Licensees pull the plug on Sky
Pubs are increasingly switching off Sky to save money according to the findings of latest research.
The Publican's Market Report this week reveals that only 27 per cent of pubs now show sport using the service - down from 34 per cent just two years ago.
Meanwhile, the Association of Licensed Multiple Retailers (ALMR) released figures, as the new Premier League season got underway, indicating there has been a 20 per cent drop in the number of pubs subscribing to Sky since 2003.
Chief Executive Nick Bish said it was down to "relentless price rises" for the service.
"If the price of lager since 1996 had risen at the same rate as pub Sky subscriptions we would currently be paying over £9 for a pint," he said. "Sky is holding our local pubs to ransom."
The ALMR also claimed that the average pub is now paying £15,000 for its annual subscription.
Sky disputed the figure and said it has frozen prices this year to help struggling licensees.
A spokeswoman said: "With more and more people coming to their locals to watch sport, Sky offers real value and is a great way for pubs to attract customers.
"Despite our continued investment in top quality sports programming, we've even frozen our prices for the past year.
"We don't recognise the ALMR's figures. The number of businesses choosing to subscribe to Sky has increased over the last five years."
However Sky was unable to provide figures showing how many pubs currently subscribe to its service.
Licensee Vince Healy, who runs four pubs in the south of England, said his subscription fee had gone up 463 per cent in the last 12 years.
"Sky claimed they froze prices but the products were completely different. And anyone who signed up last year with the promise of a price freeze has been hit with a massive rise this time round."
The Market Report will be availabe with next week's edition of The Publican and online.
