BBC & Sky NZ strike new channels deal

Sky New Zealand and BBC Worldwide have renewed a deal for several BBC nets.

The Kiwi pay TV platform has extended the carriage deal for BBC UKTV, BBC Knowledge and BBC World News. The pay TV channels are all carried in Sky’s basic tier.

BBC UKTV is a the most popular entertainment channel on Sky, while BBC Knowledge showcases BBC factual programming.

“British storytelling resonates incredibly strongly with New Zealanders,” said Sky CEO John Fellet. “These channels add enormous value to our basic package which is evident by the thousands of Sky customers who tune in every year.”

Jon Penn, managing director of BBC Worldwide Australia and New Zealand said the agreement ensured “fans of British entertainment, engaging factual and impartial global news will have access to the BBC’s premium channels for many more years”.

In related news, the New Zealand government earlier this week put the brakes on the deal bringing together Vodafone New Zealand and local pay TV operator Sky Network Television.

The High Court delayed the merger after Vodafone rivals Spark New Zealand and 2Degrees made their opposition to the multi-billion dollar deal public.