BSkyB on-demand service overtakes big channels as new business shows promise

摘要

BSkyB said this week that its Sky Anytime TV "virtual" on-demand service now accounted for more viewing than all but five conventional broadcast channels. The seven-month-old service, which offers a small selection of programmes for viewing on demand, is now a more-watched "channel" than many major terrestrial and pay-television services. According to data from BSkyB, viewers also spend on average 28.4 minutes in Anytime each time they use it - ahead of the ITV1 (27.9 minutes), BBCl-(25.8 minutes) and Channel 4 (21.7 minutes). Although it is used by less than 10 per cent of BSkyB's 8.67 million Sky Digital satellite-television homes, Sky Anytime TV is opening up a new business model for the pay-television company. BSkyB can sell extra advertising space around the programmes selected for the service which are downloaded automatically and stored in-set-top boxes.