Wikipedia

Sky Sports

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Sky Sports
File:Sky Sports Logo Colour.gif
Launched: 1989
Audience Share (Apr 2005[1]): 2.1%
Owned By: British Sky Broadcasting Group
Web Address: [2]
Availability
Terrestrial Analogue: not available
Terrestrial Digital: not available
Satellite: Sky Digital Channels 401, 402, 403, 404, 408
Cable: NTL Channel 40, 41, 42, 812, 950

Telewest Channel 511 - 515 (National)

Broadcasting currently on the Sky Digital TV platform, Sky Sports was the first of five dedicated sports channels owned by BSkyB. It launched in 1989 along with Sky News and still broadcasts today.

History

Sky Sports started broadcasting in 1989, along with sister channels Sky One, and Sky News. It didn't make as a big an impact with viewers as expected when it was first launched, but its subscription base has gradually grown.

The formation of the F.A. Premier League for the 1992/1993 football season, helped tranform the perception and fortunes of Sky Sports. By bidding £305m BSkyB beat the BBC and ITV to acquire the live and exclusive FA Premier League Football broadcasting rights for the U.K. and ROI for a five year period. In doing so, they had taken live top-flight English league football from the terrestrial and free-to-air broadcaster, ITV. In 1993, Sky Sports became three channels: Sky Sports 1, Sky Sports 2 and Sky Sports 3 were launched.

File:SkySportsF.jpg
Sky Sports logo in 1993.

Since Sky acquired the live rights, Ford has sponsored their Premiership football programmes. The two flagship shows being "Monday Night Football" and "Super Sunday". Richard Keys initially presented both shows. By 1995, Sky Sports had developed a whole new look to its three channels, and secured exclusively live broadcasting rights to top-flight rugby and golf.

The Sky Sports channels and all the Sky channels had another image facelift in 1997 but the changes only lasted a year. In 1998, Sky had a new look with the launch of Sky Digital. This look was to last four years and was a success with many sports fans, and the media. Sky Sports used a sleek red and blue image, and used words such as "Passion" and "Success" as a theme of sport.

File:SkySports98.jpg
Sky Sports in 1998. This theme had only lasted for 4 Years.

In 1999, world football was about to change and history was in the making for Sky Sports. Sky Digital viewers in April that year witnessed the first ever interactive football match in the world. Viewers could watch the match, "Arsenal vs Manchester United", interactively, with a single push of a red fastext button. It became an instant success and soon Sky used the interactive service, Sky Sports Active, for many other sports other than football.

Just after the introduction of the interactive services, Sky Sports Xtra launched in 1999 and was exclusively available on Sky Digital. Its broadcasts include repeats from the other Sky Sports Channels along with live programming such as Spanish Football and UEFA Champions League football. By Late 2003, it had launched on NTL and Telewest.

In 2000, Sky launched Sky Sports News, a 24 hour rolling sports news channel, which breaks the latest news, and shows interviews. Both Sky Sports Xtra and it enjoyed high viewing figures. However, some disagreed with the channel's output which was and remains highly dependent on football as its prime news.

In June 2001, Sky Sports and some other channels ceased broadcasting on analogue satellite TV, to be only available on the digital platform. Sky Sports 2 continue the service for a couple of days and moved to Sky Sports 1 transponder.

By 2002, Sky Sports decided to revamp its look once more. Sports people were seen in Sky Sports idents and the famous "This is Sky Sports" intro was used. In 2002, Sky Sports used the slogan "It's Live, Live It!” before its live broadcasts. This was later dropped in mid 2004, and replaced by just "Live".

File:SkySports1Live.jpg
Sky Sports in 2003 with the less popular "It's Live, Live it!"

On 24 September 2002 BSkyB and ITV jointly won the rights to broadcast live matches from the UEFA Champions League. In doing so, they beat the BBC, and Channel 4 bids. Now every Champions League match could be viewed live in the UK. Under this three-year Champions League deal ITV have first choice of two live matches on Tuesday evenings, leaving Sky Sports the remainder. On Wednesdays Sky Sports can broadcast all games exclusively live. This means they can show up to 14 live Champions League matches per week. Sky immediately incorporated interactivity to their Champions League coverage and called it 'Champions League Interactive'. This involved up to eight different games being available on eight different screens.

File:ChampionsLeagueInter.jpg
A preview of the 8 Screen Champions League Interactive on Sky Sports. It launched in 2003, and prove to be a success with critics.

This power to choose instantly became very popular with viewers.


In 2004, Sky Sports revamped its channels with a blue theme, but the logo colours remained the same. Recently Sky signed a deal to broadcast exclusively live the cricket matches of the English team. This caused some controversy as the matches would no longer be available live on terrestrial TV.

Sky Sports' more popular shows include Soccer AM, Jimmy Hill's Sunday Supplement and Goals on Sunday.

File:SkySports2004.jpg
Sky Sports Newest logo which was first aired in August 2004, One day before the start of the Premiership.




Timeline of Sky Sports:

  • 1989 - Sky Sports launched with Sky Sports 1
  • 1993 - Sky Sports launched Sky Sports 2 and 3
  • 1995 - Signs up exclusive deals with Rugby Games, and Golf Matches.
  • 1998 - Sky overhauls a graphics package to concede with the launch of Sky Digital. It is proven as a success, by many.
  • 1999 - Sky Sports Launches Sky Sports Xtra, the fourth sports channel for the station. It broadcasts repeats of sport shows in all three channels.
  • 2002 - Sky Sports launches another graphics package, featuring many sports stars.
  • 2003 - Sky Sports Changes Extra to Xtra, in a more sportier theme to it.
  • Summer 2004 - Sky Sports launches another graphics change, but with a more blue theme to it.
  • Football First is launched.
  • Late 2004 - Sky Sports signs an exclusive deal with the WWE.
  • Early 2005 - Sky Sports signs another exclusive deal with the England Cricket Team, to air live cricket from Late 2005/Early 2006.

What Sky Sports Broadcasts:

File:SkyFootball1.jpg
A Premiership Game featuring Chelsea and Liverpool in 2004.
  • Rugby Union
  • US Tour Golf


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