British Sky Broadcasting
Strategic Concepts & Mechanics
Primary Evidence
"By early 1992, with Sky’s subscriber numbers grinding upwards but not reaching forecasts, revenue consistently lower than expected, the company in debt and its shareholders still having to put in more money, Sky was desperate for some wins. Heatley was convinced that rugby was the answer. On 11 March 1992, his eye was caught by a short Australian Associated Press report from London in that day’s *New Zealand Herald*. Just three paragraphs long, the article said that the Cricket World Cup, which was at the time being hosted by Australia and New Zealand, and in which the England team was a favourite, was leading to bumper sales of satellite dishes in Britain. ‘The form of [England batsman] Graham Gooch and the England team have sparked tremendous interest in the cricket extravaganza, shown exclusively on satellite television station British Sky Broadcasting,’ the article said. ‘According to the latest figures by the *Financial Times* satellite monitor, sales of new dishes were 78,000 last month, up from 41,000 for the same period last year.’[4](private://read/01jectdbce729daxqkxt7cbe8r/#mn27) This was exactly the evidence Heatley was looking for. He immediately fired a copy of it off to Nate Smith. ‘Nate, if the powers that be in America want any more evidence of what we need to do here, send them this,’ he wrote, attaching a copy of the AAP story.[5](private://read/01jectdbce729daxqkxt7cbe8r/#mn28) If Sky could get exclusive rights to the All Blacks tour of Australia and South Africa it could attract another 20,000 to 30,000 subscribers at least, he added, seemingly making up numbers in his enthusiasm."
"By early 1992, with Sky’s subscriber numbers grinding upwards but not reaching forecasts, revenue consistently lower than expected, the company in debt and its shareholders still having to put in more money, Sky was desperate for some wins. Heatley was convinced that rugby was the answer. On 11 March 1992, his eye was caught by a short Australian Associated Press report from London in that day’s *New Zealand Herald*. Just three paragraphs long, the article said that the Cricket World Cup, which was at the time being hosted by Australia and New Zealand, and in which the England team was a favourite, was leading to bumper sales of satellite dishes in Britain. ‘The form of [England batsman] Graham Gooch and the England team have sparked tremendous interest in the cricket extravaganza, shown exclusively on satellite television station British Sky Broadcasting,’ the article said. ‘According to the latest figures by the *Financial Times* satellite monitor, sales of new dishes were 78,000 last month, up from 41,000 for the same period last year.’[4](private://read/01jectdbce729daxqkxt7cbe8r/#mn27) This was exactly the evidence Heatley was looking for. He immediately fired a copy of it off to Nate Smith. ‘Nate, if the powers that be in America want any more evidence of what we need to do here, send them this,’ he wrote, attaching a copy of the AAP story.[5](private://read/01jectdbce729daxqkxt7cbe8r/#mn28) If Sky could get exclusive rights to the All Blacks tour of Australia and South Africa it could attract another 20,000 to 30,000 subscribers at least, he added, seemingly making up numbers in his enthusiasm."