Disloyal licensee refused Sky's 3DTV
A disappointed licensee has been refused Sky's new 3DTV service on the basis he is not a "loyal" customer of the satellite broadcaster.
Paul Taylor, of the Boot Room Hotel, Castleford, West Yorkshire, was keen to take the new system, which is initially being made available exclusively to pubs.
But despite having been a subscriber to Sky for the majority of last year, he has been told he is not eligible.
Taylor cancelled his 12-month Sky contract last September while he waited to discover his new rateable value, the method the company uses to calculate fees for pubs.
But he signed up again last month and attended a presentation on 3DTV.
"They told me I couldn't have it as I'd only been with them since February," he said.
"I just feel badly treated. It would have been massively beneficial as we are a sports venue, opposite the Castleford Tigers rugby league ground."
It is understood that Sky commercial customers have to be signed up for at least six months of uniterrupted service to be regarded as a "loyal" customer and eligible for 3DTV.
A Sky spokeswoman said: "As previously reported in The Publican, Sky 3D is available for our existing loyal customers."
Taylor also claims he was told Sky currently has around 2,000 3DTVs.
Mystery surrounds the number of screens Sky does have in stock, after it was widely reported last month the broadcaster had bought 15,000 3DTVs from electronics firm LG. But LG then backtracked, saying the 15,000 figure was "inaccurate".
More than 1,000 pubs have signed up to 3DTV, according to Sky, in time for this weekend's crunch Premier League clash between Manchester United and Chelsea.
Town & City Pub Company has taken 3DTV in 20 of its outlets, while Manchester brewer Joseph Holt has taken the same number. And Punch Taverns says it is helping licensees install the system in a number of its venues.
