Pubs will be left out in the cold on any price reduction deals on Sky, according to reports.
Media watchdog Ofcom is set to unveil its decision on how much Sky should drop its prices to rival broadcasters BT and Virgin Media this week.
The move could see broadcasters offering Sky Sports for a s little as £15 a month to domestic users — Sky customers currently pay upwards of £25.50 for the channel, and most of them pay at least £36 a month for a package including sports and movies.
But the Ofcom decision refers to the domestic market and does not affect commercial platforms meaning cash-strapped customers may choose to stay at home instead of going to the pub to watch the football.
Sky is expected to appeal any decision by Ofcom to force it to reduce its wholesale prices.