Ten years ago, Sky decided it was about time to introduce a new bit of kit to its satellite offering – and what followed could arguably have been one of the pivotal moments in the company’s history.
Sky had established itself as a major force in television through its football and film coverage, but it was keen to find a way into more and more homes, so the decision was made to introduce an all knew personal video recorder (PVR) to the UK market.
PVRs were nothing new at the time. In fact, a partnership with US provider TiVo was ended shortly before Sky+ arrived. But as Britain was slowly educated on the way it could pause and rewind live television, set whole series to record at the touch of a button and not have to worry about changing discs or tapes - a home entertainment phenomenon had been born.
Now, Sky+ has not only entered our day-to-day language, but has made the rare jump from brand name to verb. Perhaps this is why the likes of Freeview and Freesat have both leaped on the humble + sign to name their own PVR offerings
A Few Facts
· Over half of UK homes now have a PVR of some kind
· There are now 8.3m homes with Sky+ – that’s more than those with a cat (5.7m), dog (5.8m) or child (7.7m)
· Time-shifting is a relatively modest 15 per cent of overall viewing in PVR homes
· Drama is the most time-shifted genre
· 4 out of 10 Sky+ users say they forget they are in Sky+ mode when watching a pre-recorded programme
· 6 out of 10 Sky+ users say they have used the Sky+ functionality to rewind and watch a commercial break
· Viewers are watching more TV ads than ever
MEC Opinion: You could claim Sky+ has revolutionised our TV viewing, but it would be more accurate to say it has revolutionised our ability to control this viewing. As far as how we actually consume TV though, the system has brought about an evolution in the home that cannot be ignored.
Instead of reducing the amount of TV viewed in the home, Sky+ has helped to bring about more viewing. With it, consumers get a better overall experience, greater programme loyalty (thanks to ease of recording) and a deeper series commitment because of series linking.
We may now possess amazing control, but overall we are watching similar amounts of TV. Our habits are much the same and television is still a social activity, but we are seeing more ads on the box each day than ever before. This increase is great news for the industry as it continues to move forward.
