News Corp.'s Italian Pay TV Arm Sky Italia Crosses 5 Million Subscriber Mark

NEW YORK - News Corp.'s Sky Italia said Friday that it has exceeded 5 million subscribers, reaching 15 million people across Italy.

Since its launch in July 2003, the pay TV operator has over the years invested in programming and improvements to its viewing experience.

More than two-thirds of all Sky Italia subscribers take HD TV today, and one-in-three use the MySky DVR, according to the company. The company also recently launched Sky Go, a service that enables subscribers to watch live TV on the move via tablets.

“It is a great achievement to be chosen by over 5 million Italian families," said James Murdoch, chairman of Sky Italia and deputy COO and chairman and CEO, international at News Corp. "It is to the credit of Sky’s first-class management team that the company has continued to deliver against a tough economic environment and I would like to thank Tom Mockridge, who led Sky Italia since its inception, for his contribution."
 
Andrea Zappia, recently named CEO of Sky Italia, said: “In a challenging market, I feel confident that we can continue to grow by continuing to invest in creativity and innovation.”

Murdoch added that he was "confident that, under the leadership of Andrea Zappia, Sky Italia has a great future that will bring many benefits to our customers and to the wider creative industries in Italy.”
 

Email: Georg.Szalai@thr.com

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