BSkyB’s ALMR membership dropped in response to high prices

The Association of Licensed Multiple Retailers (ALMR) has cancelled BSkyB’s membership of the trade body in an escalation of the dispute over the price pubs are charged for showing Sky.

In a statement released today, the ALMR said its council took the decision to cancel BSkyB’s membership as of 31 December 2008 “on the grounds that this is no longer compatible with the commercial interests of its operator members”.

The ALMR has claimed that the soaring cost of Sky satellite subscriptions has prompted 20% of pubs to abandon screening Sky Sports over the past five years.

It says the £13,000-per-year price tag on Sky’s premium package, combined with soaring bills and fewer customers, has forced many pubs to either ditch the service or to raise the price of beer to cover the cost.

In September, the ALMR claimed a pub would have to sell 25,000 extra pints during the football season to cover the cost of a Sky subscription.  

ALMR chief executive Nick Bish said: “Sky has exploited its monopoly position in the commercial sector to impose enormous price increases on pubs. 

“They shouldn’t underestimate how important the sector is: we estimate that Sky now generates £340m annually from pub subscriptions, covering the majority of its £433m outlay on Premiership TV rights.”

However, a spokesman for Sky refuted the ALMR’s average subscription figures.

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By Daniel Thomas

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