
Sky Sports News ‘set to axe top reporters in channel transformation leaving staff shocked'
SKY SPORTS NEWS are set to axe some top reporters in their latest shake-up, according to reports.
Well-known presenters and reporters could leave the broadcaster.
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Sky Sports News are set to make cuts in a shake-up
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The broadcaster aims to adapt to the changing demands of its audience
Staff have reportedly been left shocked by the
news
- the latest in a string of cuts made by
Sky
Sports News.
According to the
Instead, the broadcaster is aiming to become "more agile and better equipped to serve audiences".
Sky are understood to be keen to ensure their departments keep up with changing behaviours of audiences.
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But the broadcaster will continue to prioritise breaking news content.
It is believed well-established reporters and presenters will be included in the cuts.
A Sky Sports News spokesperson told the Mail: "We've shared proposals with the Sky Sports News team to change how we're structured, aimed at making us more agile and better equipped to serve audiences across TV, digital and social.
"A small number of roles are impacted, and we are now entering a period of consultation with those colleagues."
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Irish Times
3 days ago
- Irish Times
Sports TV subscriptions: What's the best value among the dizzying options?
There was a time when sport on Irish television was a simple affair. There was the Six Nations – or Five Nations as it was then and the odd Irish soccer match which would as often as not end in a moral victory but an actual loss. We had the Aga Khan Cup, and Wimbledon , big race meetings from Ireland and the UK, the FA Cup Final and the occasional snooker tournament. On Saturday afternoons there was an omnibus called Sports Stadium which carried a pretty eclectic mix of random sports and a whole lot of horse racing. It always climaxed with the results from the English and Scottish leagues. Then there was the Olympics , the World Cup and the European Championships. And that was pretty much that at least for those in one and two channel land. READ MORE People with access to the British channels could add Match of the Day on Saturday nights and the Big Match on Sunday afternoons, snooker in the form of Pot Black and some pretty unattractive wrestling to the mix while as the 1980s drew to a close American Football started appearing on Channel Four of all places. That was around the time ITV started showing real life top flight games from England live on Sunday afternoons. Then Sky came along and everything changed. And the world of sport on the telly has kept changing with the speed of Manchester United back line moving forward. Ah no, only joking, the changes have been much faster than that. The changes have, in fact, been dizzying and sometimes incomprehensible and often very, very expensive. Early this week we got a mail from a reader that highlights just some of the challenges facing Irish sports lovers these days. 'Ireland is playing the West Indies today at Clontarf in a three-game ODI cricket series,' said Damien. 'The first two games were on TNT Sports 1 and 2, but today's game is hidden from Irish viewers on Sky and NOW TV. It is available in the UK on Discovery+. You expect a broadcaster to show a full series of games. I've to pay a NOW subscription for this.' It wasn't the first time in recent weeks the same correspondent – a self-described 'middle-aged disgruntled multi-sports fan' – was in touch. 'Last year, Warner Brothers Discovery (WBD) had Eurosport broadcasts and streams available on its streaming and on-demand service, Discovery+. Since last summer, WBD has removed sports content from Irish subscribers of the service, while continuing to provide such content elsewhere in the EU (either on Discovery+ or Max) '. He pointed out that a 'notable impact this year is that the French Open is not available to stream in Ireland, because WBD is currently restricting their broadcasts of the tournament to subscribers of its linear TNT Sports channels.' Damien subscribes to TNT Sports via NOW TV but 'won't be able to choose a match of my choice like I used to. WBD have the rights to show the tournament from Roland Garros across the EU (except France), and streams all courts and content via Discovery+ or Max.' He also bemoaned the absence of cycling and winter sports such as downhill skiing 'which are freely available to other EU citizens'. Sport dominates TV watching So, where do we stand when it comes to sport on the telly. The first thing to say is it is pretty popular. Last year it dominated the list of most-watched programmes in Ireland with 10 rugby matches in the top 50 including all of Ireland's Six Nations games featuring in the top 10 The All-Ireland Hurling final was in third place while the football final was in sixth. All told 10 Euro 2024 soccer matches made the top 50, along with two Nations League marches, while the Olympics also did well. RTÉ remains the go to station for free-to-air sport although Virgin Media has been nipping at its heels for quite some time and is a serious rival in that space. It is the home of rugby and Gaelic games as well as fair amount of soccer and some of the biggest sporting showpieces on the planet from the Olympics to the World Athletics Championships and a whole lot more besides. But Virgin Media hasn't been found wanting when it comes to live sport and its made a real declaration of intent earlier this year when it announced a four-year deal with the League of Ireland to show dozens of live premier league games on Friday nights throughout the summer and into the autumn. Football joins Rugby with Virgin sharing the Six Nations with RTÉ for the next four years at least. GAA+ formerly known as GAA-Go is a somewhat controversial package having taken ownership of some of the most high profile hurling and football matches that would otherwise have been free to view on terrestrial TV. The cost of a single match comes in at a fairly eye watering €12 while a season ticket to all the matches on the platform costs €79 while a midseason pass is currently available for €49. Sky Sports subscriptions Sky Sports is the big kahuna of subscription sports and its eight channels covers all manner of sports including top flight football from England, the best of golf, racing; tennis, Formula 1, cricket and more besides with prices starting from €20 for new customers. Sky also has the exclusive rights to the British and Irish Lions 9 match tour of Australia this summer. If you get your TV package from Virgin Media you can get a Sky Sports sub for €20 a month with rising to €40 after the first year. Access to Sky Sports, TNT and Premier sports on the same platform meanwhile costs €30 for the first 12 months rising to €79 after that. Premier sports and TNT on their own cost €35 a month. Racing TV is €26 a month while access to MUTV – if that is something you'd fancy – is €9 a month. A less committed way to watch what Sky has through a Now TV pass. A 12 month contract costs €27 for the first month while the sports bundle offering 18 channels including all the Sky options as well as TNT and Premier Sports is €30 a month – more expensive for sure but you can cancel whenever you fancy it. It also has day passes for €14.99. Eurosport as Damien mentioned – is gone – or at least free Eurosport is gone – but much of the sports it specialised in including cycling, tennis, snooker, the Olympic Winter Games in Milan and lots of football, rugby boxing, Moto and more are on TNT. Then there is Danz which streams a dizzying array of sports with the new look Football Club World Cup tournament likely to be a big(ish) draw this summer. Flexible monthly access is €19.99 while a year long contract costs €9.99 per month or one up front payment of €83.99. And finally, there is The Clubber which streams Club GAA at an annual cost of €149.99 or a weekly fee of €29.99. Access to an individual game is around €12.99. What about dodgy boxes? It would be remiss to not at least refer to the tens of thousands of dodgy boxes in homes all over the country. They are in a legally grey area. The boxes themselves are not illegal – and can be bought online for no more than €50 – streaming sport and knowingly circumventing properly applied restrictions to access copyrighted content could technically leave people exposed. It is worth noting, however, that those targeting illegal streaming, including the Garda, are focused on people who are suspected of being involved in providing illegal access to premium TV content and not – as yet – the end users. Garda sources have even expressed doubt that the force would have any jurisdiction when it comes to the use of such boxes, suggesting it would be a civil rather than a criminal matter. Access to a legally dubious streaming service is around €150 a year but we would caution against such a step and it is worth bearing in mind that once the money is paid there is no guarantee the service won't be shut down and if it does you have no comeback as consumer rights don't tend to protect legally questionable activity. You can contact us at OnTheMoney@ with personal finance questions you would like to see us address. If you missed last week's newsletter by Dominic Coyle on the options for releasing wealth tied up in your home, you can read it here .


Irish Independent
4 days ago
- Irish Independent
‘Abuse as a foreign woman of colour in this sphere never ceases' – Melissa Reddy hits out following Sky Sports exit
Reddy was one of seven journalists and presenters confirmed to be heading for the exit as the Premier League's biggest rights-holder reboots its news channel. We need your consent to load this Social Media content. We use a number of different Social Media outlets to manage extra content that can set cookies on your device and collect data about your activity. Please review your details and accept them to load the content In an Instagram statement confirming 'I've called time on three years at Sky', the former Independent football reporter suggested she had faced some recent abuse. 'The messages I've received from managers, players, club staff, my Sky and wider industry colleagues − people who know me, my journey and sacrifices over the past decade − carry more weight than any of the nasty noise,' Reddy explained. Gary Neville, the Sky Sports pundit, and Darren Lewis, president of the Sports Journalists Association, were amongst well-wishers responding to her post. 'All the best to you Melissa and great working with you,' Neville posted. Reddy, who has spent 11 years covering Premier League football, hinted that she is planning to write books among other projects. She spoke out, however, about hurdles she has faced during her time in the profession. 'After the first press conference I covered in England all those years back, a journalist turned to the press officer and said, 'why are you letting them come over here and take our jobs,' she wrote. 'You just want a little lick don't you?!' I would love to be able to say that things have changed in that regard, but alas… the abuse as a foreign woman of colour in this sphere never ceases. I will always be stronger than the hate; I know who I am, I know the substance of my work. You can't dim the light of someone who learned how to shine in the dark.' Sky Sports News chiefs sent out an internal memo confirming Reddy was among seven key members of staff leaving. Long-serving host Rob Wotton has also departed. Rivals at the BBC and TNT Sports are also facing change this summer with both Gary Lineker and Rio Ferdinand signing off in the space of seven days. Ferdinand, like Lineker and Neville, has combined his work as one of the UK's most prominent pundits with developing his own media empire in recent years.


Irish Daily Mirror
4 days ago
- Irish Daily Mirror
Axed Sky Sports presenter opens up on abuse and details new career path
Axed Sky Sports reporter Melissa Reddy has disclosed her intention to dive back into the literary world following her parting with the broadcaster. After a three-year tenure as a senior reporter, Reddy will leave Sky Sports this summer. During her stint, the South African journalist reported on some major stories within the Premier League, particularly focusing on Manchester United and Liverpool clubs. However, Sky confirmed on Wednesday that Reddy, along with six colleagues, would be leaving their posts. This comes in the wake of the cancellation of The Football Show, leading to long-standing presenter Rob Wotton's exit after 27 years. Other presenters like Teddy Draper and Jasper Taylor will be departing from the channel this summer after dedicating 18 and 11 years respectively. Jeremy Langdon, a familiar face for two decades, is detaching from Sky Sports News, with senior reporter Fadumo Okow and a news editor also on the way out. The announcement of Reddy's departure stands out amongst these significant exits, but she seems set for a fresh chapter in her career, reports the Mirror. Reddy took to Instagram to express her mixed feelings: "ELEVENTH! ! ! season of Premier League coverage done and I've called time on three years at Sky. I'll still be doing bits and bobs for them. "But I'm genuinely soooo excited to share all the things I'll be working on soon, which will allow me to focus on my strengths and passions. For those that have BEEN asking for the past five years, YES - that will include new books." Reddy opened up about the abuse she has experienced during her career as a sports journalist. She lamented that little had changed since her early industry days, though she expressed gratitude for the supportive messages she's received. "After the first press conference I covered in England all those years back, a journalist turned to the press officer and said 'why are you letting them come over here and take our jobs. You just want a little lick, don't you? !'" Reddy recounted. "I would love to be able to say that things have changed in that regard, but alas... the abuse as a foreign woman of colour in this sphere never ceases. I will always be stronger than the hate; I know who I am, I know the substance of my work. "You can't dim the light of someone who learned how to shine in the dark. The messages I've received from managers, players, club staff, my Sky and wider industry colleagues - people who know me, my journey and sacrifices over the past decade - carry more weight than any of the nasty noise. Let's cook." As Reddy moves on to new challenges, well-wishes pour in from her former colleagues. Formula 1 host Natalie Pike remarked, "Thank you for always shining a light for the women in our industry." Sports commentator Pien Meulensteen commented, "Good luck looking forward to seeing what you get up to next." Meanwhile, presenter Reshmin Chowdhury encouraged her, "Keep shining, my lovely! Can't wait to see what's cooking."