Sky and the BBC have finally reached agreement on the amount paid by the BBC for the cost of Sky’s platform services in a move that will save the corporation some £4.5 million.
As part of a new deal Sky has waived the cost of running services such as the inclusion of the correct regional programme in its programme guide. The long term distribution of both BBC channels and the BBC iPlayer has also been confirmed.
The four broadcasters with public service responsibilities, the BBC, ITV, Channel 4 and Channel 5 have previously all pay fees to be included within the Electronic Programme Guide.
Last May the BBC warned that it may begin charging Sky for the carriage of its channels.
In a joint statement the two broadcasters said: “Sky and the BBC have reached an agreement which reduces the BBC’s payments for platform services to zero. Alongside this, both parties have reached an agreement that secures the long-term availability of BBC channels and the BBC iPlayer on the Sky platform. We will also continue to discuss opportunities that offer Sky customers new and innovative ways to discover and consume BBC content.”
Last month ITV was successfully able to negotiate its own fee reduction as part of the carriage agreement for the new ITV Encore channel.
