Originally Posted by muppetman11

Two points

1. If content providers decide to sell content direct to the customers over the Internet why would anyone need a pay TV STB surely a cheap Roku , Boxee , PS3 , XBOX would do the same job and free from a monthly charge and accessible with whichever ISP you choose.

2. HBO in the US will not sell their content direct to the customer as they make far too much money from the cable/satellite companies.


That's not strictly true is it , Sky has its own network and has its own equipment in the BT exchanges , BT are however responsible for everything from the exchange I believe.

Tivo does not need a broadband connection or a phone line, that's the competative advantage. Sky does not have a full infrastructue of its own as its equipment is housed in bt premises.and pays bt a price for use of its infrastructre and easy net is a backbone network it does not feed out to bt cabs where sky customers connect too. Vm's is wholly owned by VM. So your point is no where near true.
http://corporate.sky.com/investors/p...dc_for_easynet