British Sky Broadcasting (BSkyB) - A Brief History

In Sky is operated by the British Sky Broadcasting Group (BSkyB), which is part-owed by Rupert Murdoch's News Corporation.

It began in 1989 as a 4-channel network, with the launch of the Astra satellite. By 1990, Sky had 1 million UK customers. 18 years later, it has almost 9 million direct subscribers and 3.2 million more through a partnership with Virgin Media. The 4 channels have expanded to over 300, including 100+ digital entertainment channels and 200 free to air channels. With such a great selection, you can always find something to watch, any time of day or night, or so they say!

While Sky is most famous for its digital TV, it now also offers broadband and free telephone calls. In 2006, BSkyB acquired the networking company Easynet, and in July of that year launched a broadband internet service for all its customers. Sky joined other triple-play providers in offering packages that include digital TV, broadband and phone. It means you can pick and choose the services you want and save money in the process.

Sky's popularity has been boosted by the launch of their own news and sports channels. The most famous of these is Sky Sports. Since its launch in 1990, Sky Sports has outgrown its single channel and now takes up 5. If you're a sports fan, you can't beat Sky Sports' coverage. However, these channels are now also available from other providers, including Virgin and Tiscali.

In 2001, Sky introduced Sky+, a personal digital video recorder, which allows viewers to pause and rewind live TV. Sky+ is now in over 1.5 million UK homes.