Sky Places 900 Roles in Jeopardy amid Major Restructuring for Competition With American Streaming Giants

The company revealed that 900 positions are currently under threat as the media giant continues to reshape its business model amid the rise of streaming.

Staff Impact

The company, which has roughly 23,000 employees in the UK, expects that ongoing discussions will lead to about 600 roles being cut, with a further 300 reassigned within the organization.

New Offerings

This latest round of cuts – representing the third such move within just 18 months – follows a number of new releases, including the second iteration of its smart TV and a more affordable alternative.

Strategic Focus

The Comcast-owned media group is focused on enhancing existing services, with reductions primarily impacting Sky’s technology and product teams along with related corporate functions.

Starting of last year, Sky has cut nearly 3,500 positions as it moves away from legacy broadcast pay-TV toward internet-delivered solutions as it competes against US giants like Netflix.

In total, after Comcast purchased Sky in a multi-billion deal in 2018, approximately 6,000 jobs have been removed from the organization.

Shift to Digital

Sky estimates that more than 90% of new subscriptions now come through internet-based products including its streaming television and an innovative streaming set-top box.

“In recent years, Sky has introduced a range of market-leading products such as our full fibre broadband service,” stated a company spokesperson. “These innovations are now firmly established and used by millions of customers, reinforcing Sky’s reputation for creativity and great service. As we look ahead, we are changing our strategy to bring customers the next generation of experience by focusing on online customer care, unbeatable content, and superior performance from our products.”

Previous Job Cuts

In March, Sky announced plans to reduce 2,000 roles at its support facilities and shut down three locations.

The company explained that the move would help it become “future-ready” as it transitioned from telephone customer interactions to digital communications.

In January of last year, Sky eliminated approximately 800 positions, mainly from its team of home setup technicians, as a growing number of users abandon traditional pay-TV equipment in favor of “plug-and-go” online options.

New Streaming Deal

Earlier this year, Sky formed an agreement with a major media conglomerate, the owner of popular production companies and hit HBO shows.

This arrangement will result in Warner’s digital platform becoming accessible via Sky, though it also led to the end of sole distribution privileges for certain programs.

Hannah Kelly
Hannah Kelly

A tech enthusiast and digital strategist with over a decade of experience in the industry.

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