Sky freezes pub subscription rates pending price review

Sky is to hold the subscription rates it charges pub licensees, while it conducts a review into the way in which it decides on prices.

The move follows a debate in Parliament earlier this week when Tory MP Nigel Evans pointed out that it costs £594 a month to have Sky Sports even in a small pub, because the charge is based on the “rateable value” of the pub.

But Sky it would freeze prizes at the pre-April 2010 rateable value but said that its decision was not prompted by the debate, and that it had been planning a review of some time.

A spokeswoman for the company said: “Following the recent changes to the Government’s non-domestic rating system, and in light of Sky re-evaluating whether this system is the most appropriate method of charging customers, Sky has taken the decision to hold all current subscription levels until further notice. In due course we will contact all commercial customers to let them know what pricing structure we’ll work to moving forward.”

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By Neil Gerrard

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