Sky Deutschland takes OTT service to Chromecast

German subscription broadcaster Sky Deutschland has made its OTT platform Sky Online available on HDMI stick Chromecast enabling viewers to stream the Sky channels from their smartphone or tablet to the TV set.

Sky Online makes Sky Deutschland’s film, series and sports offering accessible without a long-term subscription. The OTT service is available from €9.99 per month; the subscription can be cancelled monthly.

In addition to Chromecast, Sky Online is accessible through the open internet, on the iPhone, iPad, Xbox One, smart TV sets from LG and Samsung, selected Android smartphones and tablets as well as on the Roku-powered Sky Online TV Box.

Sky Deutschland takes OTT service to LG smart TV sets

German pay-TV broadcaster Sky Deutschland has made its OTT service Sky Online available to the owners of smart TV sets from LG (all WebOS models) in Germany and Austria.

The Sky Online app enables viewers to receive Sky Deutschland’s movie, series and live sports lineup – including the football Bundesliga – without a conventional subscription. A satellite dish, cable or IPTV subscription is not necessary as the signals are distributed to the TV screen through the internet.

As part of the partnership with LG, every buyer of a new LG smart TV set between August 1 and September 30, 2015 will receive three Sky Starter one-month tickets and three Sky Supersport day tickets forSky Online free of charge.

Sky Online launched in October 2014 and is accessible via web, iPad, iPhone, Android smartphones and tablets, Xbox One, Samsung smart TV sets and the Roku-powered Sky Online TV Box.

The offering which is available from €9.99 per month can be cancelled monthly.

Sky Deutschland to move to DVB-S2 on Astra

German pay-TV broadcaster Sky Deutschland wants to optimise the usage of its transponder capacities on the Astra satellite system at 19.2° East to create more space for new channels.

In the night from November 17 to 18, 2015 all Sky transponders will be switched from DVB-S to the more efficient DVB-S2 modulation and all SD channels will be signalised in MPEG-4 for this purpose. At the same time, some channels will be transferred to other transponders.

Cable operators directly receiving the Sky channels on their head-ends from Astra will benefit from the move as it enables them to distribute more HD channels on their networks in QAM 256 modulation.

Network operators have to adapt their head-ends to the new configuration on the transition day. Sky currently informs the companies about the changeover.

Sky Deutschland takes OTT service to Android devices

German pay-TV broadcaster Sky Deutschland has rolled out its OTT service Sky Online to Android smartphones and tablets.

The subscription offering which can be cancelled monthly is now available as an app on the following devices: Google Nexus 5, Nexus 7, Samsung Galaxy S3, S4, S4 mini, S5, S5 mini, Note 2, Note 3, Note 10.1 as well as Tab 3 (7.0, 10.1), Tab 4 (7.0, 10.1) and Tab S (8.4, 10.5).

At Sky Online, two packages can be booked: the Sky Starter package for €9.99 per month including VOD service Sky Snap and the Sky Film package for €19.99 per month. On top of each of the two bouquets, customers can additionally sign up for the Sky Supersport day ticket which grants access to Sky’s whole Sky Live Sport and Bundesliga offering for €19.99.

Sky Deutschland wants to make its OTT service available on further Android devices and additional platforms in future. The offering can also be accessed through the web, iPhone, iPad, Xbox One, Samsung Smart TV sets and the Sky Online TV Box.

Sky Deutschland adds 103,000 subscribers

German pay-TV broadcaster Sky Deutschland has acquired 103,000 new subscribers in the first three months of 2015, increasing its total customer figure to 4.23 million.

Read The Numbers

In the same period last year, 64,000 subscribers were added.

The turnover grew by €35 million to €455 million. The main growth driver was the income generated through subscriptions which rose by 9% to €419 million.

The EBITDA increased by €31 million to €22 million, thus returning to the black. The expenses without write-offs rose by 1% to €433 million, mainly due to higher costs for the Bundesliga and programming.

Sky, however, didn’t reveal its net result. In the first three months of 2014, the pay-TV company recorded a net loss of €53 million. “We don’t publish the net result separately anymore because of the simplified reporting duties that now apply to us,” a Sky spokesman told Broadband TV News.

Sky Deutschland adds 304,000 direct subscribers in 2013

(Sky Deutschland - vorläufiges Ergebnis für 2013)

Thursday, February 6th, 2014 

UNTERFÖHRING — Sky Deutschland has announced its Q4 2013 results. In 2013, the customer base expanded strongly across all services. The number of direct subscribers grew by 304,000 to 3,667,000 customers at year end (2012: 3,363,000). In addition, the number of wholesale subscribers increased by 143,000 to 268,000 (2012: 125,000) as a consequence of the inclusion of Deutsche Telekom’s former Ligatotal IPTV and mobile customers. Gross additions amounted to 698,000, showing strong underlying demand, and reflecting the initiatives to improve the quality of customer growth introduced at the beginning of 2013.

Sky’s Premium HD offering grew by 285,000 (2012: 540,000) to 1,799,000 (2012: 1,514,000). When including customers with free access to this package, for example those with the first year free as part of a two-year contract, 2013 saw the number of Premium HD customers increase by an additional 143,000, with a total of 2,025,000 customers now receiving Sky’s Premium HD channels. This means that over half of Sky customers (55.2 percent; 2012: 47.5 percent) now enjoy Sky’s market leading HD offering.

Sky+ showed continued success as the number of Sky+ customers accelerated by 551,000 (2012: 518,000) to 1,480,000 (2012: 929,000). At year end, 40.4 percent of Sky customers enjoyed the unmatched convenience of a Sky+ receiver in their home (2012: 27.6 percent).

Subscriber development (’000)

                                   Q4 13  Q3 13  Q2 13  Q1 13  Q4 12  Q3 12  Q2 12  Q1 12
                                   -----  -----  -----  -----  -----  -----  -----  -----
Direct subscribers at beginning    3,529  3,453  3,405  3,363  3,212  3,132  3,085  3,012
Gross additions                      244    185    131    137    260    188    124    155
Churn                               -106   -109    -84    -95   -109   -108    -77    -82
Net growth                           138     76     48     42    151     80     47     73
Direct subscribers at end          3,667  3,529  3,453  3,405  3,363  3,212  3,132  3,085

Premium HD subscribers
 at end of period                  1,799  1,752  1,697  1,613  1,514  1,337  1,172  1,071
 penetration rate (in %)            49.1   49.6   49.1   47.4   45.0   41.6   37.4   34.7

Sky+
 subscribers at end of period      1,480  1,296  1,171  1,065    929    730    584    508
 penetration rate (in %)            40.4   36.7   33.9   31.3   27.6   22.7   18.6   16.5

Sky Zweitkarte (second smartcard) customers increased by 24 percent (2012: 10.3 percent) to 429,000 (2012: 346,000), demonstrating that a growing number of customers want to enjoy Sky’s outstanding entertainment line-up simultaneously on multiple TV sets in their home.

Sky Go and Snap by Sky: extending leadership in over-the-top pay-TV services

With the number of customer sessions more than doubling in 2013 to 70 million (+109 percent yoy), Sky Go delivered a new record performance. During the year, the service was significantly expanded, advancing its leadership position in Germany and Austria. All live Bundesliga matches, in addition to the live matches of all other major football competitions, are now accessible via 3G/4G. Further new blockbuster movies and high-quality series – most exclusive to Sky and available 12 months before anywhere else – have also been added to the unique content portfolio. In 2013, Sky Go delivered over 15,000 hours of unique content, including 600+ blockbuster films, 90+ complete series box sets containing over 1,000 episodes, 700+ children’s programs and 3,000+ live sport events. New features of Sky Go include a dual language option, as well as the Sky Guide, with its complete range of new functions, such as remote recording on Sky+. Sky Go customers can look forward to 2014, as additional exciting features plus a total redesign will be introduced.

As a perfect extension for Sky customers, and also available for those without a Sky subscription, the Snap by Sky over-the-top service was successfully launched in December 2013. It provides a steadily growing entertainment library with thousands of titles available on-demand just after their Sky window. An expanding range of platforms, such as the web, iPad, iPhone, and on big screens with Samsung Smart TVs and Apple TV via Airplay, makes the new service easily accessible to customers, no matter what platform they choose.

Sky Deutschland subscribers pass 3.5 million in 3Q 2013

• Wholesale subscribers: up 155,800 to 280,000, including Deutsche Telekom’s former Ligatotal IPTV and mobile customers
• Sky+ customers: up 125,400 to 1,296,000
• Sky Premium HD customers: up 109,100 to 1,869,400, inclusive of HD free-visions
• Second smartcard customers: up 17,000 to 410,000
• Sky Go customer sessions: 18.1m (Q3 2012: 8.2m, +122% yoy)

UNTERFÖHRING — Sky Deutschland has announced its Q3 2013 results. The number of direct subscribers grew by 76,000 (Q3 2012: 79,900) to 3,529,000 customers (Q3 2012: 3,212,000) at the end of September. This was supported by gross additions of 185,100 (Q3 2012: 188,200), reflecting robust underlying demand levels when considering recent quality initiatives which include the ramp-down of Sky’s outbound telesales channel at the beginning of this year. Customer loyalty remains strong with a 12-month rolling churn rate of 11.8% (Q3 2012: 11.8%) and an improvement in the quarterly annualized churn rate to 12.5% (Q3 2012: 13.7%).

In addition, the number of wholesale subscribers increased by 155,800 in the quarter to 280,000 (Q3 2012: 125,900) as a result of the inclusion of Deutsche Telekom’s former Ligatotal IPTV and mobile customers. All customers of Deutsche Telekom’s former IPTV Ligatotal-package have the option of choosing a Sky direct package at any time, or to view the Sky Fußball Bundesliga as a stand-alone product on their existing terms up to 30 June 2014. After that date, they will need a direct Sky subscription to continue watching live matches of the Bundesliga.

Sky’s Premium HD offering saw continued strong demand, with the number of customers growing by 54,600 in the quarter to 1,751,600. The outstanding success of Sky’s comprehensive HD offering – which now includes up to 71 channels – is reflected in the Premium HD penetration: nearly half of all Sky customers (49.6% (Q3 2012: 41.6%)) now take the Premium HD package. When including those customers with free access to the Premium HD package, e.g. for the first year as part of a two-year contractual commitment, the quarter saw the Premium HD customer growth increasing to 109,100, with a total of 1,869,400 customers receiving Sky’s Premium HD channels.

Sky+ also generated strong demand with the number of Sky+ customers growing by 125,400 during the quarter to 1,296,000 (Q3 2012: 729,600). At the end of the quarter 36.7% of Sky customers enjoyed the great convenience of a Sky+ receiver in their home (Q3 2012: 22.7%). The on-demand capabilities of Sky+, which include Sky Anytime and personal recordings, make it easier for customers to watch great Sky content whenever they want. In addition, Sky+ customers churn less and are more satisfied.

Sky Zweitkarte (second smartcard) customers increased by 17,000 in the quarter to 410,000 (Q3 2012: 293,000). Year-on-year, the number of second smartcard customers rose by 40%, demonstrating that a growing number of families want to enjoy Sky’s great entertainment line-up in different rooms at the same time.

Sky Go is Germany and Austria’s largest over-the-top pay-TV service. With 18.1 million customer sessions in Q3 2013, an increase of 122% year-on-year, Sky Go has seen continual rapid growth. In 2013 alone, customers could enjoy more than 800 blockbuster films, over 1,000 series episodes including more than 90 complete season box sets, over 700 children’s programs, and over 3,000 live sport events. No other service in Germany and Austria can match this level of quality and exclusivity.

Subscriber development (’000):

                                   Q3 13  Q2 13  Q1 13  Q4 12  Q3 12  Q2 12  Q1 12  Q4 11
                                   -----  -----  -----  -----  -----  -----  -----  -----
Direct subscribers at beginning    3,453  3,405  3,363  3,212  3,132  3,085  3,012  2,857
Gross additions                      185    131    137    260    188    124    155    246
Churn                               -109    -84    -95   -109   -108    -77    -82    -91
Net growth                            76     48     42    151     80     47     73    155
Direct subscribers at end          3,529  3,453  3,405  3,363  3,212  3,132  3,085  3,012

Premium HD subscribers
 at end of period                  1,752  1,697  1,613  1,514  1,337  1,172  1,071    974
 penetration rate (in %)            49.6   49.1   47.4   45.0   41.6   37.4   34.7   32.3

Sky+
 subscribers at end of period      1,296  1,171  1,065    929    730    584    508    411
 penetration rate (in %)            36.7   33.9   31.3   27.6   22.7   18.6   16.5   13.6

Sky Deutschland backs Ultra HD

Sky Deutschland’s Senior Vice President of Technology has described the importance of the new Ultra HD technology to the pay-TV platform’s armoury.

Gerard Duffy told a Cisco press lunch that the ability of Ultra HD to screen multiple views in high resolution, alongside a main high definition screen, was as important as the picture resolution itself.

“4K is central, being able to do that offers another potential, it’s not just the picture quality but the other things the platform can do,” said Duffy. He explained how the launch of an Ultra HD service might be used to renew the set-top box inventory that in turn offered a whole new opportunity that could be used to bring extra value to the customer proposition.

However, he cautioned that there needed to be a strong element of backwards compatibility. “You can’t just rip up the platform every three years and start again”.

Sky Deutschland has used technology, much of it from Cisco and its predecessor NDS, to make its mark after years of pay-TV stagnation. 40% of new subscribers come from recommendations with total subscriber numbers now standing at 3.5 million.

Sky Deutschland adds 47,900 customers in 2Q 2013

• Total customers: up 47,900 to 3,453,000
• Sky premium HD customers: up 83,600 to 1,697,000
• Sky+ customers: up 105,800 to 1,170,600
• Second smartcard customers: up 18,400 to 393,000
• Sky Go customer sessions: 16.7m

UNTERFÖHRING — Sky Deutschland AG continued to deliver strong operational results in the second quarter 2013. Net customer growth was 47,900 (Q2 2012: 47,100), bringing the total number of customers to 3,453,000 (Q2 2012: 3,132,000). Gross additions for the second quarter amounted to 131,400 (Q2 2012: 124,000). Quarterly annualized churn improved to 9.7% (Q2 2012: 9.9%) and the 12-month rolling churn rate came in at 12.0% (Q2 2012: 11.5%).

Sky premium HD continued its success as the number of customers rose by 83,600 in the quarter to 1,697,000 (Q2 2012: 1,171,800), meaning that almost half of Sky subscribers (49.1%) now take Sky premium HD (Q2 2012: 37.4%).

Sky+ also experienced strong demand, with the number of customers growing by 105,800 in the quarter to 1,170,600 (Q2 2012: 584,000). One in three Sky subscribers (33.9%; Q2 2012: 18.6%) now enjoys the freedom and convenience the device offers, including Sky Anytime, Sky’s free video-on-demand service. Since May 2013, Sky+ has also been available to all cable households served by Unitymedia – and thus to virtually all customers in Germany and Austria. This also includes the 2-Terabyte version of Sky+ which offers unrivaled entertainment by substantially increasing both personal recording capacity and on-demand choice from Sky Anytime.

Sky Go, Germany and Austria’s largest over-the-top pay-TV platform, continued to resonate strongly with customers who benefit from the flexibility of being able to access a wide selection of Sky’s content on various platforms. In Q2 2013, Sky Go recorded almost 16.7 million customer logins (Q2 2012: 6.9 million).

Sky Zweitkarte (second smartcard) customers have increased by 18,400 to 393,000 (Q2 2012: 248,300), as more and more families are looking to enjoy Sky’s great channels in different rooms at the same time.

Sky’s offering now on IPTV and mobile

Since July 2013, Deutsche Telekom’s IPTV and mobile customers have had access to the full depth and breadth of Sky packages and leading premium HD offering, as well as the flexibility of Sky Go. In addition, starting in August – just in time for the new Bundesliga season – Vodafone’s IPTV and mobile customers will be able to subscribe to a great range of Sky packages. The offering starts with a wide selection of Sky’s top quality, exclusive channels, including those from Sky’s market-leading HD line-up, and will be extended to the full Sky offering in the near future. These agreements mark the completion of marketing and distribution partnerships with all major cable and IPTV network providers.

Subscriber development (’000):

                                   Q2 13  Q1 13  Q4 12  Q3 12  Q2 12  Q1 12  Q4 11
                                   -----  -----  -----  -----  -----  -----  -----
Direct subscribers at beginning    3,405  3,363  3,212  3,132  3,085  3,012  2,857
Gross additions*                     131    137    260    188    124    155    246
Churn                                -84    -95   -109   -108    -77    -82    -91
Net growth                            48     42    151     80     47     73    155
Direct subscribers at end          3,453  3,405  3,363  3,212  3,132  3,085  3,012

Premium HD subscribers
 at end of period                  1,697  1,613  1,514  1,337  1,172  1,071    974
 penetration rate (in %)            49.1   47.4   45.0   41.6   37.4   34.7   32.3

Sky+
 subscribers at end of period      1,171  1,065    929    730    584    508    411
 penetration rate (in %)            33.9   31.3   27.6   22.7   18.6   16.5   13.6

* Q4 2012 gross additions include the technical migration of 5k UPC wholesale customers