Call for ‘full investigation’ into Sky TV pub pricing policy in NI
Long-term disaffection among venue-owners in NI over the cost of maintaining a Sky TV licence may be coming to a head as trade body Hospitality Ulster calls for a full investigation into pricing practices for pubs here.
Accusing the subscription broadcaster of operating “an unfair regime”, Hospitality Ulster says that bars in NI are being disadvantaged when set against their counterparts in the rest of the UK.
The call for an inquiry was made when Colin Neill of Hospitality Ulster met a delegation of Northern Irish MPs at Westminster recently to discuss the needs of the sector here at home and how it can be supported through government policy.
In a subsequent statement, Mr Neill said that Sky TV was operating two different pricing policies:
“It’s outrageous that pubs in Northern Ireland are treated differently than their counterparts in GB,” he added. “This policy excludes NI pubs from discounts of up to 30 per cent that their counterparts in the rest of the UK can avail of.”
In the rest of the UK, pubs are offered a 30 per cent discount if they are located outside population centres and also, if they sell food.
Calling on Sky TV to “come clean” with a transparent pricing policy in all parts of the UK, Mr Neill said that the current situation was “totally unacceptable”.
“Pubs here are already contending with soaring Sky TV bills as the company continues to put up prices to fund the increased costs of its sports rights deals,” added Mr Neill. “This practice needs to end. We need transparency and fair play.”
