League games. BT has promised that every participating British team will be shown free at least once a season to non-subscribers. Also, ITV could yet pick up a highlights package.

http://www.theguardian.com/business/2013/nov/11/bt-wins-champions-league-rights-what-does-it-mean

STG.Otaku

s8n wrote: »

will UPC carry this channel ?

I think someone from UPC answered this on boards.ie this week (I forget where I saw it this morning). Apparently it will be available for UPC subscribers but they have no date available for it yet and it will be SD only, like Sky Sports 3 and 4 on UPC.

Anyone checked their Sky EPG yet? Hope it's updated! I'll have to wait until tonight to check mine.

Redsoxfan

So is all the guff (from Sky) in the OP really just trying to get UK subscribers to take up Sky Broadband?

They aren't actually going to start charging extra (on top of what you pay for a Sky Sports package already) for Sky Sports 5 in two years time?

STG.Otaku

It's just hot air it seems. To get new UK subs to Sky (hence the broadband deal). The guy on CS told me the channel itself is free. Hopefully it's on our EPG's by now.

The Cush

STG.Otaku wrote: »

I think someone from UPC answered this on boards.ie this week (I forget where I saw it this morning). Apparently it will be available for UPC subscribers but they have no date available for it yet and it will be SD only, like Sky Sports 3 and 4 on UPC.(

http://www.boards.ie/ttfthread/2057227359

Drag00n79

STG.Otaku wrote: »

Indeed the Sky CS guy I spoke too said they are showing tonnes of Euro 2016 qualifiers and (i think) friendly matches. No England games though as those have to be FTA.

Yes, Sky have live rights to all Euro 2016 Qualifiers and UEFA Qualifiers for WC2018 - except for England matches. However they can show England live if they end up playing ROI, NI, Sco or Wal in qualifying. ITV have all England competitive matches live.

All the UEFA qualifier rights going to Sky will mean an awful lot of football - up to 500 matches over three years.

Sky Sports 5 appearing on my EPG but just a blue screen. Nothing being shown and according to the planner nothing being shown all day!

radiowaves

theoneeyedman wrote: »

Sole UK broadcaster from 2015 I think. AFAIK Irish rights not announced yet. Also BT will have to make a number of games FTA as part of their deal.

Yes, the 2015-16 season.

They have committed to the Final and both semi-finals free to air.

They have also guaranteed each British qualifying team FTA at least once.

Irish rights have still to be announced.

STG.Otaku

Deleted User wrote: »

Sky Sports 5 appearing on my EPG but just a blue screen. Nothing being shown and according to the planner nothing being shown all day!

Good stuff! Is it channel 407 and 451?

STG.Otaku

STG.Otaku wrote: »

Good stuff! Is it channel 407 and 451?

Yep,

Sky Sports 5 HD - 407
Sky Sports 5 SD - 451


Sky Sports F1 HD tucked in between Sky Sports 4 and 5!

Video Feed loop being played now, telling us about all the Great Champions league football, (albeit for 1 season!) And Republic of Ireland games.

A countdown clock in on screen counting down the 61 days to go before SS5 officially launches on August 12th.

It says press the red button to register for SS5, bit a message appeared saying Interactive not available to ROI viewers, but to register at Sky.com.

STG.Otaku

Excellent! Bring on La Liga and Copa Del Rey!

I wouldn't worry about the activation thing or registering at Sky.com, like the guy said this morning, Sky ROI customers don't need to do anything, the work is all done for you.

radiowaves

Deleted User wrote: »

Yep,

Sky Sports 5 HD - 407
Sky Sports 5 SD - 451


Sky Sports F1 HD tucked in between Sky Sports 4 and 5!

Forgive me for my ignorance on the matter but when does the F1 season end?

It probably makes sense to leave it where it is until then and then swap.

radiowaves

radiowaves wrote: »

Forgive me for my ignorance on the matter but when does the F1 season end?

It probably makes sense to leave it where it is until then and then swap.

Good point, I just checked however and the season ends 23 November.

Personally I think they should do the move now and tidy up the EPG, or even remane Sky Sports F1
Sky Sports 6 the home of motor sport.

lertsnim

Shamrok wrote: »

I don't really get the purpose of this channel.

STG.Otaku wrote: »

Not sure about the point behind the channel either.

The more Sky Sports channels the merrier. They should have 10+ channels like the other Sky services in Europe. They should be making every effort to get rid of that red button nonsense. So what if there isn't always live sport to show on them. What difference does it make so long as the channel is there for when a live event does happen.

lertsnim

Deleted User wrote: »

Sky Sports 5 appearing on my EPG but just a blue screen. Nothing being shown and according to the planner nothing being shown all day!

There's a running promo on it with a countdown clock. That's probably going to be it until it properly launches in August.

SteM

STG.Otaku wrote: »

Excellent! Bring on La Liga and Copa Del Rey!

Do they not show La Liga matches already?

STG.Otaku

SteM wrote: »

Do they not show La Liga matches already?

Yep. What I meant though was it is great the channel is free, I thought they may be sneaky and charge for it. So bring on the new season!

radiowaves

STG.Otaku wrote: »

Yep. What I meant though was it is great the channel is free, I thought they may be sneaky and charge for it. So bring on the new season!

I don't think it's free mate

STG.Otaku

radiowaves wrote: »

I don't think it's free mate

I meant at no extra charge (though who'd wager come August the price for Sky Sports will go up? )

NUTZZ

Sky Sports 5 SD on 11914 H 27500

STG.Otaku

Checked my Sky+ box. Yep the promo is running with the countdown clock. The red button works but gives an error message if you try to activate it.

The Cush

While Sky Sports subscribers appear to be happy with the launch of a new sports channel but not so for BSkyB investors, this from an online article today

The bank’s note is blunt: “We do not see the channel as a driver of customer growth or upgrades, but regard the aggressive broadband offer as confirmation that Sky is upping the ante against a resurgent BT.”

...

“With only Dutch football being incremental to the existing offer – the other rights were already held by BSkyB – we do not regard the new channel as likely to drive either upgrades to Sky Sports, or incremental TV customers.

...

In our view, the plan for “Sky Europe” indicates that management, even if not admitting it publicly, understands that the UK business is under pressure.”

http://advanced-television.com/2014/06/12/sky-europe-plan-shows-bskyb-is-under-pressure/

danny004

i would have thought this is a diversion tactic to avoid reducing the price of sky sports. when sky won the rights to the champions league they were quick to raise subs in one of those nice letters telling us not to worry about price increase because of the value for money with the CL. The next letter will no doubt tell us again not to worry about subs as we have this new addition to the sky family. so what they are doing is compensating for losing a blue ribbon event by giving an extra channel and the Dutch league. i think this is a real quantity V quality slight of hand

The Cush

A little off-topic, Sky Italy CEO has complained about the high cost of football media rights in that country and wants the government there to introduce legislation to help the growth of pay-TV there. My heart bleeds :rolleyes:

http://www.sportbusiness.com/sport-news/sky-italia-chief-bemoans-cost-football-rights-urges-government-act

but they still bid the highest for the main satellite and terrestrial packages during the recent La Liga media rights tender - http://www.sportbusiness.com/sport-news/exclusive-serie-could-face-legal-battle-sky-italia-over-bids

Also Murdoch wants to combine his 3 satellite-platforms in Europe, the UK, Germany and Italy, together to give him more clout agains regional bidders like BT - http://uk.reuters.com/article/2014/05/12/uk-bskyb-deutschland-talks-idUKKBN0DS07I20140512

snaps

The Cush wrote: »

A little off-topic, Sky Italy CEO has complained about the high cost of football media rights in that country and wants the government there to introduce legislation to help the growth of pay-TV there. My heart bleeds :rolleyes:

http://www.sportbusiness.com/sport-news/sky-italia-chief-bemoans-cost-football-rights-urges-government-act

but they still bid the highest for the main satellite and terrestrial packages during the recent La Liga media rights tender - http://www.sportbusiness.com/sport-news/exclusive-serie-could-face-legal-battle-sky-italia-over-bids

Also Murdoch wants to combine his 3 satellite-platforms in Europe, the UK, Germany and Italy, together to give him more clout agains regional bidders like BT - http://uk.reuters.com/article/2014/05/12/uk-bskyb-deutschland-talks-idUKKBN0DS07I20140512

That would be a disaster for British and Irish subscribers as effectively the BSkyB part would be keeping the German/Italian side afloat as its struggling.
Also again comes the argument "why should the Germans/Italians get their programming at a much lower subscription than us" can of worms.
I hope BT sports really start promoting the champions league soon, as at the moment a lot of people don't realise sky have only one season left.
I still don't understand why sky sports 5 needs to be activated? Is there a clause if you activate it your agreeing to a new 24 month contract?

icdg

It's effectively a ruse to try to trap UK customers into signing new broadband contracts. I've never seen the likes of it before. Thankfully doesn't apply here from what I can tell.

paulboland

Rep Of Ireland Customers don't have to activate the channel to view

This is a reply from Sky on Rep of Ireland Sky Website Forum
Re: Sky Sports 5
For ROI customers only, SKY Sports 5 will appear on the screen on the 12th of June 2014 and will be visible in the EPG as channel number 407. You will NOT be required to activate the channel to view, for customers with single and dual sports the channel will be auto enabled meaning that it will automatically become part of the sports subscription at no extra cost.

Kind regards.
Carol
Community Coordinator
Community Welcome, Hints & Tips
Sky Help Centre http://www.sky.com/help

Rep of Ireland customers are eligible for the channel only and not broadband offers
The channel is in HD & SD

So if you already subscribe to Sky Sports you automatically get Sky Sports 5 as part of your subscription

s8n

The Cush wrote: »

http://m.boards.ie/ttfthread/2057227359

Many thanks

Mr Simpson

In Ireland it doesn't need to be activated. In the UK its only a contract if you take the BB offer. I'm not sure the reason for the actual activation in the UK though tbh

mikeym

Basically Sky want the Irish to subscribe to the whole Sky Sports package to watch Sky Sports 5. Were previously you could get away with either subscribing to Sky Sports 1 or 2 because there wouldnt be much high profile games on Sky Sports 3 & 4.

Liverpool games were on Sky Sports 1 all season (including the last game through the red button).

Mr Simpson

mikeym wrote: »

Basically Sky want the Irish to subscribe to the whole Sky Sports package to watch Sky Sports 5. Were previously you could get away with either subscribing to Sky Sports 1 or 2 because there wouldnt be much high profile games on Sky Sports 3 & 4.

Liverpool games were on Sky Sports 1 all season (including the last game through the red button).

My understanding is Sky Sports 5 will come with the Sports 1/2 package. I'll check tomorrow though

Edit: Confirmed this now, its available with split sports package

icdg

mikeym wrote: »

Basically Sky want the Irish to subscribe to the whole Sky Sports package to watch Sky Sports 5. Were previously you could get away with either subscribing to Sky Sports 1 or 2 because there wouldnt be much high profile games on Sky Sports 3 & 4.

Liverpool games were on Sky Sports 1 all season (including the last game through the red button).

The Wholesale Must Offer arrangements still apply, namely, Ofcom will not require the other Sky Sports channels (3,4 and now 5) to be Must Offer provided that Sky do not screen Premier League games regularly on any channels other than Sky Sports 1 and 2. In addition there will likely be at least one Champions League game on another Sky Sports channel, probably 1 or 2.

I know its hard for some people to accept, but it isn't Irish people who are getting fleeced here - its being added to packages in the normal way here. Its UK customers who are being mistakeningly led to believe that activating this channel is tied to taking a new broadband contract when that isn't the case at all. You have to put in a context where twelve months of BT Sport being free to BT Broadband customers have put it into the heads of UK customers that a sports channel can be tied to taking a particular broadband package and it does't take much to make the leap in the context of this campaign.

paulboland

mikeym wrote: »

Basically Sky want the Irish to subscribe to the whole Sky Sports package to watch Sky Sports 5. Were previously you could get away with either subscribing to Sky Sports 1 or 2 because there wouldnt be much high profile games on Sky Sports 3 & 4.

Liverpool games were on Sky Sports 1 all season (including the last game through the red button).

Sky Sports 5
You will get Sky Sports 5 if you have a subscription with either sky sports 1 or 2
Single Channel or Dual Channels

Sky Customers with single and dual sports the channel will be auto enabled meaning that it will automatically become part of the sports package your subscribed to