Pubs angry at Sky price rises

Several pub chains are to complain to the Office of Fair Trading (OFT) following Sky's decision to raise TV subscription prices by up to 22%.

The broadcaster has increased the price for pubs and bars wanting to show live Premiership football, a move which, in some cases, has sent subscription costs above £1,000 / month.

Scottish & Newcastle, which has 1,450 pubs, said: "These new price rises mean that it can be more economically viable to provide live entertainment rather than show a match."

Francis Patton, commercial director of the Punch Pub Company, a chain which has over 4,500 pubs, agreed: "We find it appalling. Sky's popularity was created by the pubs market and yet now it is creating a stranglehold on the sector."

A spokesman for Sky told This Is Money that the subscription represented good value for money. "Sky invests a huge amount in its programming and it is extremely good value," he said. "And there are many other forms of entertainment that pubs can offer."