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BYJULIETTE GARSIDE: Agenda Benefits of strong leadership: MAKING THE NEWS: Is BSkyB no longer the chosen one?
[April 26, 2014]

BYJULIETTE GARSIDE: Agenda Benefits of strong leadership: MAKING THE NEWS: Is BSkyB no longer the chosen one?


(Observer (UK) Via Acquire Media NewsEdge) The ousting of David Moyes at Manchester United stole the headlines last week, but it is not the only upset at the top of the footballing world.

BSkyB, it seems, is beginning to stagger from the impact of rival BT's investment in the beautiful game - the telecoms group holds a slug of Premier League rights and will have exclusive access to the Champions League.

Sky boss Jeremy Darroch reports third-quarter results on Thursday, and the forecast is troubling. Seasoned Skywatcher Sarah Simon, who analyses the company's numbers for Berenberg bank, says it is not only losing operating profits but market share.



In the converging worlds of telecoms and television, the key metric is new broadband customers. In the third quarter last year, Sky signed a net 152,000. This time the number will be closer to 80,000, says Simon. Sky's market share of new additions has slumped from a peak of 90% in 2012, and is now thought to be around 39%. BT, meanwhile, is on the rise, with a forecast 73% market share.

During his brief stint at Man U, Moyes consulted a management self-help guide called Good to Great. It advises leaders to concentrate on one thing at a time - to be a hedgehog, not a fox. But Sky prides itself on its multi-product offering, so Darroch might bristle at that suggestion.If Captions: Darroch: reveals Sky's results this week.


(c) 2014 Guardian Newspapers Limited.

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