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Having retained the and FA Cup viewing profiles rights for another three years, and taken the lead By age By sex 16-34 33% Men 70% in innovation with the UK’s first live interactive 35-54 41% Woman 30% sport, Sky Sports remains at the forefront of 55+ 26% Source: TNS/BARB Source: TNS/BARB – all adults SKY SPORTS television sports coverage.

Content New Media

In the last year Sky Sports broadcast over The Sky Sports website, skysports.com, 30,000 hours of sport – approximately scored a notable first with the first live one third of the programming – live webcast of the football international across five dedicated channels. between Scotland and in the European Championship qualifying round. The first world title fight shown on the Internet was also available live on skysports.com.

skysports.com There are on average 20-25 million hits per month on skysports.com.

Any sport, any way, anywhere... with was re-launched over 30,000 hours of sports coverage in April as skysports.comTV. The broadcast during the last 12 months, new look gave digital audiences approximately one third of it live, Sky more information with windows for Sports provides everything the ardent breaking news, latest headlines, sports fan wants. Success in the June league standings and match fixtures 2000 round of bidding for the next around the broadcast image. It was three seasons of the Premier League an immediate hit with ratings up and FA Cup action concluded a 21% in the first week. remarkable year for Sky Sports. The Sky Sports website, New channels, new media skysports.com, scored a notable It was a year of innovation, which saw first with the first live webcast of the Sky Sports channels making full an international football match use of digital technology. Sky Sports between Scotland and England added a fifth channel, Sky Sports in the European Championship Extra, to its network in August 1999, qualifying round. The same match enabling Sky Sports to provide a home was also available on the television for interactive sports coverage which in widescreen and with enhanced Sky Sports initiated and developed. coverage on Sky Sports Extra.

Viewers have the option of creating personalised TV coverage of live action with highlights, statistics and alternative camera angles. This was subsequently enhanced with two further choices of camera angle and player-cam. Within weeks, interactive TV was a firm favourite with half of all digital viewers using the service. Interactive coverage across all Sky Sports channels was extended from football to Rugby Union for the and to coverage for the Second Test against Zimbabwe and the triangular tournament between England, Zimbabwe and the West Indies.

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2 3 4 skysports.comTV 5 Sky Sports 6 In April 2000 the Sky Sports News channel 1. Premier League coverage was re-branded as skysports.comTV – ratings 2. Nationwide League coverage increased by 20% in its first week. 3. FA Cup coverage 4. Premier League celebrations 5. skysports.comTV 6. Sky Sports Interactive

British Sky Broadcasting Group plc British Sky Broadcasting Group plc 38 Operational Review 39 Operational Review 1 Sports awards won July 1999 to June 2000

Favourite Sports Channel – Cable Guide Awards (2000) Sky Sports 1

Sports Programme of the Year – Scotland vs. England

Sports Innovation of the Year – Royal Television Society (2000) Live Interactive Football

Landmarks on Sky Sports Broadcast rights secured Programming highlights July 1999 to June 2000 As well as the Premier League, Sky ’s defence of the Sports has renewed or gained the in September 1999, the third time 1999 exclusive live rights to many of the the tournament has been shown August world’s top sporting events. It added exclusively live on Sky, was a triumph Sky Sports Extra launches offering live UEFA Cup rights for home with more coverage across more world’s first live interactive football games from West Ham, Tottenham, channels than ever before, including Newcastle and Leeds United, and a choice between the European and secured a deal with the FA of Ireland American feeds and a constant November for all home internationals until 2002 scoreboard. Sky’s interview with New deals secured for Ryder Cup including qualifiers. Sam Torrance after the drama at 2001 and 2003 and European the 17th green made headlines on Tours In golf, new rights include the next both sides of the Atlantic. two Ryder Cup tournaments, four Sky Sports announces long-term more years of the European Golf broadcast deal for Australian Tour, and the top ladies’ events, the In another first, Sky Sports covered cricket in 2000 and 2002 and cricket every month of the year. The the European Tour for 2000-2002. , including the 2000 sensational semi-final between South January New international cricket deals were Africa and Australia, was followed Sky Sports secures new deal for signed with the Australian, Pakistani by Sky’s first live domestic Test, the WWF wrestling and West Indies sides. WWF England winter tour to South Africa wrestling, a fixture in the schedule and live internationals from Pakistan, February since Sky Sports launched, will Zimbabwe, Australia and India. Live interactive rugby launched continue on Sky up until 2005 with Viewers of Sky Box Office saw with Six Nations an expanded programme of shows. defeat Evander Holyfield to become undisputed May heavyweight champion of the world Sky Sports signs long-term web and Prince extend and broadcast deal with West his reign as world Indies Cricket Board champion to five years. June Live interactive cricket launched on Sky Sports Extra

Sky awarded new three-year deals for live FA Premier League football and for FA Cup and England internationals

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23Sky Sports 4 Interactive cricket 6 7 1. Rugby World Cup coverage The simple on-screen menu offers Sky digital 2,3. Ryder Cup coverage customers four screen options – cameras, 4. World Featherweight Championship highlights, scorecard and statistics. 5,6,7. Interactive cricket

British Sky Broadcasting Group plc British Sky Broadcasting Group plc 40 Operational Review 41 Operational Review