Latest news with #SkyIreland
Belfast Telegraph
4 days ago
- Business
- Belfast Telegraph
Belfast call centre to make 40 roles redundant with jobs moving to South Africa
The employees of international call centre company Firstsource have been working on a contract with Sky Ireland. A spokesperson for Sky Ireland confirmed the roles were being moved to South Africa. He said that '40 roles will transfer from Firstsource UK to Firstsource South Africa' and that a consultation was now taking place with staff as part of the redundancy process. The move marks the end of Sky Ireland's call centre operation in Northern Ireland, though the business is to continue to have a presence through its shops here. One employee, who wished to remain anonymous, said: 'Sky likes to promote itself as a brand that invests in its people, but the reality is they are abandoning loyal staff for cheaper labour abroad, with almost nothing to show for years of work. "We believe customers and the public have a right to know how Sky treats the people behind the service they pay for.' Firstsource has been asked for comment. In March, 20 people at Firstsource in Londonderry were told their jobs were being made redundant, again, due to transfer of roles to South Africa. An email informed employees on the YouFibre team that their role may be affected. The email stated: 'We have been informed by our client, YouFibre, that effective from 7th April 2025, they will be transitioning the work we currently deliver to a new, yet unnamed client based in South Africa. 'This change will prompt a subsequent TUPE (Transfer of Undertakings Protection of Employment) transfer. 'We understand that this news may bring about questions and concerns. Please be assured that we are committed to supporting you throughout this transition." Around 100 people left Firstsource in Northern Ireland 2023. It's understood that at that point, jobs were moved to India. Another employee, who also wished to remain anonymous, claimed Sky Ireland had made an enhanced payment to departing employees at that point, in addition to redundancy payable by Firstsource as the staff's employer. However, no enhanced payment was being offered at this point, the employee claimed.
BreakingNews.ie
14-07-2025
- Business
- BreakingNews.ie
Order blocking illegal streaming of Premier League football is extended
A court order requiring internet service providers to block illegal streaming of English Premier League football matches has been extended for another two seasons. The order was first made in 2019 following applications from the Football Association Premier League (FAPL) Ltd. Advertisement On Monday in the Commercial Court, Mr Justice Mark Sanfey agreed to an application from the FAPL to extend the order for the 2025/26 and 2026/27 football seasons. The order applies to Eircom trading as eir, Virgin Media Ireland, Sky Ireland/Sky Subscriber Services, and Vodafone to block the IP addresses of the illegal streamers. Sky supported the application while the other three companies, which also implement the blocking order, were neutral as to the application, the court heard. Johnathan Newman SC, for the FAPL, said, as in previous applications, the evidence from Sky showed the proportion of streams that are disrupted is very significant and the volume of material blocked is extremely high. The level of material which has to be blocked is "quite striking", counsel said. Mr Justice Mark Sanfey said he was satisfied the order was reasonable and proportionate.
Irish Times
14-07-2025
- Business
- Irish Times
Order blocking illegal streaming of Premiership football is extended by court
A court order requiring internet service providers to block illegal streaming of English Premier League football matches has been extended for another two seasons. The order was first made in 2019 following applications from the Football Association Premier League (FAPL) Ltd. On Monday in the Commercial Court, Mr Justice Mark Sanfey agreed to an application from the FAPL to extend the order for the 2025/26 and 2026/27 football seasons. The order applies to Eircom trading as eir, Virgin Media Ireland, Sky Ireland/Sky Subscriber Services and Vodafone to block the IP addresses of the illegal streamers. READ MORE Sky supported the application while the other three companies, which also implement the blocking order, were neutral as to the application, the court heard. Johnathan Newman SC, for the FAPL, said, as in previous applications, the evidence from Sky showed the proportion of streams that are disrupted is very significant and the volume of material blocked is extremely high. The level of material which has to be blocked is 'quite striking', counsel said. Mr Justice Mark Sanfey said he was satisfied the order was reasonable and proportionate.
Irish Independent
06-07-2025
- Irish Independent
Most people don't think dodgy box owners should be prosecuted, as 14pc admit to owning one
It comes as 64pc of respondents said they don't agree that owners of 'dodgy boxes' should be fined or prosecuted by the courts. Meanwhile, 18pc of Irish people think the box owners should be prosecuted, while 18pc were not sure. The poll, conducted by the Sunday Independent/Ireland Thinks on Friday, July 4, asked more than 1,500 people three questions about the ownership of a 'dodgy box'. A 'dodgy box' is an illegal TV device that lets users watch premium channels for free without a subscription. The majority of people in Ireland don't own a 'dodgy box' as more than three in four (76pc) people answered 'no' when asked whether they own this device. Meanwhile, 14pc of people in Ireland own a 'dodgy box' and 10pc said they prefer not to say. Almost half of the people (49pc) said they would not consider getting a 'dodgy box' while 16pc said they are not sure. However, 35pc said they would consider getting it, with this figure including respondents who already own a box. Last month, Sky Ireland warned up to 400,000 dodgy-box users of 'consequences' if caught streaming sport or films using the illegal devices. The broadcaster is also set to use private investigators to monitor WhatsApp chats to detect who is buying dodgy boxes, and is also considering civil action against individual users for the first time. However, the Data Protection Commissioner (DPC) will meet the broadcaster to discuss whether such methods are legal according to GDPR privacy law. The streaming services are commonly sold through WhatsApp groups and other online discussion forums, where details of local dealers are provided. In Ireland, using a dodgy box to stream pirated content is an offence under the Copyright Act, punishable by up to five years in prison or a fine of up to €127,000. However, gardaí have consistently declined to pursue individual consumers of dodgy boxes, reserving action instead for commercial operators and distributors of the services.
Irish Independent
25-06-2025
- Business
- Irish Independent
Fairer approach required from Sky Ireland to accommodate ordinary people and small publicans
Corkman Today at 02:00 Calls have been made for a 'fairer' approach from major broadcasters like Sky Ireland amid rising concerns over affordability, particularly for small publicans and struggling households. Cork TD Michael Collins who is the leader of Independent Ireland said Sky's constant price hikes are making sport unaffordable for ordinary people and small pubs that are struggling to stay afloat. 'Sky has been raising its prices year after year and people are struggling. The cost of simply showing sport in a small pub is heading towards €1,000 per month and over €2,000 for larger venues. That's simply unsustainable for many rural and family-run pubs.' 'There has to be give and take,' said the Cork South West TD. 'Pubs rely on live sport – soccer, GAA, horse racing – to survive. These events bring people in the door, help communities to stay connected, and support local employment. The burden of broadcasting fees, on top of insurance, staffing, electricity and carbon taxes, is pushing too many to the brink.' Deputy Collins added that the wider public is also struggling under the weight of rising fuel, heating, food, and housing costs. 'People have fewer and fewer small comforts. Watching a match with a neighbour or friends is one of the last ones left. We would hope that in the current climate of sky-high prices across the board, Sky and other providers might sit down and engage with both the licensed trade and ordinary viewers to find solutions.' 'If sport is priced out of reach for the very people who support it – the customers, the publicans, the communities – then everybody loses,' he added. Separately Sky Ireland has warned 400,000 dodgy-box users of 'consequences' if caught streaming sport or films using the illegal devices. The warning comes as the broadcaster, along with other industry bodies, appeared in the High Court after an injunction and search order was issued against a suspected operator of a dodgy-box streaming service in Wexford. The alleged operation includes piracy of Sky, Premier Sports, GAA+, LOITV and Clubber, among others, accessed by thousands of Irish dodgy-box owners and multiple resellers. Sky Ireland is also set to use private investigators to monitor WhatsApp chats to detect who is buying dodgy boxes. In a significant escalation, the broadcaster is now considering civil action against individual users for the first time. However, the Data Protection Commissioner (DPC) will meet the broadcaster to discuss whether such methods are legal according to GDPR privacy law. About one in five Irish households use a dodgy box, according to a ¬recent Sunday Independent poll. ADVERTISEMENT The streaming services are commonly sold through WhatsApp groups and other online discussion forums, where details of local dealers are provided. In Ireland, using a dodgy box to stream pirated content is an offence under the Copyright Act, punishable by up to five years in prison or a fine of up to €127,000. However, gardaí have consistently declined to pursue individual consumers of dodgy boxes, reserving action instead for commercial operators and distributors of the services.
