Abstract
After a much prolonged consolidation in the cable TV sector, the battle for dominance in the world of satellite and cable TV has boiled down to a fight between two main players: BSkyB, which delivers programming via satellite and Virgin Media, the company comprising the former ntl and Telewest cable networks. In essence, it also symbolises a more personal battle between the top men at the parent companies of each operator - News Corporation' s Rupert Murdoch and Virgin Group' s Richard Branson. This battle has not been restricted to the home either, for the two companies have come up against each other in the courts following widely-publicised criticism and disagreements and this battle has yet to be concluded.
Both BSkyB and Virgin Media have now emerged as cross-media communications operators, rather than simply providers of multichannel TV, and this is likely to be the key battleground for the market going forward.
This report considers the hypothesis: "As the way people consume TV continues to develop and advance, the most successful operators in the satellite and cable TV market will be those who can offer a more comprehensive entertainment and communications solution, allowing consumers to customise services to suit them across a range of different media."
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