Sky Deutschland to launch Sky Sport News HD
Brian Sullivan, CEO, Sky Deutschland. "An exciting time here at Sky."
Germany: Sky Deutschland will launch Germany and Austria´s first live 24/7 sport news channel, Sky Sport News HD, next winter. The channel’s focus will be on high-energy, dynamic, around-the-clock sport coverage with an emphasis on live and breaking news reporting across Germany and Austria.
As part of Sky Deutschland’s multi-platform strategy, Sky Sport News HD will be delivered via TV, web, tablets, and smartphones to customers, as well as to sports bars and hotels.
Sky Sport News HD will emphasise active audience participation through social networking platforms and other forms of interactivity. The HD channel has a simulcast in SD which will be offered as part of the Sky Welt package and available to all Sky customers.
Over 100 new employees will be hired, including over 50 sport journalists. The editorial team, the main studio and the core production units will all be housed in the new Sky building in Unterföhring, and supported by mobile units covering Germany and Austria to report breaking news when and where it happens. It is intended to obtain a license from the Bavarian media authority, BLM.
Brian Sullivan, CEO of Sky Deutschland, commented: “This is an exciting time here at Sky. As the home for sport across Germany and Austria, the launch of Sky Sport News HD further demonstrates our focus on delivering high quality and up-to-date coverage across the entire range of sport, and extends our leadership and commitment providing the best viewing experience in high definition. In the last year alone we secured the exclusive HD rights to the Wimbledon Tennis Championships, European Golf, US Masters, and ESPN America, and expanded our Formula One coverage to include HD for the first time ever. ‘Sky Sport News HD’ will provide even more real-time, multi-platform coverage with full social and interactive elements across all important sport news and events. The offer fills a market gap in Germany and Austria, and provides another example of our innovative approach to bring the best possible TV viewing experience to our customers.”