British Sky Broadcasting Group plc
Annual Report 2007
British Sky Broadcasting Group plc
Grant Way, Isleworth,
Middlesex TW7 5QD, England
Telephone 0870 240 3000
Overseas +44 20 7705 3000
Facsimile 0870 240 3060
www.sky.com
Registered in England No.2247735
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The cover of this report is printed on Era Silk which contains 50% recycled and de-inked pulp
from post-consumer waste. The remaining 50% is made up of Forest Stewardship Council (FSC)
virgin fibre and pulp.
The text of this report is printed on Revive 50:50 uncoated, a 50% recycled paper manufactured
with 25% de-inked post consumer waste, 25% unprinted pre-consumer waste and 50% virgin
fi bre. All pulps used Elemental Chlorine Free (ECF) and the manufacturing mill is accredited
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Table of contents
............................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................
2
Chairman’s statement
.................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................
Review of the business
Chief Executive Officer’s statement
3
The business, its objectives and its strategy
4
Corporate responsibility
15
People
16
Risk factors
17
19
Government regulation
.................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................
Financial review
26
Introduction
27
Financial and operating review
35
Property
.................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................
Directors’ report
Introduction
36
Board of Directors and senior management
37
Corporate governance report
39
43
Report on Directors’ remuneration
.................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................
Consolidated financial statements
50
Statement of Directors’ responsibility
51
Auditors’ report
52
Consolidated financial statements
100
Group financial record
.................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................
102
Shareholder information
.................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................
110
Glossary of terms
.................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................
112
Form 20-F cross reference guide
.................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................
This constitutes the Annual Report of British Sky Broadcasting Group plc (the ‘‘Company’’)
in accordance with International Financial Reporting Standards (‘‘IFRS’’) and with those
parts of the Companies Act 1985 applicable to companies reporting under IFRS and is
dated 26 July 2007. This document also contains information set out within the
Company’s Annual Report to be filed on Form 20-F in accordance with the requirements
of the United States (‘‘US’’) Securities and Exchange Commission (‘‘the SEC’’). However,
this information may be updated or supplemented at the time of filing of that document
with the SEC or later amended if necessary.
Forward looking statements
This document contains certain forward-looking statements within the meaning of the
United States Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 with respect to our financial
condition, results of operations and business, and our strategy, plans and objectives.
These statements include, without limitation, those that express forecasts, expectations
and projections with respect to the potential for growth of free-to-air and pay television,
fixed line telephony, broadband and bandwidth requirements, advertising growth, Direct-
to-Home (‘‘DTH’’) subscriber growth, Multiroom, Sky+ and other services penetration,
churn, DTH and other revenue, profitability and margin growth, cash flow generation,
programming and other costs, subscriber acquisition costs and marketing expenditure,
capital expenditure programmes and proposals for returning capital to shareholders.
These statements (and all other forward-looking statements contained in this document)
are not guarantees of future performance and are subject to risks, uncertainties and
other factors, some of which are beyond our control, are difficult to predict and could
cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied or forecast in
the forward-looking statements. These factors include, but are not limited to, the fact
that we operate in a highly competitive environment, the effects of laws and government
regulation upon our activities, our reliance on technology, which is subject to risk,
change and development, failure of key suppliers, our ability to continue to obtain
exclusive rights to movies, sports events and other programming content, risks inherent
in the implementation of large-scale capital expenditure projects, our ability to continue
to communicate and market our services effectively, and the risks associated with our
operation of digital television transmission in the United Kingdom (‘‘UK’’) and Republic of
Ireland (‘‘Ireland’’).
Information on some of the risks and uncertainties associated with our business are
described in ‘‘Review of the business — Risk factors’’ in this document. All forward-
looking statements in this document are based on information known to us on the date
hereof. Except as required by law, we undertake no obligation publicly to update or
revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future
events or otherwise.
British Sky Broadcasting Group plc
Annual Report 2007
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Chairman’s statement
............................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................
It is without question that the world of media and communications is changing at a
faster pace than ever before. New generations of consumers are demanding content on
their terms. The boundaries between traditional media and adjacent sectors, such as
broadband and telephony, are disappearing and this is creating an unprecedented
change in the competitive landscape.
This convergence of media and communications has created a dynamic, fast moving
sector that not only brings significant opportunities, but also a degree of uncertainty.
That has manifested itself in the recent under performance of global media stocks, as
investors have been unsure how the sector will evolve, and at what cost. Media
companies that expected historical performance to protect their business models from
this overlap have failed, and will continue to fail. To them the social and technological
changes we are experiencing are a threat, not an opportunity. Today, though, investors
can see successful companies emerging.
These companies have adapted their strategies to the changing environment and
embraced the values and culture necessary for success. Sky is one such company – no
other company in the UK has achieved more in the past year to position itself for the
future and set the pace of change to meet the needs of its existing and future customers.
One year ago, Sky was one of the UK’s leading TV companies – today, not only have we
built on that leading position but we have also become a major challenger to established
players in the telecoms sector, creating a combined industry forecast to be worth £25
billion by 2010. We have transformed ourselves into a multi-product business that offers
customers Sky+, Sky HD, Multiroom, Sky Mobile TV, Sky Anytime, Sky Broadband and Sky
Talk. No other company can provide consumers with such control and flexibility over
how they watch, download or record content. By widening our product range, we have
broadened the appeal of Sky and unlocked an unprecedented level of demand. We offer
superior choice, quality and value to our customers and will remain a champion of
choice and innovation in our expanded market place.
In addition, a sense of responsibility is ingrained across the organisation. Sky is the first
major media company and only the second company in the FTSE100 to become carbon
neutral, finding ways to help customers save energy in their homes and contribute to the
environment. More broadly, we are continuing to make a sustained and significant
contribution to the arts, sport and education.
I would especially like to thank all of the non-executive directors for the time they have
invested and for their continued support. In particular, I would like to thank Lord St John
of Fawsley, who retired from the Board this financial year, for his contribution over many
years of service.
One of Sky’s greatest attributes is the quality of the people we employ. This year, we
paid tribute to the 234 pioneering men and women who helped to launch the company
against well established broadcasters nearly two decades ago. Our people’s qualities
then, of entrepreneurship and challenging the status quo, are equally apparent in our
organisation today.
I want to thank all my colleagues for the hard work and dedication over the past twelve
months that has positioned Sky as a leader in entertainment and communications. The
proposed 27% increase in the full year dividend to 15.5 pence per share reflects the
confidence the Board has in the current, and future, performance of the business.
Rupert Murdoch
Chairman
27 July 2007
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Review of the business
............................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................
we renewed our movie output agreement with Sony; we reached agreement with MGM
to bring Bond to Sky Movies; and we further broadened our sports offering by
showcasing the America’s Cup, Hickstead showjumping and Super League netball, to
name but a few.
We have also given customers greater choice and flexibility around how they choose to
enjoy our programming. Today, we are the only national provider of HD; we allow
customers to record programmes onto their Sky+ box via their mobile; we have Europe’s
largest mobile TV service; we have recently launched our Sky Anytime on TV service that
pushes popular, up-to-date content on to a split hard drive on a customer’s Sky+ or HD
box; and we have pioneered multi-platform coverage of the Champions League and the
Ashes, broadcasting simultaneously via SD, HD, broadband and mobile.
Not only do our customers get the best quality and choice but we also have ensured that
they get great value. This has been demonstrated by the success of our ‘See, Speak,
Surf’ campaign which has attracted new customers to Sky by clearly marketing the
superior choice, quality and value of our TV, broadband and telephony products for as
little as £15 per month. We do not force the customer to accept a fixed bundle of
services, nor do we offer short-term deals for particular product combinations. Instead
we package our services simply and transparently so that customers can choose what
they want based on their individual needs.
We have invested significantly in building out our state-of-the-art network so that it now
covers 70% of UK households, a full six months ahead of initial plans. We now have a
hybrid network that combines the advantages of satellite distribution, PVR storage and
broadband connectivity. This satisfies the requirements for high bandwidth, local storage
and peer-to-peer interaction that our customers seek whilst ensuring efficient and cost
effective product delivery.
Our levels of customer service have always led the industry, and this year we have
continued to raise the bar as we seek to increase our competitive advantage. Following
on from our investment in new customer management systems last year, we have
continued to improve the simplicity, reliability and personal nature of interactions with
our customers. During the year we have shortened engineer visit windows, established a
dedicated moving home team and equalised our product pricing for new and
existing customers.
The desire and dedication shown by our people over the past twelve months has placed
us in a strong position. Further challenges and opportunities will present themselves in
2008, but we are well placed as an organisation to pre-empt these and turn them to
our advantage – it’s never been a better time to join in.
James Murdoch
Chief Executive Officer
Chief Executive Officer’s statement
This year has been one of enormous and important change for Sky. Not only has our
pay television business continued to grow, but in August 2006 we launched our
broadband and telephony services, completing the latest part of our transformation from
one of the UK’s leading TV companies to a multi-product entertainment and
communications business. Already we are capitalising on our brand’s strength and our
speed of execution to build scale rapidly, becoming, in less than twelve months, the
fastest growing broadband and telephony provider in the UK.
The overlapping media and communications landscape has moved rapidly during the
past year and at Sky I am proud that we have continued to lead the way and take full
advantage of the opportunities presented. Throughout the year, we’ve been executing a
strategy that has sought both to drive, and take advantage of, the accelerating demand
for bandwidth in all our customers’ homes. We have seen this trend coming through in
this year’s results, with high levels of demand for our products from across the board.
Three things are at the heart of capturing this demand. First, a significant widening of
our product set to provide customers with more choice and more products from Sky
than ever before; second, our continued investment in a broad range of high quality,
must-see programming; and, third, the building of a robust, state-of-the-art, network
infrastructure, which has enabled us to deliver high bandwidth services such as Sky HD,
Sky Anytime and up to 16mb broadband in the most efficient and effective way. All of
these have contributed to a fundamental alteration in the volume metrics of the business
as this growth in our product range further broadens the appeal of Sky. This year we
sold over four million products to our customers compared to around 1.7 million
three years ago, a step change in our capabilities which we believe is sustainable
into the future.
One such innovation occurred in this financial year when we launched our broadband
and telephony products, Sky Broadband and Sky Talk. These not only offer our customers
simple, flexible, high quality and compelling value services, but also provide the company
with a substantially increased addressable market place. Historically we had operated in
an industry worth £7 billion. However, by moving into the adjacent sectors of broadband
and fixed line telephony, we now operate in a combined sector whose value is over £20
billion today and is forecast to grow to around £25 billion by 2010.
This move allows us to capitalise on the significant growth opportunities available in
both these sectors, whilst also driving growth in TV. There are still over 14 million
families in the UK that have yet to choose a pay TV provider, but where they have, over
eight and a half million have chosen Sky. By broadening our product range we are
better able to address some of the more traditional barriers customers have faced when
choosing Sky.
Furthermore, offering broadband and telephony allows us to tap into an industry that, for
too long, has over charged and under delivered to its customers. We can challenge the
existing players by bringing our strengths to bear – brand and reputation, customer
experience, innovation, content and product quality – to offer customers a much
improved experience. Moreover, by passing on savings from the local loop unbundling
process directly to our customers, we are able to offer our services at industry leading
prices. This, in turn, has allowed us to achieve scale rapidly and lay the foundations for a
broadband and telephony business that we believe will become earnings enhancing in
2010.
During the year we have taken significant steps to ensure that we will remain well
positioned to capitalise on the opportunities brought by exposure to these sectors. We
have invested time and capital in our brand so that, as well as being the company that
customers most trust to bring together entertainment and communications, we are
increasingly recognised for making a contribution to society and our local communities.
We continued to raise awareness among our employees and customers over the
importance of reducing their energy consumption, invested in grassroots sport, the arts,
learning and local education and increased the accessibility of our products for
disabled customers.
Sky has always stood for choice and entertainment and at its heart is our approach to,
and our value of, content. We pride ourselves on the unrivalled breadth, depth and
quality of our onscreen programming and we have spent the year furthering our
leadership in this area. For example, we acquired rights to great shows such as ‘Lost’
and ‘Prison Break’; invested in original commissions such as Terry Pratchett’s ‘Hogfather’;
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The business, its objectives and its strategy
Introduction
British Sky Broadcasting Group plc and its subsidiaries (the ‘‘Group’’) operate the leading
pay television broadcast service in the UK and Ireland as well as broadband and
telephony services. We acquire programming to broadcast on our own channels and
supply certain of those channels to cable operators for retransmission by the cable
operators to their subscribers in the UK and Ireland. We retail channels (both our own
and third parties’) to DTH subscribers and certain of our own channels to a limited
number of DSL subscribers (reference in this Annual Report to ‘‘DTH subscribers’’
includes DSL subscribers). We also make three of our channels available free-to-air via
the UK DTT platform as part of the branded ‘‘Freeview’’ offering and we have announced
that we are developing plans to replace these channels with new pay TV channels on
the DTT platform which we expect to be launched in early 2008.
At 30 June 2007, there were 8,582,000 DTH subscribers to our television service, and
1,259,000 subscribers of the cable operators to whom we supply certain of our channels,
in the UK and Ireland. Up to 28 February 2007, the Group supplied certain of the Sky
Basic Channels to Virgin Media (see ‘‘Cable distribution — UK’’ below). This supply
arrangement has now ceased although the Group continues to provide Virgin Media with
versions of the Sky Premium Channels. According to estimates of Broadcasters Audience
Research Board (‘‘BARB’’), as at 30 June 2007, there were 9,625,000 homes in the UK
receiving certain of our channels via DTT. Our total revenue in fiscal 2007 was
£4,551 million (2006: £4,148 million), as set out in the table below.
For the year to 30 June
2007
£m
2006
£m
Retail subscription
3,157
Wholesale subscription
224
Advertising
342
Sky Bet
37
Installation, hardware and service
131
Other
257
4,148
Revenue
...........................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................
3,406
208
352
47
212
326
4,551
We operate principally within the UK and Ireland, with activities conducted primarily
from the UK. Our revenue principally arises from services provided to retail and
wholesale customers within the UK. In addition, £287 million (2006: £222 million) of our
revenue arises from services provided to customers in other European countries.
Our fiscal years end on the Sunday nearest to 30 June in each year. References in this
document to a fiscal year ended 30 June is to the fiscal year ending on the Sunday
nearest to 30 June. We publish our financial statements in British pounds sterling.
References to ‘‘US dollars’’, ‘‘dollars’’, ‘‘US$’’, ‘‘$’’ and ‘‘¢’’ are to the currency of the
United States (‘‘US’’), references to ‘‘Euro’’ and ‘‘E’’ are to the currency of the
participating European Union countries, and references to ‘‘pounds sterling’’, ‘‘£’’,
‘‘pence’’ and ‘‘p’’ are to the currency of the UK. For information with respect to exchange
rates, see ‘‘Shareholder Information — Exchange Rates’’.
Our consolidated financial statements are prepared in accordance with IFRS, which differs
in certain significant respects from accounting principles generally accepted in the US.
A discussion of the principal differences between IFRS and US Generally Accepted
Accounting Principles (‘‘US GAAP’’) is contained in note 31 to the consolidated
financial statements.
Certain terms used herein are defined in the Glossary of terms which appears at the end
of this Annual Report.
The Company, a public company limited by shares and domiciled in the UK, operates
under the laws of England and Wales. It was incorporated in England and Wales on
25 April 1988. Our principal executive offices are located at Grant Way, Isleworth,
Middlesex, TW7 5QD, England. Tel: +44 (0)20 7705 3000. A list of our significant
investments is set out in note 30 to the consolidated financial statements.
Programming
We provide subscribers with a broad range of programming options. Programming is an
important factor in generating and maintaining subscriptions to the Sky Channels. With
respect to the channels we own and operate, we incur significant expense to acquire
British Sky Broadcasting Group plc
Annual Report 2007
4
exclusive UK and Ireland television rights to films, exclusive UK and Ireland television
rights to broadcast certain sports events live and television rights to other general
entertainment programming. We also produce and commission original entertainment
programming and have acquired the rights to market the television services of third
parties to DTH subscribers.
Currently, we own, operate, distribute and retail 25 Sky Channels via our DTH service (or
28 including multiplex versions of the Sky Channels, but excluding simulcast channels
and the business channels SkyVenue and the Pub Channel). A ‘‘multiplex’’ of a channel is
generally either a time-shifted version of that channel, or a version that is manifestly
linked by theme to the principal channel or a version where the content is transmitted at
different times. We also simulcast some of the Sky Channels or programming from some
of the Sky Channels in high definition or standard definition. A simulcast channel is a
simultaneous transmission of programmes on other channels. We currently retail to our
DTH subscribers 133 Sky Distributed Channels (including multiplex versions of certain
channels) (the ‘‘Sky Distributed Channels’’). We do not own the Sky Distributed Channels,
although we have an equity interest in certain of them. In addition to the Sky Distributed
Channels, we currently retail to our DTH subscribers the digital audio services Music
Choice and Music Choice Extra, as well as the Sky Box Office service (a pay-per-view
service offering movies, sporting events and concerts).
The Sky Channels, and their multiplex versions, as at 30 June 2007, were as follows:
Sky Channel
Sky Premiere
Sky Comedy
Sky Action
Sky Family
Sky Drama
Sky SciFi/Horror
Sky Classics
Sky Modern
Sky Indie
Sky Movies HD1
Sky Movies HD2
Sky Sports 1
Sky Sports 2
Sky Sports 3
Sky Sports Xtra
Sky Sports News
Sky One
Sky Two
Sky Three
Sky News
Sky Travel
Multiplex/
Multiplexes
Sky Prem+1
Sky Travel +1,
Sky Trvl Extra
Simulcasts
Channel
Genre
Movies
Movies
Movies
Movies
Movies
Movies
Movies
Movies
Movies
Sky Movies SD1 Movies
Sky Movies SD2 Movies
Sports
Sky Sports HD1
Sports
Sky Sports HD2
Sports
Sports
Sports
Entertainment
Entertainment
Entertainment
News
Sky One HD
Basic/
Premium
Premium
Premium
Premium
Premium
Premium
Premium
Premium
Premium
Premium
Premium
Premium
Premium
Premium
Premium
Premium
Basic
Basic
Basic
Basic
Basic
Sky Arts
Sky Travel Shop
Sky Vegas
Sky Poker
...........................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................
Sky Arts HD
Lifestyle & Culture
Lifestyle & Culture
Shopping
Gaming
Gaming
Basic
Basic
Basic
Basic
Basic
We retail ‘‘packages’’ of channels to our DTH subscribers. The way they are packaged
offers subscribers a choice of up to six ‘‘mixes’’ of both Sky Basic Channels and Sky
Distributed Channels. Each mix contains channels broadly within a specific genre of
interest, to which subscribers have the option to add a combination of Sky Premium
Channels and Premium Sky Distributed Channels.
We also offer Sky Box Office to all our DTH subscribers. On the DTH platform, the Sky
Premium Channels, the Sky Basic Channels (other than Sky News), Sky Box Office, Music
Choice, Music Choice Extra and the Sky Distributed Channels are encrypted in order to
limit access to paying subscribers only.
Virgin Media (see ‘‘Cable distribution — UK’’ below) carries versions of the Sky Premium
Channels (including multiplex channels) on its digital networks (see ‘‘Sky Premium
Channels’’ below).
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We also broadcast versions of three of the Sky Channels, Sky News, Sky Sports News and
Sky Three, unencrypted free-to-air via DTT in the UK as part of the Freeview offering
(see ‘‘Distribution — DTT Distribution’’ below). We have announced that we are
developing plans to replace these channels with new pay TV channels on the DTT
platform which we expect to be launched in early 2008.
release movies, made-for-television movies and certain library movies (in respect of
which we are typically granted exclusive UK and Ireland rights to broadcast during
the relevant pay television window) by major Hollywood and independent US and
European licensors.
We also operate a High Definition TV (‘‘HD’’) service. The Sky HD channel line up consists
of: Sky One HD, Sky Arts HD, National Geographic HD, Discovery HD, The History Channel
HD, Sky Box Office HD (two screens), Sky Sports HD (two channels) and Sky Movies HD
(two screens).
According to surveys produced by BARB, as of 30 June 2007, an estimated 32% of the
estimated 25,400,000 television homes in the UK were equipped with digital satellite
reception equipment; 13% subscribed to a cable television or SMATV package (single
mast antenna television which is primarily for buildings that receive programming by
means of a single satellite antenna connected to a head end and which distributes
television signals to individual units in the building by cable); and 38% had digital
terrestrial television. The percentage figures given for each means of delivery include
homes which receive television services via more than one of such delivery means.
According to BARB estimates, during the 52 weeks ended 30 June 2007, the Sky
Channels accounted for an estimated 19.3% of viewing of all satellite and cable channels
(excluding BBC1, BBC2, ITV1, Channel 4 (and S4C, not Channel 4, in Wales only) and five
(collectively the ‘‘traditionally analogue terrestrial channels’’)) in homes that are able to
receive those channels in the UK (‘‘Multi-Channel Homes’’) (or an overall 8.4% viewing
share of all channels (including the traditionally analogue terrestrial channels) available
within Multi-Channel Homes during the same period).
For the 52 weeks ended 30 June 2007, BARB estimates that 52% of all viewing in UK
homes with digital satellite reception equipment (‘‘digital satellite homes’’) was of
channels available via digital satellite other than the traditionally analogue terrestrial
channels. BARB estimates that, in the same period, Sky Channels accounted for 26% of
multi-channel viewing (i.e. viewing of all channels excluding the traditionally analogue
terrestrial channels) in UK digital satellite homes, with an overall 13.4% viewing share
across all channels available (including the traditionally analogue terrestrial channels)
within UK digital satellite homes.
We hold equity interests in ventures that own 16 (not including time-shifted multiplex
versions) of the Sky Distributed Channels (including certain Premium Sky Distributed
Channels) which are operated and distributed in the UK, Ireland and the Channel Islands,
namely Attheraces, Nickelodeon, Nick Jr., Nick Jr. 2, Nicktoons TV, National Geographic
Channel, National Geographic HD, Nat Geo Wild, Chelsea TV, MUTV, Paramount Comedy,
Paramount Comedy 2, The History Channel, The History Channel HD, the Biography
Channel, and Crime and Investigation Network. We also have a 33.33% equity interest in
the venture operating the Sky News Australia Channel, which is based in Australia.
Premium Channels
Sky Premium Channels
Sky Movies Genre channels, Sky Movies Premiere & Sky Movies Premiere +1 and Sky Movies
HD 1&2 (plus SD simulcasts)
Sky Movies features 10 channels of different genres divided into two packs:
Pack 1
Sky Movies Comedy
Sky Movies Family
Sky Movies Classics
Sky Movies Modern Greats
Sky Movies SD 1
Pack 2
Sky Movies Action/Thriller
Sky Movies Sci-Fi/Horror
Sky Movies Indie
Sky Movies Drama
Sky Movies SD2
Sky Movies Comedy, Family, Classics, Modern Greats, Action/Thriller and Drama broadcast
24-hours per day, seven days a week. Sky Movies Sci-Fi/Horror and Indie both broadcast
10am – 4am, seven days a week. The channels principally broadcast the output of recent
Customers can elect to subscribe to Pack 1, Pack 2 or both packs. Sky DTH and digital
cable subscribers subscribing to both packs receive Sky Movies Premiere and Sky Movies
Premiere +1 free. Sky Movies Premiere broadcasts 10am – 2am, seven days a week and
exclusively shows titles in their first run TV windows (after the pay per view and VoD
windows). The movies are recent theatrical releases, made for video and made for TV
movies, including foreign film content. Sky Movies Premiere typically broadcasts five new
films per week, and two films from the previous week every day for seven days. Sky
Movies Premiere +1 is a one hour delayed multiplex of the Premiere channel, broadcast
from 11am – 3am.
There are two Sky Movies HD channels dedicated to movies broadcast in high definition:
Sky Movies HD1 and Sky Movies HD2. Sky Movies HD1 is available to subscribers to our
HD service who also subscribe to Pack 1 and Sky Movies HD2 is available to subscribers
to our HD service who also subscribe to Pack 2. Sky Movies HD1 and Sky Movies HD2
are a simulcast of Sky Movies SD1 and Sky Movies SD2 respectively. HD1 (and SD
simulcast) broadcasts 11am – 3am and HD2 (and SD simulcast) broadcasts 12pm – 4am,
both seven days a week and show similar content to the genre channels in true HD.
As of 30 June 2007 there were 4,459,000 UK and Irish DTH subscribers to Sky Movies.
Sky Sports 1, Sky Sports 2, Sky Sports 3, Sky Sports Xtra, Sky Sports HD1 and
Sky Sports HD2
Sky Sports 1 and Sky Sports 2 each provides on average 22 hours of sports
programming per day, including live coverage of sports events. As at 30 June 2007,
there were 5,050,000 UK and Ireland DTH subscribers to Sky Sports 1 or Sky Sports 2.
Sky Sports 3 currently offers, on average, 18 hours of sports programming each day. It is
available without extra charge to DTH and cable subscribers who subscribe to either Sky
Sports 1 or Sky Sports 2.
Sky Sports Xtra is available as a stand alone premium channel as well as being provided
free as an additional channel to DTH and digital cable subscribers who subscribe to both
Sky Sports 1 and Sky Sports 2. Sky Sports Xtra currently offers, on average, 16 hours of
sports programming per day.
Sky Sports HD1 and Sky Sports HD2 are available to subscribers to our HD service who
subscribe to Sky Sports 1 and Sky Sports 2. The Sky Sports HD channels currently include
live coverage of England’s domestic Test matches, one day internationals and county
matches in cricket, Engage Super League rugby, Guinness Premiership Rugby and a
range of live football including matches from the Football Association Premier League
(‘‘FAPL’’), Coca-Cola Football leagues, Carling Cup, UEFA Champions League, FA Cup and
some international games.
Our programming rights for the Sky Sports channels include exclusive live rights to
broadcast, in the UK and Ireland, a range of sport including a number of football, rugby
union, rugby league, cricket, motor sport, golf, boxing and tennis events. In addition, we
purchase rights to broadcast a wide range of additional sports programming on both an
ad hoc and longer term basis.
In March 2006 the European Commission rendered legally binding the FAPL’s
commitment to sell live TV rights in six balanced packages, with no one bidder being
allowed to buy all six packages. In May 2006, the Group successfully bid for four of those
six available packages (each of 23 games) of exclusive live UK audio visual rights to the
FAPL football, and four of the seven packages of live audio visual rights for broadcast in
Ireland, from the beginning of the 2007/08 season to the end of the 2009/10 season. In
addition, the Group has ‘‘near live long form’’ rights to 242 games per season of FAPL
football in both the UK and Ireland (in the case of the UK, in a joint bid with British
Telecommunications plc (‘‘BT’’)) from the beginning of the 2007/08 season to the end of
the 2009/10 season. In July 2006, the Group was also awarded mobile clips rights to
FAPL football for the 2007/08 to 2009/10 seasons in both the UK and Ireland. The bid
for mobile clips rights in the UK was made by the Group in partnership with News
Group Newspapers.
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Sky Sports News provides 24-hour national and international sports news coverage. It is
currently available to our DTH subscribers and in the UK on DTT as part of the
Freeview offering in the UK.
Sky Travel is an entertainment and travel retail business incorporating four channels and
a website. The primary channel, Sky Travel, broadcasts entertainment and teleshopping
programming and is currently available to our DTH subscribers. Sky Travel programming
also features on Sky Three, which currently broadcasts on DTH and on DTT as part of the
Freeview offering in the UK. Sky Travel Extra and Sky Travel+1 are multiplexes of Sky
Travel and are available on DTH. Viewers of the teleshopping programming on Sky Travel
Shop on DTH and users of the skytravel.co.uk website are able to purchase a wide range
of flights, hotels and holiday packages by the telephone or internet.
Sky Vegas and Sky Poker are interactive television channels which currently broadcast on
a 24-hour a day basis and are currently available to our DTH subscribers.
Sky Arts broadcasts arts oriented programming, including classical music, opera,
literature, theatre, cinema and dance. It is currently available to our DTH subscribers.
Some programmes on Sky Arts are simulcast in HD, available to all subscribers to our
HD service.
Basic Sky Distributed Channels
Our agreements with the owners of the Sky Distributed Channels typically grant us the
exclusive right to offer these channels to residential DTH subscribers in the UK
and Ireland.
The owners of the Sky Distributed Channels generally sell their own advertising time on
their channels, although we act as an advertising sales agent for certain of these
channels (see ‘‘Advertising’’ below).
Pay-per-view
Our Sky Box Office service currently offers our DTH subscribers over 50 screens of
television premieres of movies and occasional live sports and other special events on a
pay-per-view basis. We have acquired certain exclusive DTH rights from Hollywood and
independent distributors, which enable us to show their movies on Sky Box Office. Sky
Box Office HD offers at least 10 movies each week in high definition on a pay-per-view
basis. We also offer seven screens of adult movies, between 10.00 pm and 6.00 am, to
our DTH subscribers via our ‘‘18 Plus Movies’’ service.
Sky Anytime on TV
In March 2007, the Group launched Sky Anytime on TV, an on-demand service that
provides access to selected programmes that are added to the service overnight with
approximately 30 hours of content available at any one time. Viewers have seven days to
watch programmes or store them on their Sky+ planner (see description of Sky+ in ‘‘DTH
Distribution’’ below) as newer programmes are added and older programmes are
deleted. Sky Anytime on TV uses additional storage capacity on the set-top-boxes to
automatically store selected programmes for viewing on-demand and the customer’s
personal recording capacity remains unaffected. Sky Anytime on TV is available to all Sky
HD customers and customers with the latest generation of Sky+ set-top-boxes at no extra
charge in accordance with their subscriptions (for example, customers who subscribe for
the Sky Movies channels will have access to certain Sky Movies programming on Sky
Anytime on TV at no extra charge).
Sky News Radio
In July 2007, the Group (as part of a consortium) was awarded a 12 year licence to
operate the UK’s second largest national commercial DAB multiplex. Following the award
the Group announced its intention to launch a dedicated 24-hour news radio channel
and associated multimedia services such as text and data services.
The business, its objectives and its strategy
continued
The Group has broadcast rights to sporting events including: (i) exclusive live rights to
Football League matches and the Carling Cup for the 2006/07 to 2008/09 domestic
football seasons; (ii) broadcast rights to the UEFA Champions League for the 2006/07 to
2008/09 seasons; (iii) exclusive live rights to England’s primary domestic cricket matches
and all of England’s home test matches and one day internationals for the 2006 to 2009
domestic cricket seasons; (iv) exclusive live rights in English for the International Cricket
Tours of India from 2006 to 2010; (v) a number of rugby union matches including
autumn international matches, Guinness Premiership matches, England A Team matches
from the 2005/06 to 2009/10 seasons; (vi) exclusive live rights to the Heineken Cup and
the Challenge Cup for the 2006/07 to 2009/10 seasons; (vii) exclusive rights to all tri-
nations rugby union matches between Australia, New Zealand and South Africa, plus all
summer tours to these three countries made by England, Scotland, Wales and Ireland
and exclusive rights to domestic competitions in those territories, including the Super 14
Tournament and Currie Cup until December 2010; exclusive live rights to the Ryder Cup
and the PGA European Tour until 2012 and (ix) rights to the Hickstead Royal
International Horse Show until 2010.
Premium subscription channels retailed by Sky
Disney Cinemagic
Under an agreement with The Walt Disney Company Limited, we have the exclusive
rights to distribute, via DTH in the UK and Ireland, Disney Cinemagic and its multiplex
channel as bonus channels to those of our DTH subscribers receiving both of our Sky
Movies channels, and to other DTH subscribers as a stand alone premium channel.
Chelsea TV
Chelsea Digital Media Limited (a company in which we own a 35% equity interest),
operates a digital subscription pay television channel dedicated to showing certain
programming relating to Chelsea Football Club (‘‘Chelsea TV’’). We offer Chelsea TV to
our DTH subscribers as a stand alone premium channel.
MUTV
We are party to a joint venture, MUTV Limited, with Manchester United PLC and ITV
Productions Limited (each party owning a 33.33% equity interest in MUTV Limited) which
operates a digital subscription pay television channel dedicated to showing certain
programming relating to Manchester United Football Club (‘‘MUTV’’). We offer MUTV to
our DTH subscribers as a stand alone premium channel and also act as agent for the
distribution of the channel to cable operators in the UK and Ireland.
Music Choice Extra
In addition to Music Choice, which is included in certain of our Basic Packages (see
‘‘Basic Channels — Basic Sky Distributed Channels’’ below), we offer Music Choice Extra,
which consists of 30 digital audio channels, to our DTH subscribers as a stand alone
premium channel.
Basic Channels
Sky Basic Channels
Sky One is the general entertainment flagship channel of the Sky Channels. It is targeted
primarily at a 16-44 age group audience and includes first-run US entertainment
programmes and UK-commissioned factual and drama series and is broadcast on a
24-hour per day basis. According to BARB surveys, during the 52 weeks ended
30 June 2007, Sky One was viewed by approximately 33.4% of individuals in all UK
television homes and Sky One, Two and/or Three were viewed by approximately 50.1%
of individuals in all UK television homes. Sky Two broadcasts a schedule of programming
from Sky One’s library. Sky Three broadcasts a mixed schedule of programming from Sky
One’s library as well as original lifestyle commissions and travel documentaries from Sky
Travel. Sky One is simulcast in HD, available to subscribers to our HD service and
includes a range of Sky One programmes in high definition.
Sky News provides national and international news to viewers in the UK, Ireland and
across the globe. The channel is broadcast unencrypted on Astra satellites (see
‘‘Satellites’’ below), and distributed to viewers via cable and satellite networks in Europe,
Africa, the Middle East and Asia. It is also currently shown on some cable networks in
the UK and Ireland and on DTT as part of the Freeview offering in the UK.
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Distribution
We distribute our programming services directly to DTH subscribers through the
packages described above. Cable subscribers, by contrast, contract with cable operators,
which in turn acquire the rights to distribute certain of the Sky Channels from us, which
they combine with other channels from third parties and distribute to their subscribers.
Since 28 February 2007, Virgin Media has not carried certain of the Sky Channels over
its cable networks (see ‘‘Cable distribution – UK’’ below). DTT viewers must have either
an integrated digital television set or an appropriate set-top box (see ‘‘Competition —
Digital Terrestrial Television — Top Up TV’’ below).
primarily upon the type of business premises within which such subscribers wish to
show our services. Our commercial DTH subscribers include offices, retail outlets, hotels,
pubs and clubs. Commercial DTH subscribers also include those commercial subscribers
that operate a SMATV system (for example, in a hotel or office). Each such operator is
considered as one commercial DTH subscriber, rather than a number of cable
subscribers equal to the number of individual units to which the television signal is
distributed. As at 30 June 2007, there were approximately 45,000 subscribers to our
commercial DTH services in the UK and Ireland (including approximately 5,000
commercial DTH subscribers operating a SMATV system).
As at 30 June
(In thousands)(1)
2007
2006
Distribution of Sky Channels
DTH homes
Cable homes
Total Sky pay homes
DTT homes(2)
8,176
3,898
12,074
7,326
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8,582
1,259
9,841
9,811
(1) Each of the above figures includes homes that receive Sky Channels via more than
one means of distribution.
(2) The number in respect of DTT homes consists of BARB’s estimate of the number of
homes in the UK with access to the Freeview offering some of which will subscribe
to Top Up TV.
DTH distribution
During fiscal 2007, there were 1,446,000 new subscribers to Sky digital, whilst DTH
churn in that same period was 1,040,000 subscribers, resulting in a net 406,000
increase in our DTH subscriber base for the fiscal year. DTH churn in total was 12.4% in
fiscal 2007 (2006: 11.1%). We define DTH churn as the number of DTH subscribers over
a given period who terminate their subscription in its entirety, net of former subscribers
who reinstate their subscription in that period (where such reinstatement is within a
twelve month period of the termination of their original subscription). In fiscal 2007, we
derived £3,406 million (75%) of our revenue from DTH subscription revenue (2006:
£3,157 million (76%)).
As at 30 June 2007, we had a total of 8,582,000 DTH subscribers, with over 70% of
subscribers taking a combination of Sky Basic Channels and at least one Sky Premium
Channel as well as Sky Distributed Channels.
The price (inclusive of VAT, where applicable) to a residential DTH subscriber in the UK
and Ireland of our basic package containing the largest number of basic channels
(known as the ‘‘Entertainment Pack’’) is currently £21 and E30.50 per month
respectively. The range of prices (inclusive of VAT, where applicable) to a DTH subscriber
in the UK and Ireland of taking the Entertainment Pack with Sky Premium Channels
(which varies depending upon the number of Sky Premium Channels taken) is currently
£32 to £43.50, and E46.50 to E66 respectively.
The prices (inclusive of VAT, where applicable) to a residential DTH subscriber in the UK
and Ireland of our pre 1 September 2006 basic package containing the largest number
of basic channels (known as the ‘‘Family Pack’’) are currently £21 and E30.50
respectively (having ranged between £18.50 and £21, and E26.99 and E30.50,
respectively, since the beginning of fiscal 2005). The range of prices (inclusive of VAT,
where applicable) to a DTH subscriber of taking Sky Premium Channels with the Family
Pack (which varies depending upon the number of Sky Premium Channels taken) in the
UK and Ireland are currently £32 to £43.50, and E46.50 to E66, respectively (having
increased in stages from £27 to £38, and E42 to E60, respectively at the beginning of
fiscal 2005).
In the third quarter of fiscal 2007 we launched our ‘‘See, Speak, Surf’’ advertising
campaign (‘‘See, Speak, Surf’’). See, Speak, Surf is a combined Sky TV, Sky Talk (see ‘‘Sky
Talk’’ below) and Sky Broadband (see ‘‘Sky Broadband’’ below) offering at a price range
of £15 to £58.50 a month.
We also offer a number of our services, including Sky+ and Sky HD, to commercial DTH
subscribers in the UK and Ireland under a range of contracts. The types of contract, and
the channels, which are available to any particular commercial subscriber depend
The majority of our UK DTH commercial customers are subscribers under our pubs and
clubs subscription agreement. Under that agreement, the subscription prices range from
£88 to £2,510 per month (exclusive of VAT). In Ireland, prices to pubs and clubs
subscribers range from E240 to E596 per month (exclusive of VAT).
Digital satellite reception equipment
UK
In order to receive our DTH service, subscribers are required to have a digital satellite
system which includes a satellite dish and LNB (low noise block converter), a digital
satellite receiver (‘‘set-top box’’), a smart card (see ‘‘Technology and Infrastructure’’
below) and a remote control. We have worked with a number of manufacturers and
continue to work closely with selected manufacturers to manufacture digital satellite
receivers based upon our specifications.
Standard installation for all new DTH subscribers taking the free standard set-top box
offer during fiscal 2007 was free, whereas non-DTH subscribers taking up the free
Digibox satellite receiver offer (which is different from purchasing our freesat proposition,
see ‘‘Distribution — Free-to-view Satellite Proposition’’ below) during fiscal 2007 were,
and currently are, charged £120 for standard installation.
The services received by a non-subscriber taking up the free Digibox offer depend upon
the number of unencrypted services and free encrypted services available on the Astra
and Eutelsat satellite systems, and also upon whether the non-subscriber receives
encrypted channels from third party broadcasters on a subscription or pay-per-view basis.
We also offer our DTH subscribers and non-Sky DTH subscribers the opportunity to
purchase up to seven extra Digibox receivers or three Sky+ boxes for use at the same
residence as their original set-top box, which enables them to watch different satellite
programmes in different rooms at the same time using just one satellite dish. As well as
the cost of the extra set-top box (which for Sky digital subscribers is currently £49 for a
digibox receiver, £99 for a Sky+ box and £299 for Sky HD box) a monthly Multiroom
subscription charge of £10 is also payable for each additional subscription purchased.
With each additional subscription the subscriber is able to obtain all the channels
included in his or her main Sky digital subscription package for one extra set-top box.
During fiscal 2007, we have continued to offer Sky+, a set-top box that we have
developed which contains two satellite tuners and an integrated PVR allowing
programming to be recorded directly on to a hard-disk contained within the box. This
enables DTH subscribers to watch one live satellite programme (or a previously recorded
programme) while simultaneously recording another or to simultaneously record two
programmes, to pause or rewind live television and to record automatically some series
of programmes. Sky digital subscribers paid a one-off fee for the Sky+ box, which is
currently £99. Sky digital subscribers also paid a monthly Sky+ subscription fee to use
the Sky+ recording features unless a subscriber subscribed to two or more Sky Premium
Channels in which case no additional monthly subscription fee was charged.
We launched our HD service in May 2006. A television programme broadcast in HD has
approximately four times as much picture information as programmes shown in standard
definition. This service is available to customers who take a HD PVR (a HD version of the
Sky+ PVR), a HD subscription and the relevant Sky digital subscription. This HD PVR is
capable of decoding and showing both standard definition channels and channels in the
HD format, as well as having standard Sky+ features and providing access to our existing
services. Subscribers pay a one off fee of £299 for the HD PVR (provided that such
subscribers also take a Sky+ subscription, otherwise the cost is £399) and a monthly
subscription fee of £10 for the HD service (in addition to the subscription fee for the
package of channels taken and the subscription fee (if applicable) to use the Sky+
recording features).
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The business, its objectives and its strategy
continued
Both digital satellite reception equipment and subscriptions to our DTH services are
offered by us directly and through a variety of retailers. We also provide installation and
equipment repair services. In fiscal 2007, 1.3 million digital satellite reception systems
were installed in the UK by or on behalf of one of our subsidiaries (2006: 1.0 million).
In addition to our digital transmission and uplink facilities, we have developed (in
conjunction with others on a commissioned or licensed basis) a digital conditional access
system, customer management systems, EPG and navigation technology, as well as
applications and online return path infrastructure to permit us to offer interactive
television services.
Ireland
In Ireland, both satellite equipment and subscriptions to our DTH services are offered
directly by us and through a large number of Irish retailers. Some of the channels
offered in Ireland differ from those offered in the UK.
At 30 June 2007, there were approximately 497,000 DTH subscribers to our services in
Ireland (2006: 427,000).
Sky Active
We offer our viewers enhanced and interactive services. We offer enhanced broadcast
applications behind a number of Sky Channels, including Sky Movies Active (behind our
movie channels), Sky Sports Active (behind our sports channels), Sky News Active (behind
Sky News) and the interactive betting service available behind Sky Poker and Sky Vegas.
We offer interactive services which can be accessed whilst the programming on the
channel to which the interactive service relates stays in view.
We provide an interactive television platform for the development and delivery of
interactive television services by means of either stand-alone portals (including the Sky
Active portal) or in conjunction with certain broadcast channels. Such interactive services
include retail, betting, customer services, interactive advertising, games, competitions,
voting, and quizzes.
Sky Active is currently offered at no additional charge to all of our DTH subscribers and
each viewer’s telephone line is the return path for these interactive services via a
modem in the set-top box.
Third party channels (and third party stand-alone interactive portals such as QVC,
PlayJam, Teletext Holidays, Ladbrokes, Directgov, and NHS Direct Interactive) make use of
the interactive potential of the digital DTH platform. Third party broadcasters such as the
BBC, ITV, Channel 4, five, Nickelodeon, and the Disney Channel have launched interactive
services on our DTH platform. Third party channels may offer such interactivity in
conjunction with Sky Active or provide their interactive services independently, including
making use of competing interactive infrastructures connected to our DTH platform.
Sky Bet
The Group offers a range of betting and gaming services under the ‘‘Sky Bet’’, ‘‘Sky
Poker’’ and ‘‘Sky Vegas’’ brands in relation to which the Group acts as bookmaker and
operator. The Sky Bet fixed odds sports betting service is available across multiple
platforms, including by means of Sky set-top boxes (including Sky+ PVRs), by telephone
and on the internet. An online casino, licensed in Alderney in the Channel Islands, is
offered by us on the internet. Sky Poker launched in February 2007 on DTH Channel
846. Customers can participate through their set-top boxes or through the internet (at
www.skypoker.com) or can watch the show on channel 846. Sky Bet also continues to
develop a range of popular games products offered under its Alderney licence on the
DTH platform, through both the Sky Vegas 24/7 games service and Sky Vegas interactive.
In fiscal 2007, we derived £47 million of Sky Bet revenue (encompassing betting and
gaming) (2006: £37 million). The gambling business received certification from Gambling
charity Gamcare in 2006 that it has put in place stringent social responsibility measures
for the protection of minors and other vulnerable people. We take active measures to
prevent persons resident in the US participating in our internet gaming and betting
services. Such measures include geo-blocking software and credit card checks. Sky Bet
applied to the UK Gambling Commission in April 2007 for a remote betting licence under
the Gambling Act 2005, which will come into force in September 2007.
On 23 January 2007, the Group completed its acquisition of 365 Media Group plc (‘‘365
Media’’). The total consideration for the acquisition was £105 million. 365 Media is an
operator of sports and gaming websites. The customers of the 365 Media websites
totalbet.com and ukbetting.com were migrated to Sky Bet in June 2007.
Digital subscriber line (‘‘DSL’’) and other fixed line distribution
Sky Anytime on PC
Sky Anytime on PC is a PC-application that provides access to Sky Sports, Sky Movies, Sky
One and Sky Arts programming. Available Sky Sports content includes match highlights,
interviews, programme clips and Sky Sports News bulletins. The Sky Movies service is an
‘on-demand’ service that provides a choice of titles from Hollywood and independent
distributors and enables customers to legally download films in their first run pay TV
window library and made-for-television films available in the pay TV licence period, as
well as more recent titles in their pay-per-view window, to a PC registered in the
customer’s home. The Sky One service offers current and previous episodes of series
associated with the channel (such as Lost and 24), and the Sky Arts service offers current
flagship shows.
DTH subscribers who subscribe to Sports Mix (therefore receiving both Sky Sports 1 and Sky
Sports 2) are able to access the Sky Sports content at no additional cost. All others (including
non-DTH customers) are able to subscribe to the Sky Sports service for a monthly
subscription. DTH subscribers who subscribe to Movies Mix (therefore receiving both Sky
Movies Pack 1 and Sky Movies Pack 2) are able to access the Sky Movies content on either a
pay per view basis (for titles in their pay-per-view window) or without any additional charges
above their Sky subscription. DTH subscribers who subscribe to Variety Mix (therefore
receiving Sky One) are eligible to buy the Sky One content on a pay per view (rental) or
electronic sell through (sale through the internet) (‘‘EST’’) basis. DTH subscribers who
subscribe to the Style and Culture Mix (therefore receiving Sky Arts) are eligible to access the
Sky Arts content without additional charge. All users require broadband internet access,
whether provided by Sky or not.
Sky By Wire
‘‘Sky By Wire’’ refers to television services retailed directly by us over the fixed line
networks of other operators. The first such Sky By Wire offering was made available in
August 2004 when we began offering subscriptions to certain of the Sky Channels to
households connected to the HomeChoice platform. We now have Sky By Wire offerings
available via a number of other platforms in the UK (PointOne Digital Limited) and
Ireland (Magnet Networks Limited, Smart Telecom, Broadworks Communications and
SCTV Digital).
In August 2006 Video Networks Ltd (‘‘VNL’’), the operator of the HomeChoice platform
was acquired by Tiscali UK Ltd (‘‘Tiscali’’). The HomeChoice platform was subsequently
re-branded as Tiscali TV on 1 March 2007. Tiscali distributes pay television and
broadband access services via a DSL platform that it has established in Greater London
and Stevenage and has announced plans to roll the Tiscali TV service out across its
whole unbundled local loop network by the end of 2008.
Under an agreement with VNL, we have access to the Tiscali TV platform to enable us to
retail certain of the Sky Premium Channels to customers who already subscribe to
Tiscali’s services. In addition, Tiscali provides us with certain customer management,
billing and sales agency services in respect of our subscribers receiving Sky Premium
Channels via their platform. In return for these services, we pay Tiscali a fixed monthly
fee per subscriber who subscribes to a Sky Premium Channel on the Tiscali platform. In
June 2007 the Group concluded a deal with Tiscali to supply the Sky Basic Channels for
retransmission to Tiscali’s DSL subscribers.
Easynet
The Group completed its acquisition of Easynet Group plc (now Easynet Group Limited
(‘‘Easynet’’)) in fiscal 2006. Founded in 1994, Easynet is a pan-European networking
company, providing customers with IP based wide area network solutions. The Easynet
network covers eight countries (UK, Spain, France, Germany, the Netherlands, Belgium,
Italy and Switzerland) enabling companies to connect their European sites to a high
quality, secure and reliable Multi-protocol Label Switching (‘‘MPLS’’) network. Easynet
offers a portfolio of IP services including national and cross border IP virtual private
networks (‘‘VPN’’), internet connectivity, carrier services, hosting and co-location in
purpose built data centre facilities, and security solutions.
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In the UK, Easynet engages in local loop unbundling (‘‘LLU’’), which involves placing
equipment in BT exchanges enabling the Group to offer differentiated services to
businesses, consumers and wholesale to other providers. As at 30 June 2007, the Group
(through its acquisition of Easynet and LLU that has been carried out by the Group since
that acquisition) had 1,150 exchanges.
Sky Broadband
We launched Sky Broadband, our broadband internet access service in July 2006. The
service is available to all of our DTH subscribers in the UK.
For DTH subscribers covered by our broadband network, three different broadband products
are available: Sky Broadband Base; Sky Broadband Mid; and Sky Broadband Max. Sky
Broadband Base is free (although subscribers have to pay a one off £40 connection fee) with
download speeds of up to 2Mb/s and 2GB monthly usage. Sky Broadband Mid costs £5 per
month (in addition to a one off £20 connection fee) and offers download speeds of up to
8Mb/s and 40GB monthly usage. Sky Broadband Max costs £10 per month (with no
connection fee) and offers download speeds of up to 16Mb/s and unlimited monthly usage.
As at 30 June 2007, our broadband network covered approximately 70% of
UK households.
We also offer Sky Broadband Connect to our DTH subscribers in the UK who are not
within the coverage area of the Sky Broadband network. Sky Broadband Connect offers
an equivalent service to Sky Broadband Mid and costs £17 per month (in addition to a
one off £40 connection fee). Sky Broadband Connect customers will be offered Sky
Broadband Base, Sky Broadband Mid or Sky Broadband Max if and when their area
becomes included within the Sky Broadband coverage area.
Sky Talk
Sky Talk is a telephony service available to all of Sky’s DTH subscribers in the UK. Sky
Talk Freetime offers subscribers free (up to one hour per call) UK evening and weekend
calls and Sky Talk Unlimited offers subscribers unlimited UK evening and weekend calls
(up to one hour per call) and unlimited calls to certain international destinations for
£5 a month.
In July 2007 the Group announced its plan to launch ‘‘Sky Talk Line Rental’’, an
opportunity for subscribers to take their telephony line rental directly from Sky in October
2007.
Online
We own and operate a number of established websites including sky.com, skysports.com
and sky.com/news.
Sky’s online strategy is to develop a full-service online portal. In December 2006, we
entered into an alliance with Google to deploy Google’s suite of search, advertising,
communications and video services for our broadband platform.
Mobile networks
Sky Anytime on Mobile and Sky Mobile TV
Sky Anytime on Mobile is a mobile phone application that provides access to Sky Sports,
Sky News, Sky One and Sky Movies mobile content (alerts, live scores, news, statistics
and video clips). It is available at no extra cost to Sky World, Sky Sports World, and Sky
Movies World subscribers and Sky Bet customers who can use the application to place
bets and manage their Sky Bet accounts. The application is available across all mobile
networks to customers with a compatible handset with mobile internet access via GPRS
or third generation cellular telephone systems (‘‘3G’’).
In addition, Sky Anytime on Mobile customers on most networks and with a compatible hand
set, can subscribe to ‘‘Sky Mobile TV’’. Sky Mobile TV offers over 23 channels streamed direct
to the subscriber’s mobile phone. Three packages are available and each costs £5 per month.
Cable distribution
UK
The combined cable operator businesses previously operated by Telewest Global, Inc
(‘‘Telewest’’) and NTL Incorporated (‘‘ntl’’) were relaunched under a common brand,
Virgin Media, on 8 February 2007. The merged entity was renamed as Virgin Media Inc.
(‘‘Virgin Media’’). Virgin Media also operates the Virgin Mobile business in the UK and
has entered into an exclusive licence agreement with Virgin Enterprises Limited for the
use of the Virgin brand for its consumer business.
The Virgin Media re-brand coincided with the harmonisation of the television offering across
the legacy cable systems of ntl and Telewest. Virgin Media continues to provide both
analogue and digital cable services across its cable systems and accounts for a substantial
proportion of our wholesale revenue, which is revenue derived from the supply of Sky
Channels to UK and Irish cable platforms. On 28 February 2007, our agreements with Virgin
Media for the distribution of our basic channels on the legacy cable systems of ntl (all of the
Sky Basic Channels other than Sky Arts, Sky Travel+1, Sky Travel Shop and the Sky Vegas
channels) and Telewest (Sky One, Sky News and Sky Sports News only) expired and we have
been unable to conclude any replacement agreement for the carriage of any of our basic
channels on Virgin Media’s platform and, therefore, the Sky Basic Channels are currently not
distributed to Virgin Media’s cable customers. On 12 April 2007, Virgin Media commenced
legal proceedings in the High Court against Sky in relation, amongst other things, to the
supply of the Sky Basic Channels to Virgin Media (see ‘‘Government Regulation — UK
competition rules’’ below). In fiscal 2007, we derived £208 million in subscription fees from
cable operators (2006: £224 million). We estimate that, as of 30 June 2007, Virgin Media
subscribers represented approximately 99% of all cable television subscribers in the UK
(measured by reference to total cable subscribers, as reported to us by the cable operators).
Virgin Media continues to carry versions of Sky Premium Channels on its digital networks
(and Sky Sports 1 and Sky Sports 2 on its analogue network).
Primarily due to the cessation of carriage of our basic channels on the Virgin Media
platform, our UK cable subscribers decreased from a total of 3,294,000 subscribers as at
30 June 2006 to 666,000 subscribers as at 30 June 2007 (including broadband,
narrowband and SMATV subscribers). Previously all but a very small proportion of such
cable subscribers would have taken some programming from us.
Cable operators pay us a monthly per subscriber fee per channel in respect of their
subscribers to the Sky Basic Channels and a monthly per subscriber fee per channel
package for the Sky Premium Channels. Like the previous rate cards setting out our
wholesale prices, the current rate card allows cable operators to offer their subscribers
any choice or combination of the Sky Premium Channels. The Sky Basic Channels are not
included in our current wholesale rate card and we negotiate separate commercial
arrangements with each cable operator for the carriage of these channels.
We have agreed new long term contracts with Smallworld, Newtel and Wightcable for
their distribution of all of our basic standard definition channels. These three regional
cable operators operate the only other major pay TV cable services outside the Virgin
Media network, covering the Borders region, Jersey and the Isle of Wight respectively.
Virgin Media currently carries versions of Sky Premium Channels on its digital networks
(both former ntl networks and former Telewest networks). Only Sky Sports 1 and Sky
Sports 2 are now distributed to Virgin Media’s remaining analogue cable subscribers.
In addition, various of the Sky Channels are distributed on a number of narrowband
cable networks. These are generally smaller cable operators that have limited channel
capacity (when compared with digital satellite or digital cable) and accordingly do not
generally carry all of the Sky Channels.
Ireland
In Ireland, cable subscriber fees for the Sky Premium Channels are charged on a per
subscriber per channel package basis. The level of prices charged to cable operators for
most Sky Channels is lower than in the UK.
At 30 June 2007, there were approximately 593,000 (2006: 604,000) cable subscribers
(including SMATV) to our programming in Ireland. We currently have arrangements in
place with ntl Ireland and Chorus, previously the two leading Irish cable operators but
which were brought under the common ownership of Liberty Global Inc.
in December 2005, for the re-transmission of certain of the Sky Channels to their
subscribers. Both ntl Ireland and Chorus have launched digital cable services in Ireland.
DTT distribution
We broadcast versions of three of our channels, Sky News, Sky Sports News and Sky
Three (formerly Sky Travel), unencrypted free-to-air via DTT in the UK. These channels
are broadcast on a DTT multiplex for which the licence is held by National Grid Wireless
(which owns and operates shared wireless communications and broadcast infrastructure).
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The channels broadcast via DTT by us, together with a number of other channels
broadcast free-to-air via DTT by other broadcasters, are marketed to consumers under
the generic brand ‘‘Freeview’’. We have announced that we are developing plans to
replace these three channels with new pay TV channels on the DTT platform which we
expect to be launched in early 2008. An application to Ofcom to amend our Digital
Television programme services licence (‘‘DPS’’) to enable us to launch these new pay TV
channels on the DTT platform was submitted in April 2007. Ofcom has indicated that it
expects to conclude a, consultation in relation to this application early next year (see
‘‘Government regulation – Broadcasting Act licences’’ below).
Free-to-view satellite proposition
We offer purchasers a freesat proposition with access to over 270 free-to-view television
and radio channels (including regional variants) and interactive services, without a
monthly subscription fee. Consumers can purchase a package of digital satellite reception
equipment, including a digital satellite viewing card and standard installation, for £150.
The free-to-view channels on DTH include Sky News, and a range of television and radio
channels provided by the BBC and ITV. Access to the encrypted signals of Sky Three,
Channel 4 and five is available as a result of the provision of a digital satellite viewing
card, which we provide as part of the package. The purchasers of this proposition are
not obliged to subscribe to our pay television service; however, the proposition offers an
easy upgrade path to our DTH pay television service.
Emerging forms of distribution
We are also evaluating various other possible new means of distributing our services
other than by DTH, cable, DSL and DTT, such as wireless broadband using Wimax or
other similar technologies, mobile TV using technologies such as Digital Video
Broadcasting for Handhelds (‘‘DVB-H’’), MediaFLO by Qualcomm, the internet, IP Wireless/
TDtv, General Packet Radio Service (‘‘GPRS’’) and UMTS (3G mobile telephony).
We also participate actively in the Digital Video Broadcasting (‘‘DVB’’) standardisation
group both in the various working groups and at the level of the DVB’s Steering Board,
which gives us early exposure to other emerging technologies.
Seasonality
New subscriptions to our channels have tended to be highest in the second quarter of
our fiscal year, the pre-Christmas period. As a result, our marketing costs have tended to
be highest in the second quarter of each fiscal year. There can be no assurance that
these trends will continue in the future.
Marketing
The principal types of marketing used by us to promote our products and services are press
(including both national and regional newspapers and magazines), media inserts, door
drops, direct mailings, outdoor activity (such as billboards and bus backs), on-air advertising
on both national and regional radio and television channels (on both promotional and
commercial airtime), outbound calling, on-line advertising on both third party websites and
on sky.com, advertising in our customer magazine, point of sale advertising in retail outlets
which sell our products and services and Sky retail stores.
Advertising
In fiscal 2007, we derived £352 million of our revenue from advertising sales revenue
(2006: £342 million).
We sell advertising for all of the 25 Sky Channels (as well as for their multiplexes)
around all programmes that are broadcast on these channels, irrespective of whether
the programming was produced in-house or licensed from a third party. We also act as
the advertising sales agent for certain third party channels. We sell advertising time
across all of the Sky Channels, and tailor distribution according to the target audience
an advertiser is trying to reach.
According to BARB estimates, across all UK Multi-Channel Homes, our average share (for
all of the Sky Channels) of commercial audiences (excluding those of the BBC) for fiscal
2007 was 12.05%, a decrease from 13.7% at the end of the previous fiscal year. Our
subscribers’ households tend to be younger and more affluent than the average UK
household and tend to over-represent the 16-34 year old, ABC1 (i.e. upmarket) and male
demographic profiles sought by many advertisers.
Sponsorship
In fiscal 2007, we derived £34 million of revenue from sponsorship (2006: £28 million),
which is included in advertising sales revenue.
We acquire programme sponsors for the Sky Channels and work alongside the sales
teams of partner channels (such as National Geographic Channel, Discovery Channel, The
History Channel and Hallmark) to help secure broadcast sponsors for their channels.
Programme sponsorship is defined as either ‘‘title’’ sponsorship (e.g. ‘‘Ford Super Sunday’’
or ‘‘Gillette Soccer Saturday’’) or ‘‘in association’’ sponsorships (e.g. ‘‘24/Nissan’’).
We outperform the television sponsorship sector delivering approximately 7% of total
revenue from sponsorship against an industry average of approximately 4%.
Competition
Introduction
Sky is a channel provider, a distributor of television services and a DTH (satellite)
platform service provider. Sky also offers broadband and telephony services to its DTH
customers, as well as a range of other services including variants of VoD, games via both
interactive TV and the internet, and gambling services via TV, telephone and the internet.
In recent years, large parts of telecoms network infrastructure have been upgraded from
circuit-switched networks to packet-switched (‘‘IP’’) networks. These IP networks are
able to carry video content in addition to voice and other data and, together with
the digitalization of content, have facilitated a convergence between media and
telecoms companies.
This technical convergence has also increased the propensity for companies to offer a
bundle of services to customers (typically, a ‘‘triple play’’ of broadband access, telephony
and video content) as they seek to make efficient use of their networks.
Sky competes with a number of communications and entertainment companies to secure
a supply of content, for audiences for that content, for advertising sales and for
customers to its content distribution, broadband and telephony services. This competitive
set is summarized below under the following headings:
s competition from other video distributors and video distribution channels;
s competition from broadband and telephony (fixed and mobile) providers; and
s competition from linear television channels.
s competition from other advertisers
Competition from other video distributors and video distribution channels
Pay services
Cable Services
Cable operators compete with Sky as an alternative service to DTH distribution.
In the UK, the principal cable operator is now Virgin Media, which was formed as a
result of the merger of ntl and Telewest. Virgin Media provides both analogue and digital
cable television services in the UK. In Ireland cable television services are provided
principally by UPC Broadband (a division of Liberty Global Inc.) via its Chorus and ntl
Ireland subsidiaries. These offer both analogue and digital cable and multipoint
microwave distribution system (‘‘MMDS’’) television services in Ireland.
There are areas in the UK and Ireland where it may not be economically feasible to offer
cable television services, including some rural areas. Equally, there are also certain areas
in the UK and Ireland, such as conservation areas, where, due to planning and local
regulations, DTH satellite equipment may not be installed. According to Ofcom, cable
networks currently cover approximately 50% of UK homes, whilst, according to the
Commission for Communications Regulation (‘‘ComReg’’) (the national communications
regulatory authority in Ireland), cable and MMDS services cover nearly 80% of Irish
homes. Approximately 13% of UK homes currently subscribe to a cable television service,
whilst approximately 40% of Irish homes currently subscribe to cable and MMDS
television services.
In January 2005, ntl and Telewest launched VoD services in the UK. This VoD service has
now been rolled out to all of Virgin Media’s digital TV subscribers. The Virgin Media VoD
services include movie and television programme content and provide viewers with
pause and rewind functionality. Digital cable subscribers to whom the services are
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available do not need to upgrade their equipment to receive the services. Virgin Media
also offers ‘‘V+’’, a HD PVR set-top box which enables its customers to record
programming and watch HD content on the Virgin Media platform.
There are also a number of operators offering video content over the internet, such as
YouTube, which compete for consumers’ leisure time.
DSL – Television services from access providers
Broadband-enabled telephone lines, principally using DSL technology, are being used to
deliver video content to consumers. This includes content delivered on an ‘‘on-demand’’
basis (for example, via the internet) and, to a lesser extent, broadcast content. It also
includes delivery of content to consumers’ PCs, and to their television sets, via compatible
set-top boxes.
The increase in the average speed of internet connections and the emergence of new
codecs such as MPEG-4 and WM9 means that consumers can increasingly download
video over the internet. Additionally, the use of peer-to-peer technology for both
legitimate and illegitimate video downloading is growing in popularity.
DSL services have grown significantly in the UK in the recent past, both in terms of the
number of providers, and the number of users. According to British Telecom plc (‘‘BT’’),
as at 31 March 2007, there were 10.7 million subscribers to DSL services in the UK.
However, only a very limited number of these subscribers currently use these services for
digital television. Whilst consumer broadband DSL access remains principally focused on
the provision of internet access, several operators have developed the capacity to deliver
digital television via DSL lines.
Two operators have developed the capability to deliver linear television channels via their
DSL networks to homes: Kingston Communications in Kingston-upon-Hull (which closed
its TV service in April 2006) and Tiscali (through the acquisition of Video Networks Ltd
(‘‘VNL’’) in August 2006) in parts of London and Stevenage (although it intends to extend
the availability of its service throughout 2007 and 2008).
Tiscali’s service was re-branded in March 2007 (previously branded as HomeChoice) and
offers access to a range of broadcast channels and video-on-demand content, including
movies packaged together with broadband internet access. According to Ofcom, as at
November 2006, 43,000 television homes in the UK were viewing television via a
DSL platform.
Several other operators have or are developing the capability to combine linear television
channels delivered over the DTT platform and ‘‘on-demand’’ video services (including
paid for ‘‘on-demand’’ video services) delivered via a DSL connection. The principal
operator with services currently available is BT, which launched its service (BT Vision) in
December 2006. BT’s service also incorporates PVR functionality and VoD services.
Several other broadband providers have also stated they plan to introduce services that
similarly combine DTT and DSL delivered services including Virgin Media (outside of
areas where customers can receive its cable television services).
DSL – Television services from content producers/aggregators
There are also a number of established and emerging broadcasters offering video
content to consumers via the internet whose websites/services are accessible from the UK.
Terrestrial broadcasters are making a selection of their programming available for
download or streaming it via their websites, using a mixture of pay and free-to-air
business models. Channel 4 has launched a PC-based download service called 4oD,
which currently offers much of its original programming for free, but charges a fee per
download for episodes of its acquired series. Downloaded episodes are available to
watch on the user’s PC for 48 hours. It also distributes content supplied by the National
Geographic channel via this service. The BBC intends to offer a large selection of TV and
radio content for free through a PC-based application called iPlayer that is due to launch
later this year. ITV offers a streaming service for a limited amount of its content via its
website, but has plans to expand this significantly.
There are also a number of new operators offering a TV-like experience online. Joost
is available as an expanded beta test to users in the UK and offers content for free.
Babelgum has also launched offering video content for free online. Currently, there is
only a limited amount of content available on these services in the UK, but we note that
Joost in particular has been successful in securing content rights for distribution in
other territories.
DTT
Top Up TV (which launched in March 2004) offers a pay television service via DTT. Top
Up TV recently changed its business model from the provision of pay linear television
channels delivered via DTT into a VoD service with content downloaded using DTT
capacity to the set-top box where it is stored on a hard disk and made available for
viewing. Following the change, customers must now purchase a new Top Up TV set-top
box, available since October 2006, to receive the service. The customer can use the box
as a PVR. The set-top box also features conditional access technology allowing customers
to subscribe to pay linear television channels available on DTT, for example, a Setanta
Sports channel, which is also available through BT Vision set-top boxes.
Other DTH pay TV providers
Partly as a result of Sky’s regulatory obligations to offer conditional access services, the
digital satellite platform is an open platform and there are alternative subscription retail
packages on that platform available from retailers other than Sky. Sky competes with
these alternative subscription retail packages (which includes the Setanta Sports package
and the Zee TV and Playboy packages) for subscription revenue.
DVDs
DVD sales and rentals, which have largely replaced sales of video cassettes, have
performed well in the UK. In addition to offering consumers an alternative source of
programming to terrestrial, cable and satellite television, the DVD window for new
movies generally starts before both the pay television window and the pay-per-view or
VoD television window. This window, which has been brought forward by some studios
in recent years, can start as soon as three months following a movie’s UK cinema
release. Currently, the pay-per-view television/VoD window generally commences two to
three months later. Sky has, to date, been able to develop a significant customer base
for its pay-per-view services and movie channels, notwithstanding competition from the
DVD industry. However, such services will come under increasing pressure as EST and
VoD offerings continue to become more widely available.
Free to air services
As a result of the availability of free-to-air television channels some consumers choose to
take free-to-air services in preference to a pay television service. Currently in the UK the
principal sources of broadcast free-to-air television services are: analogue television
services, DTT and Sky’s freesat proposition. A competing freesat proposition from the
BBC and ITV is expected to launch early in 2008.
‘‘Freeview’’
In the UK, free-to-air channels on the DTT platform are marketed under the ‘‘Freeview’’
brand. There are over 50 TV channels available nationally as part of this offering,
although this varies from region to region, and over 20 radio channels. There are also
several television channels available on a regional basis within the UK.
Freeview services are currently able to be received by around 75% of UK homes. It is
anticipated that this will increase to around 98% of homes by 2012 as the process of
discontinuing analogue television broadcasting progressively in different regions of the UK is
completed (‘‘digital switchover’’). Digital switchover will release radio spectrum currently
used to broadcast analogue television services, which could be used for a number of
purposes; for example, to expand the number of channels carried on the DTT platform, be
allocated to allow the broadcast of HD services on the DTT platform, increase the spectrum
available for mobile telephony, or be used for a mobile television service.
In March 2007, Digital UK (the organisation leading digital switchover) announced that
Whitehaven and the surrounding area would be the first area within the UK to have the
signal for analogue terrestrial television switched off in November 2007. The target for
full digital switchover is 2012, with a phased switchover taking place from 2008
following the Whitehaven digital switchover.
In order to receive Freeview services consumers purchase either a set-top box, which is
relatively inexpensive, or a television set with a built in digital tuner (an ‘‘Integrated
Digital TV", or ‘‘IDTV’’). Customers also have to ensure that they have a suitable aerial to
receive the signals (it is estimated that an aerial upgrade costs £150 on average).
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In addition, in May 2007, the consortium behind the Freeview brand launched a separate
brand called ‘‘Freeview Playback’’ which certain suppliers are able to use to market DTT
PVRs. Players which meet specific quality and functionality criteria will be able to use the
Freeview Playback logo for marketing purposes.
Take-up of Freeview services has grown quickly since its launch in October 2002. On
20 June 2007 Ofcom announced that, at 31 March 2007, 11.7 million homes were
viewing TV on at least one Freeview device and Freeview was on the main set in
8.4 million UK homes.
There is currently no DTT service in Ireland. In 2004, the Irish Government commenced an
evaluation of the options for the roll-out of a DTT network in Ireland. The first phase of the
pilot commenced in August 2006 testing the stability of the network. In March 2007, the
second phase of the DTT pilot was announced with plans to extend the DTT service in Ireland
to 1,000 homes across the east coast of Ireland. Each trial participant will be provided with
receiver equipment which has been specially adapted for the trial, and content will be
provided from a number of sources e.g. BBC News 24 and Sky News. The trial is expected to
provide insight into the issues involved in the provision and attractiveness of DTT services in
Ireland with the trial due to run until August 2008. The Government has indicated that the
trial should be seen ‘‘as a precursor to a national roll out".
Free-to-view satellite propositions
In October 2004, Sky introduced a ‘‘freesat from Sky’’ proposition, (a non subscription
based satellite service which gives viewers access to approximately 200 TV channels) to
provide an alternative multi-channel television service to households.
In September 2005, ITV announced that it is working together with the BBC to develop a
free digital satellite service to complement Freeview, entitled ‘‘Freesat". Initially, launch
was planned for 2006, but this was put back first to Autumn 2007 and later to Spring
2008. The BBC Trust approved plans for Freesat in April 2007. The technical details of
the platform have yet to be announced although it is understood that the platform will
include support for HD and PVR recording features.
Competition from broadband and telephony providers
Broadband and telephony services
Sky competes with other providers of broadband internet access and fixed telephony in
the UK. These include BT, Virgin Media, Carphone Warehouse (‘‘CPW’’), Tiscali and
Orange. Sky does not currently offer these services in the Republic of Ireland.
Broadband
According to the Office of National Statistics, broadband internet connections accounted
for 82.8% of all internet connections in the UK and dial-up connections accounted for
17.2% of all connections at March 2007.
Broadband in the UK is primarily offered via DSL or cable. Virgin Media is the main
cable operator (covering around 50% of the population) whilst BT is the main DSL
provider (covering 97% of the population). Non-BT DSL providers can either take a
regulated wholesale product from BT or can install their own equipment in BT local
exchanges and rent the ‘‘last mile’’ from BT at regulated prices (a process known as
Local Loop Unbundling (‘‘LLU’’)).
Sky uses partial LLU (unbundling only the section of the copper used to deliver
broadband services as opposed to ‘‘Full LLU’’ which unbundles the copper in respect of
both telephony and broadband elements) and had unbundled 1,150 exchanges at
30 June 2007. Other significant unbundlers are CPW (1,024 exchanges unbundled at
31 March 2007), Tiscali UK (445 as at May 2007) and Cable & Wireless (‘‘C&W’’) (802
exchanges on completion of roll out). C&W offers a wholesale LLU service to other
operators and in May 2007 agreed a 4-year deal to provide this service to Virgin Media
for areas outside of their cable network.
According to Ofcom, there were 13 million residential and small and medium-sized
enterprises (‘‘SME’’) broadband connections as at 31 December 2006, of which 24%
were BT Retail DSL; 43% were other BT Wholesale provided DSL (excl. LLU); 24% were
via cable modem and 10% were classified as other (mainly LLU). Virgin Media had the
largest share of all connections with 26%, followed by BT with 24%.
Average broadband download speeds continue to increase. At the end of calendar year
2006 the estimated average headline connection speed was 3.8Mb/s, up from 1.6Mb/s in
2005, according to Ofcom. Currently Sky’s broadband service’s highest download speed is
up to 16Mb/s, and, according to Ofcom, the majority of other available packages do not
currently exceed 8Mb/s. Speeds are expected to increase further, particularly from LLU
and cable operators.
Fixed telephony
The majority of fixed telephony services in the UK are provided by BT. Other providers
can offer telephony services via Carrier Pre Select (‘‘CPS’’), whereby the customer pays
them for calls but continues to pay BT for line rental; via Wholesale Line Rental (‘‘WLR’’),
whereby the customer pays them for line rental (this can be combined with CPS to cover
calls and line rental); and via Full LLU, whereby the customer pays them for calls and
line rental. Sky currently uses CPS to deliver telephony services to its customers and is
currently conducting a trial of WLR.
The total number of BT Retail and Wholesale lines was 27.8 million at 30 September
2006, according to Ofcom. Of which, 23.8 million were BT Retail lines and 4.0 million
were WLR lines. The number of CPS lines for the same period was 6.4 million (ie 23%
of lines). Virgin Media reported 4.1 million telephony customers as at December 2006.
Mobile telephony
There are five mobile network operators (‘‘MNOs’’) active in the UK: Vodafone; Orange;
T-Mobile; O2; and 3 Hutchison (3G only). As at 31 March 2007 O2 had the most
subscribers in the UK with 17.8 million, followed by Vodafone (17.4 million), T-Mobile
(16.7 million), Orange (15.1 million) and 3 Hutchison (3.9 million).
There are several mobile virtual network operators (‘‘MVNOs’’) who take capacity from
MNOs but do not own their own network. Virgin Mobile is the largest of these with
4.5 million subscribers as at 31 March 2007. Virgin Mobile uses T-Mobile’s network and
its subscribers are included in the T-Mobile total.
Mobile TV services are available from several UK operators via third generation cellular
telephone networks (‘‘3G’’) networks. Sky Mobile TV packs, which include a mix of
content from Sky Sports, Sky News and other third party pay television channels, are
available on Vodafone, Orange and 3UK and compete with other mobile TV and video
offerings on those networks.
Competition from ‘‘Triple Play’’/‘‘Quad Play’’ providers
As a result of media and telecoms convergence described in the introduction, Sky now
offers TV, fixed telephony and broadband internet access to our customers as part of a
package which is sometimes referred to as a triple play. Tiscali and BT also offer a triple
play service, whilst Virgin Media offers a ‘‘quad play’’ which, in addition to TV, fixed
telephony and broadband internet access, also includes mobile telephony.
Virgin Media’s predecessor (ntl: Telewest) launched its quad play service of TV, broadband,
fixed telephony and mobile telephony in September 2006. The quad play proposition also
includes a mobile TV service, Virgin Mobile TV, which launched in September 2006, with BT
Movio. BBC One is broadcasting on the service on a trial basis and will be available initially
for 12 months, while Channel 4 has initially only been broadcasting its made-for mobile TV
channel, but expects to roll out a simulcast service shortly.
In December 2006, BT launched BT Vision, a hybrid DTT/broadband television service. BT
Vision provides users with access to Freeview services and Setanta on DTT through a set-
top box in addition to access to VoD content over BT’s DSL network. BT has set a
‘‘medium term’’ goal of 2-3 million customers for BT Vision and had 20,000 subscribers
by May 2007.
Tiscali acquired HomeChoice in August 2006 as a result of a merger with HomeChoice’s
parent company, VNL. Tiscali now offers a triple play package containing telephony,
internet access packages (including both a dial-up and broadband package providing up
to 8Mb/s broadband) and a selection of TV channels via IPTV.
Competition from ‘‘Dual Play’’ providers
In addition to triple/quad play providers, some operators provide customers with
two services (typically these are communications providers offering broadband and
telephony services).
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CPW, an independent retailer of telephony services, acquired internet service provider
AOL UK in October 2006 making it the third largest broadband provider, with over 2 million
customers. AOL UK is currently being run separately from CPW’s own TalkTalk brand.
Sports and ITV exclusive live rights for a range of FA events (including The FA Cup and
England matches) from August 2008 to July 2012.
O2 UK (acquired by Telefo´nica of Spain in 2006) recently moved into the broadband
sector by purchasing ‘‘Be’’, a telecoms network provider. O2 has delayed the launch of a
broadband product twice, with launch now moved to September 2007.
In January 2007, Vodafone UK launched the broadband service, ‘‘Vodafone At Home’’, for
Vodafone mobile contract customers. Vodafone at Home is delivered using a wholesale
DSL service from BT rather than LLU. The service is available to 97% of UK households
via BT Wholesale’s broadband network. The number of subscribers to the service has not
been published.
Orange UK offers ‘‘Broadband Unlimited’’, a service providing wireless broadband access
at up to 8Mb through the ‘‘Livebox’’ wireless router which also serves as a VoIP
telephony port. In 2006, Orange UK began offering a free broadband service to its
mobile telephony customers with an 18 month contract of a minimum £30 per month.
France Telecom, parent company of Orange UK, also offers IPTV services in France, and
Orange has stated that it is exploring the potential to launch IPTV services in the UK.
Competition from Linear television channels
The Sky channels compete with other linear television channels for the acquisition of
programming and programming rights: for viewers, for distribution and for advertising
and sponsorship revenue.
In both the UK and Ireland, the television channels and other audio-visual service
providers with the largest audience shares are traditionally analogue terrestrial channels,
which are broadcast free-to-air. In the UK, these channels are BBC1, BBC2, ITV1, Channel
4 and five, while in Ireland these are RTE1 and Network 2, the Irish language channel
TG4, and the commercial channel TV3. In the UK, as well as being available via analogue
terrestrial television, the five traditionally analogue terrestrial channels are also available
via DTH, cable, DTT and DSL, and, in the case of DTH and DTT, on a free-to-air basis.
The UK analogue terrestrial channels also own and operate a range of digital-only
channels that are available via DTH, cable, DTT and DSL, and, in the case of DTH and
DTT, on a free-to-air basis. These channels are cross-promoted by their analogue
associated channels.
In addition to these channels, Sky competes with both Sky-distributed third party
channels and with other television channels broadcast via satellite, cable, DTT and/or via
DSL. These other channels may be broadcast free-to-air on satellite (either encrypted or
unencrypted) or may be independently-retailed pay television channels.
The free-to-air encrypted and unencrypted digital satellite channels (which, as at June
2007 amounted to more than 200 TV channels and more than 95 radio channels) can
be received by anyone with appropriate satellite reception equipment (including the
necessary conditional access equipment for the reception of encrypted channels) without
payment of a subscription fee.
As at June 2007, there were 44 encrypted digital satellite pay television channels for DTH
reception retailed independently of us available on a subscription or a pay-per-view basis.
These include the nine channels offered as part of the Setanta Sports subscription package
(Setanta Sports 1, Setanta Sports 2, Setanta Golf, Setanta Ireland, Celtic TV, Rangers TV,
Racing UK, Racing World, NASN). The remainder comprises specialist standalone a` la carte
channels (such as South Asia World and Sony TV Asia) and adult channels.
As Sky and other broadcasters all seek a range of compelling programming to attract
viewers, in both the UK and Ireland, there have been, and may in the future be, bidding
competitions and/or regulatory intervention which could increase our programming
acquisition costs, or which could mean that certain programming in which Sky is
interested may not be available to us. For example, in 2006, Setanta Sports secured the
live audio visual rights to two of the six available UK packages of live FAPL football rights
for the 2007/08 to 2009/10 seasons, for which Sky also bid. In addition, the US PGA
Tour announced a six year deal starting on 1 January 2007 granting Setanta Sports
exclusive live rights to all US PGA Tour events (excluding the US Open, the USA PGA
Championship and the US Masters). In 2007, the FA announced a deal granting Setanta
Advertising
Our primary competitors for television advertising sales are ITV plc, which sells
advertising on ITV1, ITV2, ITV3, ITV4, and CITV, Channel 4 (which also sells advertising
for E4, More 4 and Film Four and their multiplexes), five, Interactive Digital Sales (‘‘IDS’’)
(which sells advertising on behalf of the UKTV group of channels and the Virgin Media
TV channels (Living, Bravo, Trouble and Challenge)), and Viacom Brand Solutions (‘‘VBS’’)
(which sells advertising on behalf of Viacom, Paramount, MTV and Nickelodeon).
Based upon the latest BARB survey estimates, ITV1 and Channel 4 were available to
approximately 25.24 and 25.18 million television homes, respectively, in the UK (both
digital and analogue), with approximately 93% of the estimated 23.38 million television
homes in the UK receiving an acceptable terrestrial analogue signal for five. In addition,
according to BARB survey estimates, as at June 2007, approximately 19.03 million UK
homes have access to satellite, cable, or digital terrestrial television. Both ITV1 and
Channel 4 have a significantly greater overall UK television viewing share than any
individual Sky Channel. As a result of the ability of ITV1 and Channel 4 to reach almost
all UK television homes, these channels are able to generate greater advertising revenue
than we do. We also compete with the Sky Distributed Channels and all other
commercial channels for television advertising sales.
Within UK Multi-Channel Homes, the Sky Channels in aggregate attract viewing levels
which are comparable to some of the traditionally analogue terrestrial channels. This
suggests to us that, as the number of Multi-Channel Homes in which the Sky Channels
are available increases, our competitive position with respect to advertising revenue may
improve. The Sky Channels jointly have an overall viewing share (within Multi-Channel
Homes) significantly greater than each of Channel 4 and five in those homes, although
the Sky Channels’ combined viewing share is still less than that of ITV1 in these homes.
Based upon BARB surveys for the 52 weeks ended 30 June 2007, the viewing shares in
UK Multi-Channel Homes of the traditionally analogue terrestrial channels and the
combined Sky Channels were, respectively, BBC1 19.88%, BBC2 6.95%, ITV1 17.24%,
Channel 4 7.83%, five 4.79%, and the Sky Channels 8.35% (of which Sky One accounted
for 16.89% of the Sky Channels’ viewing share (and had an individual viewing share of
1.41%)). The remaining 34.96% of viewing in UK Multi-Channel Homes was of other
(non-Sky) satellite, cable and DTT channels.
Technology and infrastructure
We control access to some DTH channels through the use of a conditional access system,
VideoGuard (see ‘‘Encryption of digital services’’ below). The satellite reception equipment
provided to DTH customers is owned by such customers (whether or not they are
subscribers), except for certain aspects such as the smart card (a credit card size plastic
card containing a chip that provides conditional access functionality), some of the
software in all set-top boxes and a proportion of the hard drive capacity in some of the
Sky+ PVRs and HD PVRs. All costs associated with the acquisition of subscribers,
including the cost of satellite reception equipment, are charged immediately to the
income statement and are therefore not included within capital expenditure.
The EPG in the set-top box uses an operating system which we license from OpenTV,
Inc. (‘‘OpenTV’’). The OpenTV operating system provides a virtual machine interface which
enables applications to be authored once, yet still be capable of running on all our
different types of DTH set-top boxes once the application is downloaded to the set-top
boxes. This simplifies the development of applications for the set-top box and ensures
universal availability of services to all DTH set-top boxes. The operating system in each
set-top box is licensed upon payment of a per set-top box royalty by the set-top box
manufacturer to OpenTV.
Encryption of digital services
VideoGuard is a conditional access technology which can be used to encrypt and decrypt
digital television and audio services. We use it to control DTH viewers’ access to
encrypted satellite non-subscription channels and encrypted digital pay and pay-per-view
television and audio channels broadcast on digital satellite for reception in the UK
and/or Ireland.
We use the VideoGuard technology and distribute smart cards in the UK and Ireland
under an agreement with NDS Limited (‘‘NDS’’) which expires in 2010, but is renewable,
at our option, for a further three years. NDS supplies smart cards and undertakes
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The business, its objectives and its strategy
continued
ongoing security development and other support services in return for the payment of
fees by us.
In conjunction with NDS, we maintain a policy of refining and updating the VideoGuard
technology in order to restrict unauthorised DTH reception of our services. We take
appropriate measures to counter unauthorised reception, including the implementation of
over-the-air countermeasures altering authorised smart cards in a manner which then
renders counterfeit smart cards obsolete and seeking legal remedies, both civil and
criminal, reasonably available to us. We also periodically replace smart cards in
circulation with smart cards containing progressively more sophisticated technology. Such
replacement has rendered useless all smart cards then in circulation, whether genuine
or counterfeit. The first periodic replacement of digital smart cards since our digital
launch in October 1998 was successfully completed in November 2003.
We are actively working with cable operators in the UK to investigate the use of any
cable piracy devices. We believe that we have suffered a loss of wholesale cable revenue
as a result of the availability of cable piracy devices (in relation to both analogue and
digital cable television services). We are unable to quantify this loss, including whether
or not such loss is material. We have not (to date) invoiced any cable operator in respect
of such lost cable revenue and therefore, such lost revenue has not been recognised
within our consolidated financial statements.
We distribute our channels to Virgin Media via both a secure landline and satellite. In
respect of other cable operators, we generally provide delivery to cable operators via
satellite. To enable reception of the satellite signal, a smart card is located at the site of
the cable operator’s feed into its cable transmission system, permitting decryption of the
signal, which the operator in turn distributes to those of its subscribers who are
authorised and equipped to receive the service.
Encryption of channels retailed by third parties
Any potential DTH broadcaster wishing to operate and independently retail an encrypted
television service within the UK and Ireland must either acquire an alternative encryption
and conditional access technology from someone other than us, and build its own
decoder base capable of receiving transmissions encrypted using that technology, or, in
respect of digital services, contract with us for conditional access services in respect of
access to the installed VideoGuard decoder base.
In addition to providing broadcast conditional access services, both for our own DTH
offerings and those of third parties, we provide digital access control services for
interactive services produced by us and others, including using a telephone return path
to carry out transactions between suppliers and viewers. These broadcast conditional
access and access control services are regulated by Ofcom. See ‘‘Government regulation
— Broadcasting and telecommunications regulation — European Union — Electronic
Communications Directives’’.
Satellites
We contract with SES Astra for the majority of capacity on the satellite transponders that
we use for digital transmissions for reception by both DTH viewers and cable operators.
SES Astra is 100% owned by SES, a Luxembourg company listed on the Luxembourg
stock exchange and Euronext Paris. We have also contracted, via an agreement with BT,
for capacity on four transponders on the Eurobird satellite, which is owned and operated
by Eutelsat.
For the transmission of our DTH service, we have contracted for capacity on 31
transponders from SES Astra on SES satellites Astra 2A, 2B and 2D. Those transponder
agreements have varying end dates between 2009 and 2020. The term of the agreement
on the Eurobird satellite expires in 2013.
In addition to using some of the transponder capacity that we have contracted to
broadcast Sky Channels, some of our transponder capacity (and in some cases all of the
capacity on a particular transponder) is sub-contracted to third parties for the
transmission of other channels or services, including certain of the Sky
Distributed Channels.
We have been designated a ‘‘non pre-emptible customer’’ under each of our transponder
agreements. This means that, in the event of satellite or transponder malfunction, our
use of these transponders cannot be suspended or terminated by SES Astra or Eutelsat
in favour of another broadcaster with pre-emption rights in preference to us. In addition,
in the event of satellite or transponder malfunction, we have arrangements in place with
SES Astra pursuant to which back-up capacity may be available for some of our
transponder capacity based on an agreed satellite back-up plan.
We have also put in place disaster recovery plans in the event that we experience any
significant disruption of our transponder capacity. To date, we have not experienced any
such significant disruption. However, the operation of both the Astra and Eutelsat
satellites is outside our control and a disruption of transmissions could have a material
adverse effect on our business, depending on the number of transponders affected and
its duration.
SES Astra has announced that it will deploy an additional satellite, Astra 2C, to the same
orbital location as Astra 2A, 2B and 2D. This will initially provide 12 additional
transponders and potentially up to 16 additional transponders which may be used for
back-up purposes and/or additional new services.
Our transponder agreements with SES Astra provide that our rights are subject to
termination by SES Astra in the event that SES Astra’s franchise is withdrawn by the
Luxembourg government.
Capital expenditure programme
We continue to invest consistently in capital expenditure required to support our growth
strategies. Total capital expenditure for the Group was £361 million in 2007. This
included £211 million invested in information systems infrastructure; broadcast
infrastructure; new product development; and investments relating to customer service
improvements and new facilities, including elements of our £450 million four year capital
expenditure programme announced in August 2004. The remaining investment of
£150 million relates to the roll-out of our broadband network and services as part of an
expected capital expenditure of approximately £250 million over two years as announced
in July 2006.
As is common with capital expenditure projects of this scale, there are risks that they
may not be implemented as envisaged; or that they may not be completed either within
the proposed timescale or budget; or that the anticipated business benefits of the
projects may not be fully achieved.
The customer management centres and Sky In-Home Service Limited
Our customer management centres are based in Scotland. The centres’ functions include
the handling of orders from subscribers, the establishing and maintaining of customer
accounts, invoicing and revenue collection, telemarketing and customer service. These
functions permit the centres to play a key role in both customer acquisition and
customer retention. We provide customer management services for the Sky Channels and
the Sky Distributed Channels. We also deliver customer services for both our own, and
certain third party, interactive television services, our telephony services, our video-
streaming services, and the personal video recorder TiVo.
The customer management centres also provide the distribution of ordered customer
installations into Sky In-Home Service Limited which then provides nationwide installation
and servicing of digital satellite reception equipment directly in customer homes. Sky In-
Home Service Limited also provides an aftercare service to the DTH subscriber base in
relation to digital satellite reception equipment which is both in, and out of, warranty.
During the course of the last seven fiscal years, we have invested more than £270 million
in our customer management centres and systems. This expenditure has been focused
principally on completely replacing the centres’ existing customer management and
billing systems with new applications and also on improving the existing physical
infrastructure of the centres. The replacement of the customer management and billing
systems was completed in March 2006. We have now migrated all existing customer
data onto the new applications. The move to the new system was completed in two
phases. Both phases have been completed with minimal disruption to normal business
operations and the applications are now functioning in line with expectations.
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Playout and uplink facilities
Our uplinking facilities located in southern England, provide uplinking capacity for our
digital services to the Astra 2A, 2B and 2D satellites as well as Eutelsat’s Eurobird
1 satellite.
Our television channels are distributed from our Osterley and Chilworth sites with each
of the sites providing backup service for the other. Over the course of the past 12
months, we have increased the amount of live operation carried out in the Chilworth
facility and deployed server based playout fully across both playout sites, enabling
diversification of the playout of our channels. The Osterley-sourced channels are fed to
the uplink sites using a fibre link, which is backed up by a diversely routed secondary
link in the case of any malfunction in the primary fibre route. This route passes through
the other facility so that, in the case of Chilworth being unavailable, the services can be
uplinked directly from the other facility.
For those third parties to whom we sub-contract transponder capacity, we usually have
agreements in place to provide uplinking facilities as well.
Minority equity investments
On 17 November 2006, the Group acquired 696 million shares in ITV plc representing
17.9% of the issued share capital of ITV plc at a price of 135 pence per share. The total
consideration paid amounted to £946 million, and was funded at the time from the
Group’s existing cash balances and its previously undrawn revolving credit facility. This
investment is currently being reviewed by Ofcom and the Competition Commission (the
‘‘CC’’).
Significant agreements
The Companies Act 2006 requires us to disclose the following significant agreements that
take effect, alter or terminate on a change of control of the Company:
FAPL
In May 2006, British Sky Broadcasting Limited entered into an agreement (the ‘‘FAPL
Licence’’) with The Football Association Premier League Limited (the ‘‘FAPL’’) pursuant to
which, the Group was awarded four of six available packages of live audio-visual rights
for F.A. Premier League football (the six packages are together the ‘‘Live Packages’’).
The FAPL will not award all of the Live Packages to a single licensee (either on its own
or as part of a consortium or through one or more of its related parties) (the ‘‘Single
Buyer Rule’’).
Pursuant to the FAPL Licence, the FAPL can suspend and/or terminate all of the rights
which are included in, or exercisable as part of, one of the six available Live Packages in
the event that a change of control of the Company occurs at any time prior to the expiry
of the FAPL Licence which, if it had occurred prior to the award of the Live Packages to
the Group, would have resulted in a breach of the Single Buyer Rule.
RCF
On 3 November 2004, the Company, British Sky Broadcasting Limited and Sky
Subscribers Services Limited entered into a revolving credit facility agreement with
Barclays Capital, Citigroup Global Markets Limited, Deutsche Bank AG London, JP Morgan
plc and the Royal Bank of Scotland plc (as mandated lead arrangers) and certain other
financial institutions (as ‘‘Lenders’’) pursuant to which the Lenders agreed to make
available to the Company £1 billion to refinance existing facilities and for general
corporate purposes (the ‘‘RCF’’).
Pursuant to the RCF, the Lenders can require all amounts outstanding under the RCF to
be repaid in the event of a change of control of the Company (other than where The
News Corporation or any subsidiary or holding company thereof acquires such control).
News Corporation voting agreement
On 21 September 2005, the Company, BSkyB Holdco Inc., News UK Nominees Limited
and News Corporation entered into a voting agreement which became unconditional on
4 November 2005 pursuant to which News UK Nominees Limited’s voting rights at any
general meeting are capped at 37.19% (the ‘‘Voting Agreement’’). The provisions of the
Voting Agreement cease to apply inter alia, on a change of control of the Company.
EMTN bond issue
On 3 April 2007, the Group established a Euro medium term note programme (the
‘‘EMTN Programme’’) which provides the Group with a standardised documentation
platform to allow for senior debt issuance in the Eurobond markets. The maximum
potential issuance under the EMTN Programme is £1 billion.
On 14 May 2007, the Company issued Eurobonds consisting of £300 million guaranteed
notes paying 6.000% interest and maturing on 14 May 2027 (the ‘‘Notes’’). The Notes
were issued under the Group’s EMTN Programme.
Pursuant to the final terms attaching to the Notes, a holder of the Notes has the option
to require the Company to redeem or (at the Company’s option) purchase its Notes at its
principal amount plus interest for the relevant period if there is a change of control of
the Company (i) which, if the Notes carry an investment grade credit rating, results in a
downgrade to a non-investment grade rating or a withdrawal of that rating; or (ii)
where, if the Notes carry a non-investment grade rating, results in a downgrade by one
or more notches or a withdrawal of that non-investment grade rating; or (iii) where, if
the Notes do not carry a credit rating, the Company does not seek such a rating or is
unable to achieve such a rating.
UK broadcasting licences
The Group is party to a number of Ofcom broadcasting licences for the broadcast of the
Sky Channels.
The Broadcasting Act 1990 (as amended by the Broadcasting Act 1996 and the
Communications Act) lays down a number of restrictions on who may hold Ofcom
broadcasting licences. Among those restricted from holding Ofcom broadcasting licences
or from controlling a licensed Company are (a) local authorities, (b) political bodies, (c)
religious bodies, (d) any company controlled by any of the previous categories or by their
officers or associates, (e) advertising agencies or any company controlled by such an
agency or in which it holds more than a 5% interest.
Licensees are obliged to comply with these ownership restrictions. Failure by a licensee
to do so (either by the licensee becoming a ‘‘disqualified person’’ or any change affecting
the nature, characteristics or control of the licensee which would have precluded the
original grant of the licence) may constitute a breach of the licence and, if not rectified,
could result in revocation of the licence.
Other material agreements
In addition to the EMTN Programme and the Voting Agreement, the following agreement
has been entered into outside the ordinary course of business during the two years
immediately preceding the date of this filing:
Bond Issue
In October 2005, the Group entered into an indenture in respect of the issue by the
Group of $750 million, 5.625% unsecured notes due 2015, $350 million, 6.500%
unsecured notes due 2035 and £400 million, 5.750% unsecured notes due 2017.
Corporate responsibility
The Group has developed a two-tier corporate responsibility (‘‘CR’’) governance structure.
At a board and executive level, the CR Steering Group (‘‘CRSG’’) provides leadership and
drives corporate responsibility practices. The CRSG comprises Senior Executives and two
non-executive Board Directors and meets twice a year and updates the Board. The CRSG
is supported by a taskforce of senior operational managers that works to embed
responsible business practices throughout the Group.
The management of environmental issues is overseen by a number of working groups
responsible for energy and waste management, which report to the CRSG. Other groups
are in place to oversee health and safety and human resources policy, and Sky’s
employees can communicate their views on corporate responsibility via the Sky Forum of
elected Sky employees.
The Group runs an annual risk workshop on corporate responsibility issues and
maintains a corporate responsibility risk register. The Group also undertakes consultation
with stakeholders that assists in corporate responsibility risk identification. The Group is a
member of the FTSE4Good Index and the Dow Jones Sustainability Index and is the only
broadcaster included in the Global 100 Most Sustainable Companies index.
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Corporate Responsibility
continued
The Group publishes an annual Corporate Responsibility Review which provides full
details of corporate responsibility activities. This information can also be found on the
web at www.sky.com/responsibilities.
Customers
Offering the best choice in entertainment and communication to our customers —
entertainment and communication that is great quality, great value, flexible and simple
to use — is central to the Group’s customer offering. The Group has technology to control
access including parental control features. The Group has also implemented its Code of
Practice for Interactive Gambling, developed with GamCare, an organisation that promotes
responsible gambling. Accessibility to programming is provided through on-screen
subtitling, signing and audio description and a dedicated accessibility services team
provides dedicated customer care.
Environment
In May 2006, the Group announced it had become the world’s first major media
company and one of the first FTSE 100 companies to be CarbonNeutral. The Group has
set targets for reducing its energy consumption, carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions, waste
and water consumption. Progress against these targets is documented in the Group’s
annual Corporate Responsibility Review.
Recruitment
We aim to recruit the highest calibre individuals, to continue to develop the business,
addressing business targets and internal requirements. We aim to provide opportunities
for our people to move around the Group, as well as actively sourcing the best external
candidates at all levels.
Training and Development
Our focus is to develop our talent proactively, ensuring that we have the right people in
place with the right skills and knowledge, in order to deliver on our business objectives.
Strategically, we focus on attracting targeted groups, knowing who our most valued
people are, and continuing to retain and develop these people, to ensure we have a
strong talent pipeline to meet future challenges.
Our training and development portfolio has increased, both in terms of content and depth.
Our core training modules include a wide range of courses, from Project Management to
Managing Performance. In addition to these, numerous tailored programmes have also been
delivered. We have also expanded our e-learning programme, which includes product
knowledge, management and Health and Wellbeing topics.
The launch of our HD service created a need to design a training and development
programme for technical, engineering, operational, creative and support staff. A range of
on and off-job training activities were designed and delivered, and as a result, the HD
training programme has been short listed for a National Training Award.
In March 2007, we launched a new feature on two million Sky+ and HD set-top boxes
which switches them into a power saving standby mode when not in use. Since
1 July 2007, Sky has the collection processes and other requirements in place to facilitate
the recycling and/or reuse of all Sky electronic equipment including set-top boxes.
In the current year, we launched Sky’s Leadership Development Programme for senior
managers, and a new programme is expected to launch in Autumn 2007. We also have
an International Development programme, which provides opportunities for development
through visits to other organisations, and sharing ideas and best practice.
Community investment
Our position as an entertainment provider enables us to bring entertainment and
learning together, providing our customers with new services to get the most out of Sky.
We have also launched a mentoring scheme, which is open to all members of staff –
either as a mentee or as a mentor – providing internal development for all levels of staff.
The Group continues to align its community investment activities to the wider goals of
the business and its customers and utilises its brand, platform and technology in
community investment. Current initiatives include Sky Learning, Living for Sport; Make
a Difference, the employee community involvement scheme, and our three year
charity partnership.
People
Organisation
The average number of full-time equivalent persons employed by the Group during the
year was 13,087, an increase of 1,871 from the prior year. The most significant increase
has been in customer advisors and installers, further strengthening the customer service
element of our business. The Group delivers diverse entertainment content and services,
and we value the same diversity amongst our people.
Throughout the year we have continued to improve accessibility for all applicants. We
invite those who would like to join the Group to tell us if they would require
adjustments to their working environment during the selection processes. Applications for
employment by disabled persons are always fully considered, bearing in mind the
aptitudes of the applicant concerned.
Training and development focuses on talent management, leadership development,
new technology, and improving the customer experience. Further improvements in
e-learning have also ensured fast and cost efficient delivery of training and knowledge.
We have also continued to improve the rigour of our health and safety and occupational
health approach. Our people surveys continue to show improving employee engagement
and manager effectiveness.
Talent management
We have started to implement a new talent management framework, designed to
address our present and future needs in talent resourcing, development and
contingency planning.
Effectiveness
Through the year, a number of restructuring projects, process and effectiveness reviews
have ensured that our organisation remains appropriately shaped and skilled to drive
growth in the future.
Health, Safety and Wellbeing
Our long-term Health, Safety and Wellbeing plan is integrated into all areas of our
business. We have introduced a new occupational health system that allows a robust
approach to health surveillance planning, and provides more accurate and comprehensive
health data, meaning our resources can be better directed.
Our employee wellbeing strategy also provides opportunities for active involvement by
our employees. The Sky health and wellbeing initiative ‘‘Feel Karma’’ is now embedded
as a recognised programme that gives our people the tools, information and
understanding to lead a healthy lifestyle and utilise our health services appropriately
and efficiently.
Additionally, we offer employees a comprehensive support system and required
adjustments for disability, ensuring employees are equipped to best fulfil their potential.
Reward and benefits
The Group offers an attractive and competitive reward and benefits package. This
includes the BSkyB Pension Plan, life cover and disability benefits, the Sharesave scheme,
a healthcare plan and complimentary Sky+ for all employees. Awards under the
Management Long Term Incentive Plan share scheme are made to selected employees,
and the Sharesave scheme is open to all permanent employees.
Our ‘‘Sky Choices’’ programme allows employees to make tax and National Insurance
savings in areas such as childcare payments and mobile phones. It also supports the
environment, by providing savings for a bicycle for travel to work, travel season ticket
loans and the costs of personal carbon offsetting. The ‘‘Sky Benefits Extra’’ programme
offers negotiated discounts on a variety of products and services for our employees.
Involvement and Communication
We encourage the involvement of our people in discussions on both current business
initiatives and future plans. Our ‘‘Sky Forum’’ (an elected group of 70 employees)
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continues to play a key role in communication, representing the views and ideas of our
employees, as well as consulting on health and safety. Forum members allow us to hear
the views of our people through involvement in various interest groups. Senior
management play an active role in responding to the topics raised through the Forum,
and the Chief Executive Officer, other Senior Executives and relevant managers regularly
attend Forum meetings to talk about Sky’s strategic priorities.
The ‘‘Sky People Survey’’ collects the views and opinions of all our people. Senior
Executives and management teams look at the results and feedback from this, and
develop action plans. We have developed new performance appraisals, recognition
programmes, training, communications, and improved the working space in many areas.
Individual departments have also taken action to address specific issues to make the
business more productive.
Recognition
Our annual ‘‘Team Sky’’ awards allow employees to nominate colleagues who have
demonstrated Sky’s values, with the winners receiving significant prizes. During the
current year we also launched specific recognition programmes for each business area,
enabling them to engage and recognise their people in a way that supports their
business plans.
Risk factors
This section describes the significant risk factors affecting our business. These should be
read in conjunction with our long-term operating targets, which are set out in ‘‘Financial
Review — Introduction — Overview and Recent Developments’’. These risks could have a
material adverse effect on any or all of our business, financial condition, prospects,
liquidity or results of operations. Additional risks and uncertainties of which we are not
aware or which we currently believe are immaterial may also adversely affect our
business, financial condition, prospects, liquidity or results of operations.
The Group’s business is heavily regulated and changes in regulations, changes in
interpretation of existing regulations or failure to obtain required regulatory approvals or
licences could adversely affect the Group’s ability to operate or compete effectively.
The Group is subject to regulation primarily under UK and European Union legislation
and it is currently and may be in the future subject to investigation and enquiries from
regulatory authorities from time to time. The regimes which affect the Group’s business
include broadcasting, telecommunications, competition (anti-trust), gambling and taxation
laws and regulations. Relevant authorities may introduce additional or new regulations
applicable to the Group’s business. The Group’s business and business prospects could
be adversely affected by the introduction of new laws, policies or regulations or changes
in the interpretation or application of existing laws, policies and regulations. Changes in
regulations relating to one or more of licensing requirements, access requirements,
programming transmission and spectrum specifications, consumer protection, taxation,
or other aspects of the Group’s business, or that of any of the Group’s competitors,
could have a material adverse effect on the Group’s business and/or the results of
its operations.
The Group cannot be certain that it will succeed in obtaining all requisite approvals and
licences in the future for its operations without the imposition of restrictions which
may have an adverse consequence to the Group, or that compliance issues will not be
raised in respect of the Group’s operations, including those conducted prior to the date
of this filing.
On 20 March 2007, Ofcom announced that it will investigate the UK pay TV industry,
following receipt and consideration of a submission from various industry participants
(BT, Setanta, Top Up TV and Virgin Media). Following this investigation, which will
include obtaining information from market participants, Ofcom will decide whether to
make a market reference under the Enterprise Act 2002 (the ‘‘Enterprise Act’’) to the CC,
which would be on the basis that it has reasonable grounds for suspecting that any
feature, or combination of features, of any market in the UK prevents, restricts or distorts
competition in connection with the supply of pay TV services in the UK. Ofcom will also
consider whether any concerns would be better addressed either using its sectoral
powers under the Communications Act 2003 (the ‘‘Communications Act’’) or its powers
under the Competition Act 1998 (the ‘‘Competition Act’’).
In addition, the National Consumer Council, which is a designated consumer body under
the Enterprise Act, has indicated that it is considering making a ‘‘super-complaint’’ to
Ofcom in relation to the provision of pay TV services in the UK. A ‘‘super-complaint’’ is a
complaint that ‘‘any feature or combination of features of a market in the UK for goods
or services is or appears to be significantly harming the interests of consumers’’. If
Ofcom decides to accept such a ‘‘super-complaint’’, this can lead to a market study being
made into the issues raised, a market investigation reference being made to the CC (of
the type Ofcom itself has announced it is considering), or other enforcement action
under its competition or consumer powers.
At this stage, the Group is not yet able to assess whether, or the extent to which, these
matters will have a material effect on the Group.
The Group operates in a highly competitive environment that is subject to rapid change
and it must continue to invest and adapt to remain competitive.
The Group faces competition from a broad range of companies engaged in
communications and entertainment services, including cable operators, DSL providers,
digital and analogue terrestrial television providers, telecommunications providers,
internet service providers, home entertainment products companies, betting and gaming
companies, companies developing new technologies, and other suppliers of news,
information, sports and entertainment, as well as other providers of interactive services.
The Group’s competitors increasingly include communication and entertainment providers
that are offering services beyond those with which they have traditionally been
associated, either through engaging in new areas or by reason of the convergence of the
means of delivery of communication and entertainment services. The Group’s competitors
include organisations which are publicly funded, in whole or in part, and which fulfil a
public service broadcasting mandate. A change to such mandate could lead to an
increase in the strength of competition from these organisations. Although the Group has
continued to develop its services through technological innovation and by licensing,
acquiring and producing a broad range of content, the Group cannot predict with
certainty the changes that may occur in the future which may affect the competitiveness
of its businesses. In particular, the means of delivering various of the Group’s (and/or
competing) services may be subject to rapid technological change. The Group’s
competitors’ positions may be strengthened by an increase in the capacity of, or
developments in, the means of delivery which they use to provide their services.
The Group’s advertising revenue depends on certain external factors which include the
overall value of advertising placed with broadcasters by third party advertisers as well as
the amount of such advertising that is placed with the Group and the channels on whose
behalf the Group sells advertising space. The Group’s advertising revenue is also
impacted by the audience viewing share of the Sky Channels and the other channels on
whose behalf the Group sells advertising and, accordingly, such revenue is affected to
some extent by the distribution of such channels. The Group cannot be certain that these
factors will always be favourable to the Group and therefore that any related
developments or changes will not have a negative impact on the Group’s advertising
revenue. Advertising revenue may also be dependent on the viewing behaviour of the
television audience. For example, viewers with Sky+ (or any other PVR) or viewers of on-
demand programming may choose not to view advertising including that on Sky
Channels and Sky Distributed Channels. The Group cannot be certain that its advertising
revenue will not be impacted negatively by this behaviour or that advertising revenue for
Sky Channels currently offered on other platforms will not be impacted negatively in the
future by the offering of PVR devices similar to Sky+ by other operators.
The Group’s ability to compete successfully will depend on its ability to continue to
acquire, commission and produce programme content that is attractive to its subscribers.
The programme content and third party programme services the Group has licensed
from others are subject to fixed term contracts which will expire or may terminate early.
The Group cannot be certain that programme content or third party programme services
(whether on a renewal or otherwise) will be available to it at all or on acceptable
financial or other terms (including in relation to technical matters such as encryption,
territorial limitation and copy protection). Similarly, the Group cannot be certain that such
programme content or programme services will be attractive to its customers, even if
so available.
The future demand and speed of take up of the Group’s DTH service, and the Group’s
broadband and telephony services will depend upon the Group’s ability to offer such
services to its customers at competitive prices, pressures from competing services (which
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include both paid-for and free-to-air offerings), and its ability to create demand for its
products and to attract and retain customers through a wide range of marketing
activities. The future demand and speed of take up of the Group’s services will also
depend upon the Group’s ability to package its content attractively. In addition, the Group
operates in a geographic region which has experienced sustained economic growth for a
number of years. The effect of a possible slowdown in the rate of economic growth and/
or a decline in consumer confidence on the Group’s ability to continue to attract and
retain subscribers is uncertain. Therefore, the Group cannot be certain that the current
or future marketing and other activities it undertakes will succeed in generating sufficient
demand to achieve its operating targets.
The Group’s business is reliant on technology which is subject to the risk of failure,
change and development.
The Group is dependent upon satellites which are subject to significant risks that may
prevent or impair their commercial operations, including defects, destruction or damage,
and incorrect orbital placement. If the Group, or other broadcasters who broadcast
channels on the Group’s DTH platform, were unable to obtain sufficient satellite
transponder capacity in the future, or the Group’s contracts with satellite providers were
terminated, this would have a material adverse effect on the Group’s business and
results of operations. Similarly, loss of the transmissions from satellites that are already
operational, or failure of the Group’s transmission systems or uplinking facilities, could
have a material adverse effect on its business and operations.
The Group is dependent on complex technologies in other parts of its business, including
its customer relationship management systems, broadcast and conditional access systems,
advertising sales, supply chain management systems and its telecommunications network
infrastructure, including WAN, LLU, CISCO core IP network, Marconi/Alcatel optical
network and complex application servers. In terms of the delivery of the Group’s
broadcast services, the Group is reliant on a third party telecommunications infrastructure
to distribute the content between its head offices at Isleworth and its primary and
secondary uplink sites at Chilworth and Fair Oak. In addition, the Group’s network and
other operational systems are subject to several risks that are outside the Group’s
control, such as the risk of damage to software and hardware resulting from fire and
flood, power loss, natural disasters, and general transmission failures caused by a
number of additional factors.
Any failure of the Group’s technologies, network or other operational systems or
hardware or software that results in significant interruptions to the Group’s operations
could have a material adverse effect on its business.
There is a large existing population of digital satellite reception equipment used to
receive the Group’s services, including set-top boxes and ancillary equipment, in which
the Group has made a significant investment and which is owned by its customers (other
than the smart cards, the hard disk capacity in excess of the personal storage capacity
and the software in the set-top boxes, to which the Group retains title). Were a
significant proportion of this equipment to suffer failure, or were the equipment to be
rendered either redundant or obsolete by other technology or other requirements or by
the mandatory imposition of incompatible technology, or should the Group need to or
wish to upgrade significantly the existing population of set-top boxes and/or ancillary
equipment with replacement equipment, this could have a material adverse effect on the
Group’s business.
The deployed set-top boxes contain finite memory resources that are used by the
operating system and other software components such as the conditional access system,
EPG, and interactive applications. The Group has, to date, been able to carry out software
downloads from time to time to reconfigure the memory utilisation in these set-top
boxes in order to accommodate additional and increasingly complex services. In the
event that the Group wishes to carry out such software downloads in order to
accommodate additional and increasingly complex services and this course of action is no
longer available to the Group, it may be limited in its ability to upgrade the services
available via the set-top boxes currently installed on subscribers’ premises.
Failure of key suppliers could affect the Group’s ability to operate its business.
The Group relies on a consistent and effective supply chain to meet its business plan
commitments and to continue to maintain its network. A failure to meet the Group’s
requirements or delays in the development, manufacture or delivery of products from
suppliers, the discontinuance of products or services, or a deterioration in support
quality, could adversely affect the Group’s ability to deliver its products and services. No
assurance can be given that a broad economic failure or decline in quality of equipment
suppliers in the industry in which the Group operates will not occur. Any such
occurrence could have a material adverse effect on the Group’s business. Sky Talk relies
on telecommunications services from network operator THUS plc and failure on the part
of THUS plc to meet the Group’s requirements for whatever reason may affect the
Group’s ability to deliver its telephony services to Sky Talk subscribers.
The Group uses a series of products from Openreach (a BT group business) within its
LLU operations. These are the colocation space and associated facilities to house the
central office equipment (comingling), backhaul circuits to connect that equipment to the
Group’s network (BES) and finally individual copper lines that go between the central
office equipment and the end user’s house (primarily SMPF lines). Outside of the Group’s
LLU areas the Group uses BT Wholesale’s IPstream ‘‘bitstream’’ product to provide
broadband connectivity to end users. The Group purchases these products from
Openreach under terms and conditions outlined within the Ofcom Telecoms Strategic
Review (‘‘OTSR’’) settlement between Ofcom and BT. This legally binding settlement
referred to as the ‘‘BT Undertakings’’ stipulates that the Group buys these products on a
fully equivalent basis when compared to other operators (including other parts of BT)
who supply broadband, telephony and network products and services. Ofcom has set up
an ‘‘Equality of Access Board’’ whose role is to monitor and ensure that all Equivalence
of Input requirements agreed in the BT Undertakings are being enacted. Ofcom also
monitors the implementation of the BT Undertakings. Failure by either Openreach or BT
Wholesale in fact to provide its products to the Group on a fully equivalent basis could
have a material adverse effect on the Group’s business.
The Group is reliant on encryption and other technologies to restrict unauthorised access
to its services.
Direct DTH access to the Group’s services is restricted through a combination of physical
and logical access controls, including smart cards which the Group provides to its
individual DTH subscribers. Unauthorised viewing and use of content may be
accomplished by counterfeiting the smart cards or otherwise overcoming their security
features. A significant increase in the incidence of signal piracy could require the
replacement of smart cards sooner than otherwise planned. Although the Group works
with its technology suppliers to ensure that its encryption and other protection
technology is as resilient to hacking as possible, there can be no assurance that it will
not be compromised in the future. The Group also relies upon the encryption or
equivalent technologies employed by the cable and other platform operators for the
protection of access to the services which the Group makes available to them. Failure of
such technology could impact our revenue from those operators.
The Group’s network and other operational systems rely on the operation and efficiency
of its computer systems. Although the Group’s systems are protected by firewalls, there
is a risk that its business could be disrupted by hackers or viruses gaining access to its
systems. Any such disruption, and any resulting liability to the Group’s customers, could
have a material adverse effect on the Group’s business.
The Group undertakes significant capital expenditure projects, including technology and
property projects.
As is common with capital expenditure projects there is a risk that the Group’s capital
expenditure projects (see ‘‘The business, its objectives and its strategy – Capital
expenditure programme’’ above), may not be completed as envisaged, either within the
proposed timescales or budgets, or that the anticipated business benefits of the projects
may not be fully achieved.
The Group, in common with other service providers that include third party services
which the Group retails, relies on intellectual property and proprietary rights, including
in respect of programming content, which may not be adequately protected under
current laws or which may be subject to unauthorised use.
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The Group’s services largely comprise content in which it owns, or has licensed, the
intellectual property rights, delivered through a variety of media, including broadcast
programming, interactive television services, and the internet. The Group relies on
trademark, copyright and other intellectual property laws to establish and protect its
rights over this content. However, the Group cannot be certain that its rights will not be
challenged, invalidated or circumvented or that it will successfully renew its rights. Third
parties may be able to copy, infringe or otherwise profit from the Group’s rights or
content which it owns or licenses, without the Group’s, or the rightsholder’s,
authorisation. These unauthorised activities may be more easily facilitated by the internet.
In addition, the lack of internet-specific legislation relating to trademark and copyright
protection creates an additional challenge for the Group in protecting its rights relating to
its online businesses and other digital technology rights.
The Group generates wholesale revenue from a limited number of customers.
The Group’s wholesale customers, to whom it offers certain of the Sky Channels and
from whom it derives its wholesale revenue have comprised principally ntl and Telewest
which have merged and been rebranded as Virgin Media. Since 28 February 2007, Virgin
Media has not carried the Sky Basic Channels but continues to carry all of the Sky
Premium Channels on its digital networks (and Sky Sports 1 and Sky Sports 2 to its
remaining analogue cable subscribers). Economic or market factors, regulatory
intervention, or a change in strategy relating to the distribution of the Group’s channels,
may adversely influence the Group’s wholesale revenue and other revenue which the
Group receives from Virgin Media in connection with supply of the Sky Premium
Channels which may negatively affect the Group’s business.
The Group is subject to a number of medium and long-term obligations.
The Group is party to a number of medium and long-term agreements and other
arrangements (including in respect of programming and transmission, for example, its
transponder agreements) which impose financial and other obligations upon the Group.
If the Group is unable to perform any of its obligations under these agreements and/or
arrangements, it could have a material adverse effect on the Group’s business.
any person is generally authorised to provide electronic communications networks and/or
services without prior approval.
Such persons may provide electronic communications networks and services without
being subject to detailed regulatory rules. Member States’ national regulatory authorities
(‘‘NRAs’’) may apply, as conditions of the general authorisation, only minimal general
conditions necessary to achieve certain key objectives of the Electronic Communications
Directives (e.g. the availability of adequate directory inquiries services; the ability for
consumers to maintain an existing telephone number, even if they switch from one
provider to another; and fair treatment of consumers).
Beyond such minimal general conditions, NRAs may impose additional obligations on
persons providing specific kinds of electronic communications networks, services, or
facilities only where such obligations are specifically envisaged by the Electronic
Communications Directives, and are justified and appropriate to allow third party access
to particular network infrastructure, services, or facilities or where the NRA has
determined that one or more persons active in a particular market enjoy significant
market power (‘‘SMP’’) and that the imposition of additional obligations on such persons
is justified and appropriate to avoid adverse outcomes.
The Electronic Communications Directives envisage that such ‘‘ex ante’’ rules (i.e. rules
imposed in anticipation of an adverse outcome, rather than by way of ‘‘ex post’’ remedy)
should be limited to what is necessary, and used only where an NRA has determined
them to be appropriate to restrain the conduct of persons enjoying SMP (which is
equivalent to the competition law concept of dominance) or where the Directives
otherwise specifically mandate the imposition of ex ante rules.
Accordingly, the Electronic Communications Directives require NRAs in each of the EU
Member States to carry out periodic reviews of competition in relevant electronic
communications markets and, where a communications provider is found to have
significant market power in a relevant market, to impose appropriate regulatory
obligations. The European Commission also plays a formal role in the market review
process undertaken by NRAs.
Government regulation
The sectors in which we operate are subject to both sector-specific regulation, in
particular regulation relating to the electronic communications and broadcasting sectors,
and general competition (anti-trust) law.
The regulatory regime applicable to the electronic communications and broadcasting
sectors is, to a large extent, based on European Community (‘‘EC’’) law comprised in
various EC Directives. A Directive is an instrument of EC law which is addressed to
Member States of the European Union, and requires them to adopt national legislation to
give effect to its objectives, whilst leaving the precise manner and form of the national
legislation to the discretion of the Member State.
Electronic Communications Regulation
EC law
The Electronic Communications Directives
The regulation of electronic communications networks and services and associated
facilities is governed by a series of EC Directives, including the Framework Directive, the
Access and Interconnection Directive, the Authorisation Directive and the Universal
Services Directive (together, the ‘‘Electronic Communications Directives’’). The Electronic
Communications Directives, which came into force in July 2003, are designed to create a
harmonised system of regulation across the European Union (‘‘EU’’).
The Electronic Communications Directives regulate the provision of communications
services including telephony and broadband services; they do not regulate the editorial
control or content of television broadcasting services but do cover, inter alia, the
networks and transmission services which are involved in the broadcasting of such
television services as well as the provisions of various services and facilities associated
with the operation of digital television platforms, including the digital satellite platform.
In November 2005, the European Commission commenced a review of the functioning of
the Electronic Communications Directives. The European Commission has indicated that it
intends to publish draft legislative proposals for modifying the existing framework by the
end of October 2007, with a view to the implementation of a revised framework within
the Member States by 2009/2010. The four main areas where the European Commission
has indicated that changes are needed to the existing regulatory framework are:
s putting in place an effective market-oriented strategy for spectrum management in
Europe’s internal market;
s regulating less, but more effectively, by phasing out ex-ante regulation in a number of
markets currently regulated;
s streamlining the market review procedure to make it faster, less burdensome and
better focused on real bottlenecks; and
s consolidating the single market, by ensuring that EU rules and remedies are applied
consistently across all EU Member States.
UK law
The Electronic Communications Directives have primarily been implemented in the UK by
the Communications Act 2003 (‘‘Communications Act’’). The Communications Act is
enforced by the UK’s NRA, the Office of Communications (‘‘Ofcom’’).
General Conditions of Entitlement
As noted above, the EC Electronic Communications Directives provide that anyone wishing
to provide an electronic communications network or service should be generally
authorised to do so, without requiring any licence or other prior approval. This general
authorisation is subject in the UK to the ‘General Conditions of Entitlement’ (‘‘General
Conditions’’). The General Conditions were adopted under Section 45 of the
Communications Act and apply to anyone who is providing an electronic communications
network or service.
The Electronic Communications Directives replace an earlier set of instruments which
provided for a regime for the licensing of persons engaged in the provision of relevant
telecommunications activities. Under the Electronic Communications Directives, Member
States are required to abandon such licensing regimes, and to adopt a system whereby
The Group is subject to the General Conditions in relation to its broadband internet
access and public telephony services, including:
s a requirement to ensure that any end-user can access the emergency services;
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Government regulation
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s a requirement to support number portability for customers wishing to switch to or
from another network provider;
s a requirement that customers are offered contracts that satisfy certain
minimum standards;
s a requirement to ensure that any end-user can access directory enquiry and operator
assistance services;
s a requirement to facilitate the migration by customers between broadband
service providers;
s a requirement to publish up-to-date price and tariff information;
s a requirement to provide accurate billing, including itemisation on request; and
s a requirement to publish codes of practice concerning, among other things, the
services provided, the handling of customer complaints and sales and marketing.
As a network operator, Easynet is also subject to requirements to negotiate network
interconnection, to comply with relevant compulsory standards and to take all reasonable
steps to maintain (to the greatest possible extent) the proper and effective functioning of
its public telephone network.
The Group has published a Code of Practice dealing with Sky Talk products, services and
customer care procedures; a Code of Practice concerning the sales and marketing
practices for the Sky Talk telephony service; a Code of Practice for Premium Rate and
Number Translation Services; a Code of Practice on dealing with customer complaints;
and a Code of Practice relating to the provision of Sky Broadband.
Access-related conditions
Ofcom also has the power under Section 45 of the Communications Act to impose
so-called access-related conditions, including conditions relating to conditional
access services.
Conditional Access Services Conditions
Access-related conditions have been imposed on Sky Subscribers Services Limited
(‘‘SSSL’’) in relation to the provision of conditional access services. These conditions
include:
s a requirement to provide conditional access services upon request, on fair and
reasonable terms;
s where a broadcaster in receipt of conditional access services from SSSL also provides
programme services to providers of other electronic communications networks (e.g.
cable operators), a requirement to cooperate with providers of such other electronic
communications networks so that such providers are able to transcontrol (the process
of changing a conditional access system) and re-transmit the programme services;
s an obligation to keep separate financial accounts regarding activities as provider of
conditional access services;
s where conditional access products and systems are the subject of intellectual property
rights, a requirement to make such products and systems available upon reasonable
terms and at reasonable charges (e.g. the licensing of technology to manufacturers of
digital decoders); and
s a requirement not to discriminate unduly against particular persons or against a
particular description of persons.
Currently, only SSSL is subject to access-related conditions relating to conditional access
services. However, Ofcom is currently proposing to apply identical conditions to Top Up
TV Limited in respect of conditional access services provided via the DTT platform, on
which it commenced a public consultation in early 2007.
Continued licence conditions relating to EPGs and access control services
Prior to the entry into force of the new regulatory regime instituted by the Electronic
Communications Directives, and implemented in the UK by the Communications Act, the
Group operated under a number of class licences issued under the Telecommunications
Act 1984. These class licences have largely been revoked. However, certain provisions in
these class licences have continued in force as ‘‘Continuation Notices’’ issued under
Paragraph 18 of Schedule 9 of the Communications Act, including in particular conditions
relating to the provision of electronic programme guides (‘‘EPGs’’) and access control
services for digital transmissions.
We are required under a continuation notice to provide EPG services to other
broadcasters on fair, reasonable and non-discriminatory terms and not to favour related
companies. Ofcom has consulted on replacing this continuation notice with authorisation
conditions under the Communications Act, the deadline for comments on the consultation
document having been in March 2004. Ofcom has yet to replace this continuation notice
following this consultation and therefore the continuation notice still applies. The
Communications Act does not, however, envisage that the manner of regulation of EPGs
will change.
Our subsidiary, SSSL, is currently designated a regulated supplier in respect of its
activities in providing access control services to third parties on our DTH platform and
it is, among other things, subject to the obligation to provide such access control
services on fair, reasonable and non-discriminatory terms and not to favour related
companies. This designation, set out in a continuation notice, will remain in place for as
long as SSSL is considered to have SMP. In November 2003, Oftel commenced a review
under the Communications Act to determine whether any provider of access control
services has (or, in the case of SSSL, continues to have) SMP. The deadline for comments
on the consultation document was in January 2004. Ofcom has yet to publish its
conclusions to this consultation; in the meantime, SSSL continues to be subject to the
regulatory regime under this continuation notice.
Ofcom’s Guidelines and Explanatory Statement for the Provision of Technical Platform Services
In September 2006, Ofcom published revised guidelines on how, in the event of a
dispute or complaint, it would normally interpret the requirement on Sky to ensure that
its terms, conditions and charges for the provision of ‘‘technical platform services’’ are
fair, reasonable and non-discriminatory (‘‘TPS Guidelines’’). (The term ‘‘technical platform
services’’ is used to refer collectively to conditional access, electronic programme guide
listings services, and access control services). The TPS Guidelines took effect from 1
January 2007 and replace the previous guidelines dating from 2002.
The TPS Guidelines set out general principles that Ofcom indicates it would apply in
assessing whether the Group has complied with the relevant regulatory conditions
requiring it to provide ‘‘technical platform services’’ on fair, reasonable and non-
discriminatory terms. These general principles can be summarised as follows:
s the costs that Sky should be entitled to recover from ‘‘TPS Customers’’ should be
restricted to costs which it reasonably, necessarily and efficiently incurs in the
provision of TPS to those customers or in order to develop and operate the digital
satellite platform;
s Sky should be entitled to recover its allowable costs and make a risk adjusted return
on its investment;
s costs should only be recovered from those customers that directly cause the costs to
be incurred, or that benefit from the costs being incurred; and
s where costs incurred are of benefit to more than one TPS Customer then they should
be recovered from each TPS Customer in a way that takes due account of the benefits
derived by TPS Customers from those costs being incurred.
The TPS Guidelines also contain guidance on how the ‘‘incremental’’ benefits that a TPS
Customer receives from the provision of its chosen mix of ‘‘technical platform services’’
can be measured. Ofcom notes, however, that the Group may choose to adopt different
methods for assessing such incremental benefits and characterisation of the costs of
various ‘‘technical platform services’’, which Ofcom acknowledges it may also consider to
be consistent with the relevant regulatory conditions.
The TPS Guidelines also state that an existing or prospective TPS Customer should be
provided with sufficient information to allow it to determine the TPS charges that it
would expect to pay without having to enter into a commercial negotiation with Sky.
Since December 2006, the Group has therefore published a rate card setting out the
charges payable for ‘‘technical platform services’’.
Ofcom Review of Wholesale Digital Television Broadcasting Platforms
In July 2006, Ofcom commenced a review of wholesale digital television broadcasting
platforms, which will include an analysis of relevant markets and an assessment of
whether any person or persons hold SMP in a relevant market. This review will consider,
among other things, the regulatory obligations relating to conditional access, access
control and EPG services. At this stage, the Group is not yet able to assess whether, or
the extent to which, this review will have a material effect on the Group.
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SMP Conditions
In common with all other operators of fixed public electronic communications networks
in the UK, Easynet has been determined to have SMP in the market for fixed geographic
call termination services on its own network (i.e. services allowing calls originating on
another network to be terminated on Easynet’s fixed network). A specific condition has
been imposed on Easynet pursuant to Section 45 of the Communications Act requiring it
to provide call termination to all public communications providers who reasonably
request it on fair and reasonable terms, conditions and charges.
The Group benefits from SMP conditions imposed on British Telecommunications plc
(‘‘BT’’) in other relevant markets. These include conditions requiring BT to provide
wholesale local access (LLU) services and wholesale broadband access services, which the
Group uses to provide broadband services to its customers, as well as wholesale line
rental, which the Group intends to use to provide telephony services to its customers
from 2008. The conditions imposed on BT in these markets include a requirement to
provide Network Access on reasonable request, a requirement not to discriminate unduly
and a requirement to publish information about its prices, terms and conditions.
Ofcom is currently conducting a review of the wholesale broadband access market and
published a consultation document on 21 November 2006. This consultation document
proposed identifying local, as opposed to national, geographic markets for the provision
of wholesale broadband access services. This may involve removing regulation altogether
in certain areas where BT faces strong competition from other players, notably Virgin
Media. Ofcom has indicated that it is planning to publish a further consultation document
this year before reaching a concluded view on its proposals.
Ofcom is also planning to carry out a review of fixed narrowband services (including
wholesale line rental) before spring 2008.
The Group also benefits from SMP conditions imposed on National Grid Wireless
(formerly Crown Castle) and Arqiva (formerly ntl:Broadcast) in relation to the provision of
wholesale broadcasting transmission services, which the Group benefits from (via the
provision by NGW of a managed transmission service) to broadcast its services on the
DTT platform. The conditions imposed include a requirement to provide Network Access
to masts and sites on reasonable request, a requirement not to unduly discriminate and
a requirement to provide Network Access on cost oriented terms. NGW was recently
acquired by Macquarie UK Broadcast Ventures Limited (which also owns Arqiva). This
transaction is currently being reviewed by the Office of Fair Trading (‘‘OFT’’).
On 19 June 2007, Ofcom published the conclusions of its review of the pricing of
spectrum for terrestrial broadcasting. To date, transmission service providers who use
spectrum for the purposes of DTT have only had to pay administrative cost-based fees for
their use of the spectrum. Ofcom has decided that, from 2014, a system of
Administrative Incentive Pricing will be introduced, which will involve charging annual
fees for the holding of a spectrum that reflects the opportunity cost of the holding of that
spectrum. The effect of this new system may be that transmission service providers
become liable to pay more than they currently do for their use of the spectrum,
which could have an impact on the amount the Group pays for broadcasting
transmission services.
Enforcement of General Conditions, SMP Conditions, Access-related Conditions and
Continued Licence Conditions
Any breach of the General Conditions, SMP Conditions or Access-related conditions could
result in Ofcom issuing a direction against us to rectify the breach and a failure to
comply with such direction could result in the imposition of a fine or, ultimately, the
suspension of the Group’s right to provide the relevant network, services or facilities.
Generally, any decision by Ofcom to impose new obligations on the Group, or any
remedial direction or fine would be amenable to appeal to the Competition Appeal
Tribunal or, if no appeal is available, could be challenged by way of judicial review
before the courts.
The continued licence conditions relating to EPG services and access control services
are enforceable by Ofcom using enforcement powers under the Telecommunications
Act 1984.
Dispute resolution
In addition to providing for the imposition by Ofcom of specific regulatory obligations, the
Communications Act also imposes a duty on Ofcom to resolve certain disputes relating to
the provision of Network Access (as defined by Section 151(3) of the Communications
Act). In resolving such disputes, Ofcom has the power to do one or more of the following:
s to make a declaration setting out the rights and obligations of the parties to
the dispute;
s to give a direction fixing the terms and conditions of transactions between the parties
to the dispute;
s to give a direction imposing an obligation, enforceable by the parties to the dispute,
to enter into a transaction between themselves on the terms and conditions fixed by
Ofcom; and
s to give a direction, enforceable by the party to whom the sums are to be paid,
requiring the payment of sums by way of adjustment of an underpayment
or overpayment.
Transmission standards
The use of standards for the transmission of television signals is governed by the
Electronic Communications Directives (notably the Access and Universal Services
Directives), which require EU Member States to impose transmission standards on
broadcasters of television services. These requirements on technical standards have been
implemented in the UK by The Advanced Television Services Regulations 2003 and are
administered by Ofcom.
Recognised Spectrum Access
Ofcom has introduced a system for the management of spectrum under the
Communications Act, which is intended to enhance the efficiency of spectrum use
through liberalisation of use and trading in spectrum, whilst protecting the quality of
spectrum. This regime may include a voluntary system of Recognised Spectrum Access
(‘‘RSA’’), which would afford some protection from interference for satellite downlinks
and would include a charging mechanism for the use of relevant spectrum. Ofcom has
announced that it intends to consult the public on the application of RSA to satellite
downlinks, for which no date is currently set.
Irish Law
We are currently not regulated by the Irish national communications regulatory authority,
ComReg. In June 2003, ComReg clarified that it would not, for the time being, seek to
regulate the provision of access to broadcasting networks (or the delivery of content
services to end users) in Ireland under the Electronic Communications Directives.
Broadcasting Regulation
EC law
The Television Without Frontiers Directive and the Audiovisual Media Services without
frontiers Directive
The EC Television Without Frontiers Directive 1989 (‘‘TWF Directive’’), as revised in 1997,
sets out certain basic principles for the regulation of television broadcasting activity in
the EU.
The TWF Directive includes, amongst other things:
s a ‘country of origin’ principle to ensure that broadcasters are not required to comply
with different rules in different EU Member States. Instead, each broadcaster is subject
to the primary jurisdiction only of its ‘‘home’’ Member State, determined in
accordance with criteria laid down in the TWF;
s rules governing the proportion of transmission time that must be reserved for
European works and for European works created by producers who are independent
of broadcasters;
s ‘qualitative’ rules governing the substance of advertising and the standards that must
be complied with and ’quantitative’ rules regulating the insertion of advertising
between or during programmes and/or specifying the maximum duration
of advertising;
s rules to ensure that broadcasters do not broadcast on an exclusive basis events which
are seen as being of major importance for society, including sporting events, in such a
way as to deprive a substantial proportion of the public of the possibility of following
such events via live coverage or deferred coverage on free television; and
s rules to ensure the protection of minors and the prevention of incitement to hatred
on grounds of race, sex, religion or nationality.
The UK has adopted a variety of measures to give effect to the requirements of the
TWF Directive, including conditions in broadcasting licences. Further details on the
broadcasting licensing regime in the UK are set out below.
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Government regulation
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On 24 May 2007, political agreement was reached on a new Audiovisual Media Services
without frontiers Directive (‘‘AVMS Directive’’), which will replace the existing TWF
Directive. The AVMS Directive is expected to enter into force before the end of 2007. The
EU Member States will then be given 24 months in which to transpose the new
provisions into national law, so the new rules are likely to apply from some time in 2009.
The AVMS Directive will cover all audiovisual media services, irrespective of the
technology used to deliver the service, including both scheduled and on-demand services.
However, the rules relating to ‘on demand’ content are limited to safeguarding essential
public interests such as protecting minors, encouraging cultural diversity, preventing
incitement to hatred and basic consumer protection rules. The AVMS Directive will relax
rules on the amount and timing of television advertising. It also sets out clear rules on
product placement, obliging broadcasters to inform consumers when it takes place and
excluding product placement from news, current affairs and children’s programmes.
Broadcasting Act licences
In the UK, the provisions of the TWF Directive are implemented, to a large extent, via the
Broadcasting Acts 1990 and 1996. The Broadcasting Acts also contain additional
provisions of national law, beyond the matters required to be covered by the
TWF Directive.
The Group is required to hold licences issued under the Broadcasting Act 1990 and the
Broadcasting Act 1996 (together, the ‘‘Broadcasting Acts’’) in relation to its provision of
broadcasting services. Compliance with the conditions attaching to these licences is
enforced by Ofcom.
We and our broadcasting joint ventures each currently hold a Television Licensable
Content Services (‘‘TLCS’’) licence for each of our respective channels and for a number
of other broadcasting services, including our EPG on digital satellite. A TLCS licence
permits a channel to be broadcast on cable, DSL and satellite, but does not confer on a
TLCS licensee the right to use any specific satellite, transponder or frequency to deliver
the service. TLCS licences are granted for an indefinite duration (for so long as the
licence remains in force) and new licences are issued by Ofcom if certain minimum
objective criteria are met.
We also hold a Digital Television Programme Services (‘‘DPS’’) licence, which is required
for the distribution of our channels via DTT, and a Digital Television Additional Services
(‘‘DAS’’) licence for the distribution of other services (including Sky Text) on DTT. In
February 2007, the Group announced that it is developing plans for the launch of a
subscription television service on DTT, to replace its current three DTT channels. An
application to amend Sky’s DPS licence was submitted to Ofcom in April 2007, which has
indicated that it intends to conduct a public consultation later this year on this
application, and that it expects to conclude the consultation review early next year.
In common with all television broadcasting licences issued by Ofcom, our licences
require us to comply with any relevant codes and directions issued by Ofcom from time
to time. The following codes and guidance have been published by Ofcom (or
its predecessors):
broadcast of certain sporting or other events of national interest designated by the
Secretary of State from time to time (‘‘Listed Events’’), whether on a free-to-air basis
or subscription basis, without the prior consent of Ofcom. The effect of these rules is
that many leading sports events cannot be shown exclusively live on pay television in
the UK. The Code on Sports and other Listed Events was drafted by the Independent
Television Commission (‘‘ITC’’), Ofcom’s predecessor, and sets out how the ITC (and
now Ofcom) will apply the rules on Listed Events. In September 2005, the Secretary of
State for Culture, Media and Sport indicated that a review of listed events is likely to
take place around 2008/09:
s Code on Television Access Services: the Communications Act prescribes certain annual
targets for television access services (subtitling, audio description and signing) that
broadcasters’ licensed channels must meet. The Code on Television Access Services
sets out Ofcom’s guidance on ensuring compliance with these requirements. The Code
requires broadcasters to provide quarterly returns on their compliance. In 2006, all of
Sky’s channels, except Sky Box Office exceeded their relevant target. Sky is taking
measures in 2007 to address the shortfall on Sky Box Office in 2006, in agreement
with Ofcom. In May 2007 Ofcom published a consultation document reviewing the
provision of signing services by ‘‘low-audience’’ channels, with a view to considering
whether some ‘‘low-audience’’ channels should be excluded from these signing
obligations and whether alternative arrangements would provide greater benefits to
audiences. The deadline for the consultation is the end of July 2007; and
s Code on Electronic Programme Guides: this requires all providers of EPGs licensed
under the Broadcasting Acts to give public service channels (which currently comprise
all BBC television channels, ITV1, Channel 4, five, and S4C Digital and the digital
public teletext service) such degree of prominence as Ofcom considers appropriate.
The Code also requires that undue prominence is not given on an EPG to channels
connected to the EPG operator, that an objective policy for allocating listings on the
EPG is maintained and published; and that there is no requirement for exclusivity on
an EPG for any service.
As noted above, the TWF Directive includes rules governing, amongst other things, the
proportion of transmission time that must be reserved for European works and for
European works created by producers who are independent of broadcasters. Specifically,
the TWF Directive requires each EU Member State to ensure ‘‘where practicable and by
appropriate means’’ that broadcasters falling under its jurisdiction reserve (a) a majority
of their transmission time for European works and (b) at least 10% of their transmission
time or, at the discretion of the Member State, at least 10% of their programming
budget for European works created by producers who are independent of broadcasters
(in relation to (b), an adequate proportion of such works should be produced within the
five years preceding the transmission). The term ‘‘where practicable and by appropriate
means’’ is not defined in the TWF Directive and is left for the interpretation of each
Member State. In applying these requirements, broadcast time covering news, games,
advertisements, sports events, teletext and teleshopping services is excluded.
A condition requiring licensees to comply with these requirements, where practicable,
and having regard to any guidance issued by Ofcom, is contained in all Broadcasting Act
licences. On 10 February 2005, Ofcom published guidance in relation to compliance with
the requirements in the TWF Directive. Ofcom’s guidance requires television broadcasters,
who consider that it would not be practicable to meet one or more of the quota
requirements, to explain why to Ofcom, which will advise whether any remedial
measures are necessary.
s Broadcasting Code: this includes requirements relating to, among other things, the
impartiality and accuracy of news programming, the protection from harm and offence
and the portrayal of sex and violence;
s Guidance on the amount and distribution of advertising;
s Cross Promotions Code: this is designed to ensure that cross-promotions on television
are distinct from advertising and are limited to informing viewers of services likely to
be of interest to them as viewers. The Code allows broadcasters to promote
‘‘broadcasting-related services’’ in promotional airtime subject to the requirement that
the promotion is provided for no consideration. No consideration will be presumed
to have passed where the promoting channel has a shareholding of 30% or more in
the promoted channel (or vice versa). The Code also contains additional rules,
applicable only to ITV1, Channel 4 and five, requiring all references to digital retail
television services or digital television broadcasting platforms to be on an equal and
impartial basis;
s Code on Sports and other Listed Events: the Broadcasting Act 1996 (as amended by the
Communications Act) provides that no UK broadcaster may undertake the exclusive live
A number of our channels currently meet the relevant quota requirements for both
European works and European independent products. Some of our channels only meet
one of the relevant quotas and some do not meet either quota. For those channels that
do not currently reserve the relevant proportion of relevant transmission time to
European works or to European independent productions, it may not be practicable to do
so, in which case those channels would still comply with the condition in their
Broadcasting Act licences. Ofcom has not advised that any remedial measures are
necessary in respect of those channels, nor has it advised that it does not accept that it
is not practicable for any of these channels to meet the relevant quota requirements.
Enforcement of Broadcasting Act licences
If a licensee is found to be in breach of a condition of its Broadcasting Act licence,
Ofcom may issue a direction requiring compliance with the relevant licence condition and
may impose a fine. Ofcom also has the ultimate power to revoke a broadcaster’s
Broadcasting Act licence where it is found to be in breach of its licence (if no other
remedies are considered appropriate). Any decision by Ofcom finding a licensee to be in
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breach of a condition of a Broadcasting Act licence, including a decision to impose a fine
or revoke the licence, could be challenged by way of judicial review before the courts.
Media ownership rules
There are various rules in the Broadcasting Act 1990 (as amended) and the
Communications Act governing media ownership. These rules currently preclude us (for
as long as the Group is ultimately owned as to over 20% by News Corporation or
another member of the same group) from acquiring more than a 20% interest in any
Channel 3 licence (which covers the 15 regional ITV1 licences and GMTV).
In addition to the media ownership rules governing who can hold a Broadcasting Act
licence, Ofcom is also required under the Communications Act to carry out a review
whenever a change of control takes place in relation to the holder of certain
Broadcasting Act licences, including the Channel 3 licences and the licence for five.
Ofcom will review the likely effects of such a change of control on the licensed services,
for example in relation to the time available for and scheduling of original productions
and news and current affairs programmes. Ofcom has the power to vary the licence
holder’s licence to address any concerns that it may have following such a review. In
November 2006, Ofcom announced that it would consider whether Sky’s acquisition of a
17.9% stake in ITV plc represented a change in control of one or more of the licences in
ITV plc. Ofcom has yet to reach a decision on this review.
In April 2006, Ofcom published guidance on the ‘‘definition of control of media
companies". This guidance sets out the matters which Ofcom will take into consideration
when assessing ‘‘control’’ in this context, and the procedure it will follow when
investigating whether ‘‘control’’ exists.
Public Service Broadcasting
As part of its review of public service broadcasting, which concluded in February 2005,
Ofcom made a number of proposals, one of which was the creation of a ‘Public Service
Publisher’ (‘‘PSP’’), a new publicly-funded service, which Ofcom considers would ensure a
continued plurality in the provision of public service broadcasting after digital switchover.
Ofcom contemplates three possible sources of funding for the PSP: general taxation, an
enhanced television licence fee, or a tax on the turnover of UK licensed broadcasters. It
is therefore possible, if the Government and Parliament were to accept the PSP
proposition and fund it under the broadcaster tax model, that the Group would be
required to contribute to such funding. Ofcom published a discussion paper on 24 January
2007, in which it suggested that the PSP would require initial funding of £50 to
£100 million annually. Ofcom stated that it would explore with Government and other
public bodies the prospects for funding PSP-type projects.
The Government has confirmed (in its White Paper entitled ‘‘A public service for all:
the BBC in the digital age’’ published in March 2006) that a review of whether there
is a case for providing funding to recipients beyond the BBC (such as Ofcom’s proposed
PSP) will take place before the end of the BBC Charter period (i.e. before 2016) and
possibly sooner.
In conjunction with this review, Ofcom has been conducting a financial review of Channel
4, notably in relation to the funding of its public service broadcasting obligations. In July
2007, Ofcom published a statement, in which it indicated that it proposed to monitor
Channel 4’s financial performance and public service remit closely, to keep under review
the medium-long term case for further public financial support for Channel 4 (and ruling
out the option under which Channel 4 should not receive further support for the
foreseeable future). Ofcom also indicated that it may be appropriate for the Government
to consider Channel 4’s requests for (additional) short term support for the period up to
2011-12, given that (and subject to the application of the relevant competition rules)
short term measures would, in Ofcom’s view, be appropriate if they helped Channel 4
avoid making reductions in its public service delivery in response to uncertainty about its
financial position.
Co-regulation/self-regulation
Ofcom has contracted out responsibility for the regulation of the content of television
advertising to the Advertising Standards Authority (‘‘ASA’’), a self-regulatory body. The
Television Advertising Standards Code, which sets out the rules governing the content
of television advertising, applies to all Broadcasting Act licensees and is enforced by
the ASA. Ofcom retains a backstop power to enforce compliance with the standards in
the Code.
The Sky Talk and Sky Broadband services are also registered with the
telecommunications ombudsman service Otelo, with the consequence that Sky’s
customers may complain to Otelo about the services they are receiving and Otelo will
investigate and decide what action should be taken. As a member of the Ombudsman
scheme, Sky has agreed to honour Otelo’s decisions.
The Group is a member of the Internet Watch Foundation, which provides a UK hotline
for users to report potentially illegal content, specifically child abuse images hosted
anywhere in the world or content hosted in the UK which is either criminally obscene or
could incite racial hatred.
Irish law
Even though our channels are broadcast in the Republic of Ireland we do not hold any
Irish broadcasting licences, as a result of the operation of the ‘‘country of origin’’
principal contained in the TWF (and AVMS) Directive.
A list of designated events in Ireland has been defined under the Irish Broadcasting
(Major Events Television Coverage) Act 1999 (Designation of Major Events) Order 2003.
The effect of these rules is that many leading sports events cannot be shown exclusively
live on pay television in Ireland.
Betting and gambling
We carry out our betting and gambling activities through two Group companies, Hestview
Limited (‘‘Hestview’’) and Bonne Terre Limited (‘‘Bonne Terre’’).
Hestview currently carries out its betting activities under a UK bookmakers permit
issued in accordance with the Betting, Gaming and Lotteries Act 1963. From September
2007, the existing system for licensing betting activities will be replaced by a new
licensing regime under the Gambling Act 2005. The new rules will be enforced by the
Gambling Commission. Hestview has applied to the Gambling Commission for a remote
betting licence.
Bonne Terre, a company registered in Alderney, carries out its gambling activities under
a licence granted by the Alderney Gambling Control Commission under the terms of the
Gambling Ordinance 2006 and is regulated by that body.
Competition (anti-trust) law
We are subject to the EC competition law regime and to the national competition law
regimes in the countries in which we operate.
EC competition rules
Anti-competitive agreements
Article 81(1) of the EC Treaty prohibits agreements and concerted practices between
undertakings which may affect trade between EU Member States and which have as their
object or effect the prevention, restriction or distortion of competition within the EU. An
agreement may infringe Article 81(1) only if it is likely to have an appreciable effect on
competition. Agreements which fall within the scope of Article 81(1) will not be
prohibited where they meet the criteria set out in Article 81(3), that is, where they
improve the production or distribution of goods or promote technical or economic
progress, provided that consumers receive a fair share of the resulting benefit,
competition is not substantially eliminated and the agreement does not contain
unnecessary restrictions.
Abuse of a dominant position
Article 82 of the EC Treaty prohibits the abuse by one or more undertakings of a
dominant position in the EU or a substantial part of it, insofar as the abuse may affect
trade between EU Member States.
Enforcement of Articles 81 and 82
Articles 81 and 82 may be enforced by the European Commission, designated national
competition authorities in each of the EU Member States and/or by the national courts in
each of the EU Member States.
Infringement of Articles 81 or 82 may result in significant consequences including fines,
voidness or unenforceability of infringing agreements, prohibition of infringing conduct,
potential liability to third parties (notably for damages) and/or the potential for involved
directors to be disqualified.
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Government regulation
continued
Investigation of Football Association Premier League agreements
The European Commission’s investigation into the FAPL’s joint selling of exclusive
broadcast rights to football matches concluded with the European Commission’s
adoption, in March 2006, of a decision making commitments offered by the FAPL legally
enforceable. These commitments (a non-confidential version of which has been made
available to third parties) are to remain in force until June 2013 and thus applied to the
FAPL’s auction of media rights for the 2007/08 to 2009/10 seasons and will apply to
subsequent auctions of rights. Among other things, commitments provide for the FAPL to
sell a number of packages of media rights, showcasing the League as a whole
throughout each season. They provide for live TV rights to be sold in six balanced
packages, with no one bidder allowed to buy all six packages and packages being sold to
the highest standalone bidder. The commitments also create more evenly balanced
packages of rights and increase the availability of rights via the internet and via
mobile phones.
The Group has been awarded four of the six packages of rights to show live coverage of
FAPL football matches in the UK for the 2007/08 to 2009/10 seasons.
The decision is binding on the FAPL for the duration of the commitments, but does not
bind national competition authorities or national courts. The Commission’s decision does
not address competition issues which may arise from contracts for rights in relation to
FAPL matches from the 2007/08 season onwards; any such issues could be assessed
separately under the competition rules at either European or national level.
Mergers
The European Commission regulates mergers, full function joint ventures (i.e. ones which
perform on a lasting basis all the functions of an autonomous economic entity) and the
acquisition of holdings which confer decisive influence over an undertaking and which
meet certain turnover thresholds specified in the EC Merger Regulation. Such transactions
may not be carried out without prior approval of the European Commission. Where the
European Commission has jurisdiction to review a transaction under the EC Merger
Regulation, national authorities in the EU Member States do not normally have
jurisdiction to apply their own competition laws to the same transaction. However,
Member States may continue to apply their national laws to mergers, where such laws
are directed at securing other public interest objectives (for example, the plurality of the
media) and are compatible with EC law.
Sector inquiries
The European Commission also carries out sector inquiries into sectors of the economy
where it considers that a market does not seem to be working as well as it should.
Sector inquiries may lead the European Commission to open specific investigations under
Article 81 or Article 82.
UK competition rules
Anti-competitive agreements
Section 2(1) of the Competition Act 1998 (the ‘‘Chapter I prohibition’’) prohibits
agreements or concerted practices which may affect trade within the UK and which have
the object or effect of preventing, restricting or distorting competition within the UK. An
agreement will only infringe the Chapter I prohibition if it is likely to have an appreciable
effect on competition. Agreements which fall within the scope of the Chapter I
prohibition will not be prohibited where they meet specific statutory criteria, that is,
where they improve the production or distribution of goods or promote technical or
economic progress, provided that consumers receive a fair share of the resulting benefit,
competition is not substantially eliminated and the agreement does not contain
unnecessary restrictions.
Abuse of a dominant position
Section 18(1) of the Competition Act 1998 (the ‘‘Chapter II prohibition’’) prohibits the
abuse by one or more undertakings of a dominant position in the UK or a substantial
part of it, insofar as the abuse may affect trade within the UK.
Enforcement of the Chapter I and II prohibitions
The Chapter I and II prohibitions may be enforced by the OFT, one of the sector
regulators (in the case of the communications sector, Ofcom) or the UK courts.
The Chapter I and II prohibitions must be interpreted in a manner that is consistent with
Articles 81 and 82 of the EC Treaty.
Infringement of the Chapter I or II prohibitions may result in significant consequences
including fines, voidness or unenforceability of infringing agreements, prohibition of
infringing conduct, potential liability to third parties (notably for damages) and/or the
potential for involved directors to be disqualified.
Legal proceedings initiated by Virgin Media group
In April 2007, Virgin Media Communications Limited, Virgin Media Television Limited and
Virgin Media Limited issued proceedings in the High Court in England and Wales against
British Sky Broadcasting Group plc and British Sky Broadcasting Limited, alleging that the
Group has infringed Article 82 EC and the Chapter II prohibition by pursuing an anti-
competitive strategy designed to weaken Virgin Media group, which allegedly entailed (i)
a constructive refusal to supply the Group’s basic pay television channels to Virgin Media
group for supply via Virgin Media group’s cable network in the UK; (ii) a refusal to pay
fair prices for the right to carry Virgin Media group’s television channels as part of the
Group’s retail channel offering; and (iii) the Group’s purchase of a significant
shareholding in ITV plc (which purchase, it is alleged, was designed principally to
damage Virgin Media group’s ability to compete in the supply of pay television
services, by preventing Virgin Media group from obtaining access to attractive
programming content).
Virgin Media group seeks from the Court a declaration that the Group occupies a
dominant market position in specified pay TV retail and purchasing markets in the UK
and that the Group has, by its conduct as alleged, abused its dominant position(s)
contrary to Article 82 EC and the Chapter II prohibition on these relevant markets. Virgin
Media group also seeks mandatory injunctions requiring the Group to transact with
Virgin Media group on fair and/or non-discriminatory terms for the supply of the Group’s
basic pay television channels to Virgin Media and for the licensing of Virgin Media
group’s television channels, for on-supply to the Group’s subscribers. Virgin Media group
also seeks damages to compensate it for its alleged losses arising from the Group’s
alleged conduct.
The Group intends to defend the proceedings vigorously and submitted its defence to the
High Court on 2 July 2007 denying Virgin Media group’s allegations that it had infringed
Article 82 EC or Chapter II prohibition. It is, at this stage, too early to estimate the likely
outcome of the proceedings.
Mergers
The framework for the assessment of mergers under UK law is set out in Part 3 of the
Enterprise Act. A relevant merger situation (i.e. a transaction which involves a change of
control between previously distinct enterprises) qualifies for investigation by the OFT
where it satisfies either a share of supply test or a turnover test. There is no
requirement to notify mergers to the OFT nor to obtain prior regulatory clearance,
although the OFT has the power to investigate mergers on its own initiative.
Where the OFT reasonably believes that a relevant merger situation has or may have
been created, or may be created in future, and has resulted or may be expected to
result in a substantial lessening of competition, it has a duty to refer the merger to the
CC for further investigation. The OFT may accept remedies offered by the parties instead
of making a reference to the CC.
If a reference is made, the CC will decide whether a relevant merger situation has arisen
and, if so, whether the relevant merger situation would substantially lessen competition
and, if so, will either prohibit the merger or impose appropriate remedies.
In relation to media mergers (i.e. mergers involving newspaper and/or broadcasting
enterprises), the Secretary of State also has the power to intervene on the basis of
specified public interest grounds including relating to media plurality. Where the
Secretary of State issues an intervention notice, the OFT will investigate the competition/
jurisdictional issues and Ofcom will investigate the public interest issues relating to the
merger. The Secretary of State will then decide whether to refer the transaction to the
CC. The Secretary of State is required to follow the OFT’s findings on competition/
jurisdiction. In cases where a reference is made, the CC will investigate both the
competition and relevant public interest aspects of the merger and will report its findings
to the Secretary of State. Ofcom may also give further advice to the Secretary of State.
The Secretary of State will then decide whether the merger operates, or may be
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expected to operate, against the public interest and, if so, will decide on appropriate
remedies. The Secretary of State must accept the CC’s findings on competition/
jurisdiction, where relevant.
Irish competition rules
Our operations in Ireland are subject to the Irish competition law regime which regulates
anti-competitive agreements, abuses of a dominant position and mergers.
Environmental regulation
We are subject to environmental regulations that require our compliance. Failure to meet
the requirements of such regulations may lead to fines being incurred or damage to our
brand image.
Recent regulations based on EU Directives, notably the Waste Electrical and Electronic
Equipment Directive (‘‘WEEE Directive’’) and the Restriction on the use of certain
Hazardous Substances in electrical and electronic equipment Directive (‘‘RoHS Directive’’)
necessitate the removal of stipulated hazardous substances from products placed on the
market after mid 2005 within set timeframes and the recovery and recycling of electrical
products to specified levels. Both Directives apply to our purchase and supply of set-top
boxes and related equipment and require registrations to be completed by us, our
suppliers and retailers.
Other changes in the categorisation, segregation, storage and removal of certain hazardous
wastes require us to register sites that produce such wastes. Without registration, hazardous
wastes are not able to be removed from site for disposal. Incorrect disposal may lead to
regulatory action.
We track draft environmental directives and regulations to establish their applicability to
the business and enable an appropriate response to be planned and implemented.
Merger investigation of the Group’s acquisition of a shareholding in ITV plc
On 24 May 2007, the Secretary of State formally referred to the CC for investigation a
possible relevant merger situation arising from the Group’s acquisition of a 17.9%
shareholding in ITV plc. The CC is now required to examine the transaction and to
decide whether a relevant merger situation has arisen; and, if so, whether that situation
has resulted or may be expected to result in a substantial lessening of competition in
any relevant market; whether certain media public interest considerations specified in the
Secretary of State’s intervention notice are relevant to a consideration of the relevant
merger situation; and, taking account only of any substantial lessening of competition
and the media public interest consideration concerned, the creation of the relevant
merger situation operates or may be expected to operate against the public interest. The
Secretary of State’s intervention notice specified the relevant public interest consideration
as being the need, in relation to every different audience in the UK or in a particular
area or locality of the UK, for there to be a sufficient plurality of persons with control of
the media enterprises serving that audience. If, at the end of its investigation, the CC
reaches adverse conclusions, then that is likely to result in the imposition of remedies,
which could require the Group to observe behavioural rules, or to divest part of its
shareholding in ITV plc. The CC is presently expected to report to the Secretary of State
by early November 2007.
Market investigations
Part 4 of the Enterprise Act makes provision for a system of market investigations by the
CC. The OFT (or in relation to the communications sector, Ofcom) may make a market
investigation reference to the CC where it has reasonable grounds for suspecting that any
feature, or combination of features, of a market in the UK for goods or services prevents,
restricts, or distorts competition in connection with the supply or acquisition of any
goods or services in the UK or part of the UK. Instead of making a reference to the CC,
the OFT or Ofcom may accept remedial undertakings from the companies concerned.
Where the OFT (or, in relation to the communications sector, Ofcom) makes a market
investigation reference to the CC, the CC will conduct a detailed investigation. The CC may
decide that remedial action is required if it finds that there is an adverse effect on
competition in a market under investigation. Ultimately, the CC has extensive powers to
impose remedial action, including requiring divestments, requiring the licensing of know-
how or intellectual property, requiring firms to discontinue/adopt certain practices or
restraining the way firms would otherwise behave (e.g. imposing price caps).
Ofcom market investigation of pay TV industry
On 20 March 2007, Ofcom announced that it will investigate the UK pay TV industry,
following receipt and consideration of a submission from various industry participants
(BT, Setanta, Top Up TV and Virgin Media). Following this investigation, which will
include obtaining information from market participants, Ofcom will decide whether to
make a market reference under the Enterprise Act 2002 (the ‘‘Enterprise Act’’) to the CC,
which would be on the basis that it has reasonable grounds for suspecting that any
feature, or combination of features, of any market in the UK prevents, restricts or distorts
competition in connection with the supply of pay TV services in the UK. Ofcom will also
consider whether any concerns would be better addressed either using its sectoral
powers under the Communications Act or its powers under the Competition Act. Ofcom
has stated that its investigation will be concerned with features of the market, including
control over content, ownership of distribution platforms, retail subscriber bases and
vertical integration, and that, following its assessment of the market, it will decide
whether to make a market investigation reference to the CC. The Group is presently co-
operating with Ofcom’s investigation.
In addition, the National Consumer Council, which is a designated consumer body under
the Enterprise Act, has indicated that it is considering making a ‘‘super-complaint’’ to
Ofcom in relation to the provision of pay TV services in the UK. A ‘‘super-complaint’’ is a
complaint that ‘‘any feature or combination of features of a market in the UK for goods
or services is or appears to be significantly harming the interests of consumers’’. If
Ofcom decides to accept such a ‘‘supercomplaint’’, this can lead to a market study being
made into the issues raised, a market investigation reference being made to the CC (of
the type Ofcom itself has announced it is considering), or other enforcement action
under its competition or consumer powers.
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Financial review
............................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................
Introduction
The following discussion and analysis is based on, and should be read in conjunction
with, the consolidated financial statements, including the related notes, included within
this Annual Report. The consolidated financial statements have been prepared in
accordance with IFRS, which differs in certain respects from US GAAP. Note 31 to our
consolidated financial statements provides a description of the significant differences
between IFRS and US GAAP as they relate to the Group, and provides a reconciliation
from IFRS to US GAAP.
Overview and recent developments
During the year ended 30 June 2007 (‘‘the current year’’), total revenue increased by
10% to £4,551 million, compared to the year ended 30 June 2006 (‘‘the prior year’’).
Operating profit for the current year was £815 million, resulting in an operating profit
margin of 18%, compared to 21% in the prior year. Profit for the year was £499 million,
generating basic earnings per share of 28.4 pence, compared to 30.2 pence in the
prior year.
At 30 June 2007, the total number of DTH subscribers in the UK and Ireland was
8,582,000, representing a net increase of 406,000 subscribers in the current year. At
30 June 2007, the total number of Sky+ subscribers was 2,374,000, representing 28% of
total subscribers. This represents growth in Sky+ subscribers of 821,000 in the current
year. The number of Multiroom subscribers also continued to grow strongly, increasing
by 296,000 in the current year to 1,343,000; 16% penetration of total DTH subscribers.
The Group launched HD on 22 May 2006, and at 30 June 2007 the total number of
Sky HD subscribers was 292,000. To date HD is our fastest selling additional
television product.
DTH churn for the current year was 12.4% (2006: 11.1%). We define DTH churn as the
number of DTH subscribers over a given period that terminate their subscription in its
entirety, net of former subscribers who reinstate their subscription in that period (where
such reinstatement is within a twelve month period of the termination of their original
subscription). The increase on the prior year reflected the decision made during the
current year not to renew viewing package discounts and to improve price transparency.
Cable subscribers decreased to 1,259,000 compared to 3,898,000 in the prior year. This
reflects both a further reduction in the number of cable television subscribers to Sky’s
Premium Channels and the effect of Virgin Media, the cable retailer, ceasing to carry
Sky’s basic channels on its platform, following the expiry of an agreement at the end
of February 2007. During the current year we concluded wholesale distribution
agreements with Tiscali and a number of regional cable operators.
On 17 July 2006, the Group launched a broadband service for its DTH subscribers. The
total number of retail broadband subscribers at 30 June 2007 was 716,000. By the end
of the current year, we had unbundled 1,150 telephone exchanges (representing 70%
network coverage). The number of subscribers to our telephony package, Sky Talk,
reached 526,000 by the end of the current year.
On 17 November 2006, we acquired 696 million shares in ITV plc, representing 17.9%
of the issued share capital of ITV plc, at a price of 135 pence per share. The total
consideration paid amounted to £946 million, and was funded from our existing cash
balances and our previously undrawn revolving credit facility. This investment is currently
being reviewed by Ofcom and the CC (for further details see the Government
Regulation section).
On 23 January 2007, we announced that all the conditions of our offer for the entire
issued share capital of 365 Media had been satisfied or waived, and accordingly the offer
was declared unconditional in all respects. The total consideration paid amounted to
£105 million, and was principally funded from our existing cash balances. The acquisition
of 365 Media is intended to enhance our existing online strategy, by adding to our
portfolio of online assets, increasing our exposure to high growth revenue streams and
providing a broader platform to promote our gaming and betting activities as well as our
other sports related offerings.
Corporate
The Board of Directors is proposing a final dividend of 8.9 pence per ordinary share,
resulting in a total dividend for the year of 15.5 pence, representing growth of 27% over
the prior year full year dividend. The ex-dividend date will be 24 October 2007 and,
subject to shareholder approval at the Company’s Annual General Meeting, the dividend
will be paid on 16 November 2007 to shareholders of record on 26 October 2007.
During the year, we repurchased and cancelled 38 million shares for a total
consideration of £214 million, including stamp duty and commissions, which completed
the authority granted on 4 November 2005. For further details see note 24 to the
consolidated financial statements.
On 16 October 2006, we repaid the first bond we issued. The US$300 million bond
carried a coupon of 7.3% and was issued in October 1996.
On 3 April 2007, the Group established a Euro Medium Term Note Programme (the
‘‘EMTN Programme’’). The EMTN Programme provides the Group with a standardised
documentation platform to allow for senior debt issuance in the Eurobond markets. The
maximum potential issuance under the EMTN Programme is £1 billion.
On 14 May 2007, the Group issued Eurobonds consisting of £300 million Guaranteed
Notes paying 6.000% interest and maturing on 14 May 2027. The Eurobonds were
issued under the Group’s EMTN Programme. The net proceeds of the offering were used
to repay existing drawings under the Group’s revolving credit facility, to refinance
maturing bond debt and for general corporate purposes.
Operating results
Revenue
Our revenue is principally derived from retail subscription, wholesale subscription,
advertising on our wholly-owned channels, the provision of interactive betting and
gaming, and installation, hardware and servicing.
Our retail subscription revenue is a function of the number of DTH subscribers, the mix
of services provided and the rates charged. Revenue from the provision of pay-per-view
services, which include Sky Box Office, is included within retail subscription or wholesale
subscription revenue, as appropriate. Retail subscription revenue also includes retail
broadband subscription and Sky Talk revenue.
Our wholesale subscription revenue, which is revenue derived from the supply of Sky
Channels to cable platforms, is a function of the number of subscribers on cable
operators’ platforms, the mix of services taken by those subscribers and the rates
charged to those cable operators. We are currently a leading supplier of premium pay
television programming to cable operators in the UK and Ireland for re-transmission to
cable subscribers, although cable operators do not carry all Sky Channels.
Our advertising revenue is mainly a function of the number of commercial impacts,
defined as individuals watching one thirty-second commercial on our wholly owned
channels, together with the quality of impacts delivered and overall advertising market
conditions. Advertising revenue also includes net commissions earned by us from the
sale of advertising on those third-party channels for which we act as sales agent.
Sky Bet revenue represents our income in the period for betting and gaming activities,
defined as amounts staked by customers less betting payouts.
Installation, hardware and service revenue includes income from set-top box sales and
installation (including the sale of HD, Sky+ and Multiroom set-top boxes, and broadband),
service calls and warranties.
Other revenue principally includes income from online advertising, telephony income
from the use of interactive services (e.g. voting and games), text services, conditional
access and access control income from customers on the Sky digital platform, technical
platform service revenue, electronic programme guide fees, the provision of business
broadband, network services and customer management service fees.
Operating expense
Our operating expense arises from programming, transmission and related functions,
marketing, subscriber management and administration costs.
Programming costs include payment for: (i) licences of television rights from certain US
and European film licensors including the results of foreign exchange programme
hedges; (ii) the rights to televise certain sporting events; (iii) other programming acquired
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from third party licensors; (iv) the production and commissioning of original
programming; and (v) the rights to retail the Sky Distributed Channels to DTH
subscribers. The methods used to amortise programming inventories are described in
the ‘‘Critical Accounting Policies’’ section below.
Under our pay television agreements with the US major movie studios, we generally pay
a US dollar-denominated licence fee per movie calculated on a per movie subscriber
basis, subject to minimum guarantees, which were exceeded some time ago. During the
year, we managed our US dollar/pound sterling exchange risk primarily by the purchase
of forward foreign exchange contracts and currency options (collars) for up to five years
ahead (see note 22 to the consolidated financial statements). The Group offered
multiplexed versions of our movie channels on the DTH platform and on digital cable
which incurred no additional variable rights fees.
Under the DTH distribution agreements for the Sky Distributed Channels, we generally
pay a monthly fee per subscriber for each channel, the fee in some cases being subject
to periodic increases, or we pay a fixed fee or no such fee at all. A number of our
distribution agreements are subject to minimum guarantees, which are linked to the
proportion of the total number of subscribers receiving specific packages. Our costs for
carriage of the Sky Distributed Channels will (where a monthly per subscriber fee is
payable) continue to be dependent on changes in the subscriber base, contractual rates
and/or the number of channels distributed.
Financial and operating review
2007 fiscal year compared to 2006 fiscal year
Revenue
The Group’s revenue can be analysed as follows:
For the year to 30 June
2007
£m
%
2006
£m
%
Retail subscription
Wholesale subscription
Advertising
Sky Bet
Installation, hardware and service
Other
76
3,406
6
208
8
352
1
47
3
212
6
326
100
4,551
...........................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................
3,157
224
342
37
131
257
4,148
75
4
8
1
5
7
100
To provide a more relevant presentation, management has chosen to re-analyse the
revenue categories from those reported in the Annual Report for the year ended
30 June 2006. Other revenue now principally includes income from Easynet Enterprise,
Sky Active and technical platform service revenue.
Transmission and related functions costs are primarily dependent upon the number and
annual cost of the satellite transponders that we use. Our transponder capacity is
primarily acquired from the SES Astra and Eutelsat Eurobird satellites. Transmission and
related functions costs also include the costs associated with transmission, uplink and
telemetry facilities and the costs of operating the Group’s broadband network and Sky
Talk product.
The increase of £249 million in retail subscription revenue in the current year was
driven by a 5% increase in the average number of DTH subscribers and a 3% increase
in average retail revenue per subscriber, reflecting the decision made during the current
year not to renew viewing package discounts and increasing additional product
penetration. Included within retail subscription revenue is £66 million of incremental
retail broadband revenue and £4 million of Easynet Enterprise revenue.
Marketing costs include: (i) above-the-line spend (which promotes our brand and range
of products and services generally); (ii) below-the-line spend (which relates to the
growth and maintenance of the subscriber base, including commissions payable to
retailers and other agents for the sale of subscriptions and the costs of our own direct
marketing to our existing and potential subscribers); and (iii) the cost of providing and
installing digital satellite reception equipment to customers in excess of the relevant
amount actually received from customers for such equipment and installation.
Subscriber management costs include customer management costs, supply chain costs
and associated depreciation. Customer management costs are those associated with
managing new and existing subscribers, including subscriber handling and subscriber
bad debt costs. Supply chain costs relate to systems and infrastructure and the
installation costs of satellite reception equipment and installation costs of new products
purchased by subscribers such as HD, Sky+ and Multiroom set-top boxes, including
smartcard costs. Customer management costs and supply chain costs are largely
dependent on DTH subscriber levels and additions to subscribers in the year.
Administration costs include depreciation, channel management, facilities, other central
operational overheads and the expense recognised for awards granted under our
employee share option schemes.
For certain trend information related to our revenue and operating expense, see the
‘‘Trends and other information’’ section below.
The total number of UK and Ireland DTH subscribers increased by 406,000 in the current
year, to 8,582,000. This was as a result of increasing gross subscriber additions from
1,275,000 to 1,446,000 in the current year, partly offset by DTH churn in the current
year of 12.4% (2006: 11.1%).
Wholesale subscription revenue decreased by £16 million in the current year. This
reflects a further reduction in the number of cable television subscribers to Sky’s
premium channels and Virgin Media ceasing to carry Sky’s basic channels on its
platform, following the expiry (and non-renewal) of an agreement at the end
of February 2007. At 30 June 2007, there were 1,259,000 (30 June 2006: 3,898,000) UK
and Ireland cable subscribers to Sky channels.
Advertising revenue increased by £10 million in the current year, despite continued
contraction of the television advertising sector and the expiry of the contract to supply
Sky’s basic channels to Virgin Media at the end of February 2007. Our performance was
driven by a higher share of commercial viewing for those channels on which we sell
advertising, up from 13% for the year ended 30 June 2006 to 14% for the year ended
30 June 2007.
Sky Bet revenue increased by £10 million in the current year as a result of strong
growth in internet sports betting and television games. This increase reflected the
inclusion of an additional £4 million of revenue generated by 365 Media (which was
acquired in January 2007).
Installation, hardware and service revenue increased by £81 million in the current year
due to increased gross customer additions and customer upgrades, and a higher volume
of premium-priced hardware sales, including HD PVRs. Included within installation,
hardware and service revenue is £7 million of incremental retail broadband revenue.
Other revenue of £326 million increased by £69 million in the current year. This increase
reflected the inclusion of an additional £76 million of revenue generated by the Easynet
Enterprise business (which was acquired in January 2006), growth in website revenues
(including a contribution from 365 Media), partly offset by lower Sky Active revenue.
Included within other revenue is £1 million of incremental retail broadband revenue.
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Financial and operating review
continued
Operating expense
The Group’s operating expense can be analysed as follows:
For the year to 30 June
2007
£m
%
2006
£m
%
Programming
Transmission and related functions
Marketing
Subscriber management
Administration
49
1,539
7
402
19
734
14
618
11
443
100
3,736
...........................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................
1,599
234
622
468
348
3,271
41
11
20
16
12
100
Within programming expense, Sky Sports channels’ programming costs increased by
10% to £842 million in the current year. This was a result of an increased level of live
coverage, the occurence of the biennial Ryder Cup and the Cricket World Cup in the
current year and a wider coverage of county and international cricket following the
addition of the new England Cricket Board contract. Sky Movies channels’ programming
costs decreased by 8% to £285 million in the current year reflecting savings generated
from contract renewals and a £10 million foreign exchange benefit resulting from a
more favourable average exchange rate at which US dollars were purchased. News and
entertainment programming costs decreased by 8% to £184 million in the current year,
primarily due to a play out of older stock in the prior year.
Included within programming expense for the current year are third party channel costs,
which include our costs in relation to the distribution agreements for the Sky Distributed
Channels. Third party channel costs decreased by 29% to £228 million in the current
year. The cost increase resulting from the 5% increase in the average number of DTH
subscribers was more than offset by savings generated from the renewal of some of our
channel distribution contracts on improved terms during the current period.
Included within third party channel costs for the current year is a £65 million credit
received by the Group, arising from certain contractual rights under one of the Group’s
channel distribution agreements. This item was previously disclosed as a contingent asset
in the 2006 financial statements.
Transmission and related function costs increased by £168 million in the current year, of
which £101 million related to incremental retail broadband network costs and £60
million related to the consolidation of a full year of Easynet Enterprise costs (Easynet was
acquired in January 2006).
Marketing costs increased by £112 million in the current year. This increase was driven
by additional above the line spend following the launch of HD and the ‘‘See, Speak, Surf’’
campaign; an increased number of gross subscriber additions during the period and an
increased number of existing customers taking product upgrades, partly offset by some
supply chain savings and sales of premium priced HD set-top boxes. We also increased
our expenditure on retention and other marketing, predominantly due to further
investment in our customer segmentation database and an increase in online marketing
costs. Included within the increase for the current year are incremental retail broadband
costs of £49 million and £2 million of Easynet Enterprise costs.
Subscriber management costs increased by £150 million in the current year. This
increase reflects higher hardware, installation and service costs, a direct result of
increased gross additions, expenditure on customer services operations, and depreciation
relating to the implementation of new CRM systems. Also included within the increase in
subscriber management expenses for the current year are incremental retail broadband
costs of £60 million and £8 million of Easynet Enterprise costs.
Administration costs increased by £95 million in the current year, of which £16 million
related to incremental retail broadband expenses, £22 million related to Easynet
Enterprise costs, and £15 million related to higher depreciation charges from information
systems investment.
Included within administration expense for the year ended 30 June 2007 is £16 million
of expense relating to the legal costs incurred to date on the Group’s claim against EDS
British Sky Broadcasting Group plc
Annual Report 2007
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(an information and technology solutions provider), which provided services to the
Group as part of the Group’s investment in customer management systems software
and infrastructure.
Operating profit and operating margin
Operating profit decreased by 7% to £815 million in the current year. This decrease was
driven by the increase in operating expense described above, partly offset by the increase
in retail subscription and other revenue. As a result, operating margin (calculated as total
revenue less all operating expense as a percentage of total revenue) for the current year
was 18%, compared to 21% in the prior year.
Joint ventures and associates
Joint ventures are entities in which we hold a long-term interest and share control under
a contractual arrangement with other parties. Our equity share of the net operating
results from joint ventures and associates of £12 million was in line with the prior year.
Investment income and finance costs
Investment income decreased by 12% to £46 million in the current year. The decrease
was primarily due to lower levels of cash on deposit, subsequent to the investment in
ITV plc, offset by a £13 million dividend receivable from our investment in ITV plc.
Finance costs increased by 4% to £149 million in the current year. This increase was
primarily as a result of an increase in the Group’s total borrowings, following the issue
of Guaranteed Notes in May 2007, and interest payments on the Group’s revolving credit
facility which was drawn down in November 2006. These increases were partly offset by
a £6 million favourable movement on the remeasurement of the value of derivative
financial instruments not qualifying for hedge accounting.
Taxation
The total tax charge for the current year of £225 million (2006: £247 million) comprises
a current tax charge of £189 million (2006: £141 million) and a deferred tax charge of
£36 million (2006: £106 million). The deferred tax charge decreased by £70 million
principally as a result of a net reduction in the unwind of the deferred tax asset in
relation to accelerated capital allowances. This resulted in an effective tax rate for the
current year of 31%, in line with the prior year.
Profit for the year and earnings per share
Profit for the year was £499 million compared with £551 million in the prior year,
mainly as a result of a decrease in operating profit of £62 million and an increase in
finance costs of £6 million, partially offset by a decrease in taxation of £22 million.
The Group’s earnings per share are as follows:
2007
pence
2006
pence
Earnings per share from profit for the year
Basic
Diluted
Adjusted earnings per share from profit for the year
30.7p
Basic
30.6p
Diluted
...........................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................
26.3p
26.1p
30.2p
30.1p
28.4p
28.2p
In order to provide a measure of underlying performance, management have chosen to
present an adjusted profit for the year which excludes items that may distort
comparability. See note 9 of the consolidated financial statements for a detailed
reconciliation between profit for the year and adjusted profit for the year.
Earnings per share of 28.4 pence were 1.8 pence lower than in the prior year. Earnings
per share decreased as a result of a lower profit for the year, partly offset by the effect
of our share buy-back programmes. During the current year, a total of 38 million
shares were repurchased for cancellation, and during the prior year 76 million shares
were repurchased.
Balance sheet
Goodwill increased by £104 million, primarily due to the completion of the 365 Media
acquisition during the year.
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Property, plant and equipment and intangible assets increased by £194 million, due to
£361 million of additions in the year and £25 million of additions from business
combinations, partly offset by depreciation and amortisation of £192 million.
Available-for-sale investments increased by £795 million, primarily due to the acquisition
of shares in ITV plc on 17 November 2006. This investment has been revalued to its
current market value as at 30 June 2007. The movement has been recognised in the
available-for-sale reserve.
Current assets decreased by £920 million, predominantly due to a £1,013 million
reduction in our cash and short-term deposit balances following the acquisition of shares
in ITV plc, the completion of our share buy-back programme and the repayment of our
US$300 million Guaranteed Notes in October 2006. This decrease in current assets was
partly offset by a £60 million increase in inventories due to timing of invoicing and
payments for the FAPL agreement.
Current liabilities decreased by £48 million, due to the repayment of our US$300 million
Guaranteed Notes in October 2006, which was included within current liabilities
at June 2006, offset by an increase in trade and other payables of £48 million mainly
due to the timing of invoicing and payments for the FAPL agreement, and an increase in
our current tax liability of £62 million.
Non-current borrowings increased by £189 million, primarily due to the issuance of
£300 million aggregate principal amount of Eurobonds on 14 May 2007, partly offset by
the weakening of the US dollar during the year reducing the carrying value of our US
dollar denominated borrowings.
Foreign exchange
For details of the impact of foreign currency fluctuations on our financial position and
performance, see note 22 to the consolidated financial statements.
Contingent assets and liabilities
The Group has served a claim for a material amount against EDS (an information and
technology solutions provider), which provided services to the Group as part of the
Group’s investment in customer management systems software and infrastructure. The
amount which may be recovered by the Group will not be finally determined until
resolution of the claim.
In April 2007, Virgin Media Communications Limited, Virgin Media Television Limited and
Virgin Media Limited issued proceedings in the High Court in England and Wales against
British Sky Broadcasting Group plc and British Sky Broadcasting Limited, alleging that the
Group has infringed Article 82 EC and the Chapter II prohibition by pursuing an
anticompetitive strategy designed to weaken Virgin Media group, which allegedly entailed
(i) a constructive refusal to supply the Group’s basic pay television channels to Virgin
Media group for supply via Virgin Media group’s cable network in the UK; (ii) a refusal to
pay fair prices for the right to carry Virgin Media group’s television channels as part of
the Group’s retail channel offering; and (iii) the Group’s purchase of a significant
shareholding in ITV plc (which purchase was, it is alleged, designed principally to
damage Virgin Media group’s ability to compete in the supply of pay television services,
by preventing Virgin Media group from obtaining access to attractive programming
content). Virgin Media group seeks from the Court a declaration that the Group occupies
a dominant market position in specified pay TV retail and purchasing markets in the UK
and that the Group has, by its conduct as alleged, abused its dominant position(s)
contrary to Article 82 EC and the Chapter II prohibition on these relevant markets. Virgin
Media group also seeks mandatory injunctions requiring the Group to transact with
Virgin Media group on fair and/or non-discriminatory terms for the supply of the Group’s
basic pay television channels to Virgin Media and for the licensing of Virgin Media
group’s television channels, for on-supply to the Group’s subscribers. Virgin Media group
also seeks damages to compensate it for its alleged losses arising from the Group’s
alleged conduct.
The Group intends to defend the proceedings vigorously and submitted its defence to the
High Court on 2 July 2007 denying Virgin Media group’s allegations that it had infringed
Article 82 EC or Chapter II prohibition. It is, at this stage, too early to estimate the likely
outcome of the proceedings.
Liquidity and capital resources
An analysis of the movement in our net debt (including related fees) is as follows:
As at 1 July
2006
£m
Cash
movements
£m
Non-cash
movements
£m
As at 30 June
2007
£m
(163)
293
130
163
1,825
1,988
16
Current borrowings
2,014
Non-current borrowings
2,030
Debt
...........................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................
Borrowings-related derivative
258
financial instruments
(435)
Cash and cash equivalents
(15)
Short-term deposits
1,838
Net debt
...........................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................
(27)
381
632
1,116
236
(816)
(647)
761
49
–
–
(39)
16
(104)
(88)
Our long-term funding comes primarily from our issued equity and US dollar and
sterling-denominated public debt raised in 1999, 2005 and 2007. As at 30 June 2007,
the Group’s net debt was £1,838 million. The public bond debt issued in 1999 is
repayable in 2009, and we currently believe that our financial position will enable us to
meet the repayment requirements. The public bond debt issued in 2005 (which is
repayable in 2015, 2017 and 2035) and the public bond debt issued in 2007 (which is
repayable in 2027) has been, and will continue to be, used for general corporate
purposes, including the refinancing of maturing debt and extending the maturity profile
of our debt. In addition, we may use proceeds of the offerings for acquisitions of
businesses and assets in support of our Group strategy. On 16 October 2006, the Group
repaid the US$300 million aggregate principal amount of Guaranteed Notes paying
7.300%, which was issued in October 1996 for £189 million. For details of the Group’s
facilities and long-term funding see note 21 of the consolidated financial statements.
For details of the Group’s treasury activities see note 22 of the consolidated
financial statements.
Our principal source of liquidity is cash generated from operations combined with
access to the £1 billion RCF, which we entered into in November 2004. At 30 June 2007,
this facility was undrawn (30 June 2006: undrawn). Furthermore, on 3 April 2007, the
Group established an EMTN Programme. The EMTN Programme provides the Group with
a standardised documentation platform to allow for senior debt issuance in the Eurobond
markets (the Group used the EMTN Programme to issue £300 million Guaranteed Notes
during the year). The maximum potential issuance under the EMTN Programme is
£1 billion.
The Group refers to net debt in discussing its indebtedness and liquidity position. Net
debt is a non-GAAP measure that management uses to provide an assessment of the
overall indebtedness of the Group. The most similar IFRS GAAP measures are current
and non-current borrowings.
Management uses net debt to calculate and track adherence to the Group’s borrowing
covenants as disclosed in note 21 ‘‘Borrowings and non-current other payables’’. In
addition, management monitors the Group’s net debt position because net debt is a
commonly used measure in the investment analyst community and net debt is a key
metric used by Moody’s and Standard & Poor’s in their assessment of the Group’s credit
rating. As such, management makes decisions about the appropriate investing and
borrowing activities of the Group by reference to, amongst other things, net debt.
Cash flows
During the current year, cash generated from operations was £1,007 million, compared
with an inflow of £1,004 million in the prior year. The decrease in operating profit of
£62 million was more than offset by working capital savings and higher depreciation and
amortisation expense. Net cash generated from operating activities was further impacted
by an increase in interest received and a reduction in taxation paid.
During the current year, payments for property, plant and equipment and intangible
assets were £356 million, compared with £212 million in the prior year, following
further progress on a number of capital expenditure and infrastructure projects. A total
of £160 million has been invested in the broadband network, and £30 million was
invested to progress the Group’s property and infrastructure projects. We invested
£12 million to upgrade our production and broadcast facilities in relation to our high
definition services. We also made payments totalling £15 million in the year to a third
party for development of encryption technology, which have been capitalised as an
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intangible asset. The remaining £139 million was spent on a number of projects
including the development of new products and services.
Purchases of available-for-sale investments of £947 million in the current year principally
comprised the acquisition of shares in ITV plc on 17 November 2006 for total
consideration of £946 million. Payments for the purchase of subsidiaries amounting to
£104 million in the current year were primarily due to the acquisition of 365 Media. In
the prior year, purchases of subsidiaries of £209 million primarily comprised the
purchase of Easynet Group plc.
On 14 May 2007, the Group issued Guaranteed Notes consisting of £300 million
aggregate principal amount of notes paying 6.000% interest, resulting in a net cash
inflow of £295 million. In the prior year, the Group issued Guaranteed Notes consisting
of US$750 million aggregate principal amount of notes paying 5.625% interest,
US$350 million aggregate principal amount of notes paying 6.500% interest and
£400 million aggregate principal amount of notes paying 5.750% interest, resulting in a
cash inflow of £1,014 million. On 16 October 2006, the Group repaid US$300 million of
7.300% Guaranteed Notes, resulting in a cash outflow of £189 million, net of related
derivative financial instruments.
On 4 November 2005, the Company’s shareholders approved a resolution at the Annual
General Meeting for the Company to purchase up to 92 million Ordinary Shares of the
Company. During the current year, the Company purchased, and subsequently cancelled,
38 million Ordinary Shares at an average price of £5.55 per share, for a consideration of
£214 million. This represents 2% of called-up share capital at the beginning of the
current year. The buy-back authority which authorised the Company’s share repurchase
was not renewed at the Company’s Annual General Meeting held on 3 November 2006.
During the current year, interest payments were £154 million, compared to £105 million
in the prior year. This increase in payments reflects the increased level of indebtedness
following the issue of new Guaranteed Notes in October 2005 and the investment in
ITV plc.
During the current year, equity dividend payments were £233 million, compared to
£191 million in the prior year. We expect that future payments will increase in line with
the Board’s expected dividend policy described in the ‘‘Trends and other information’’
section below.
The above cash flows, in addition to other net movements of £33 million, and non-
cash movements of £39 million resulted in an increase in net debt of £1,077 million to
£1,838 million.
2006 fiscal year compared to 2005 fiscal year
Revenue
The Group’s revenue can be analysed as follows:
For the year to 30 June
2006
£m
%
2005
£m
%
Retail subscription
Wholesale subscription
Advertising
Sky Bet
Installation, hardware and service
Other
77
3,157
6
224
9
342
1
37
3
131
4
257
100
4,148
...........................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................
2,974
219
329
32
128
160
3,842
76
6
8
1
3
6
100
To provide a more relevant presentation, management has chosen to re-analyse the
revenue categories from those reported in the Annual Report for the year ended
30 June 2006. Other revenue now principally includes income from Easynet Enterprise,
Sky Active and technical platform service revenue.
DTH revenue per subscriber to £375 in the 2006 fiscal year from £374 in the 2005
fiscal year.
The total number of UK and Ireland DTH subscribers increased by 389,000 in the 2006
fiscal year to 8,176,000. This was a result of an increase in gross subscriber additions by
50,000 to 1,275,000 during 2006, partly offset by DTH churn for 2006 of 11.1% (2005:
10.3%). The increase in average DTH revenue per subscriber reflected the change in our
UK retail prices in September 2005.
Wholesale subscription revenue increased by £5 million compared to the 2005 fiscal
year, mainly due to the increase in wholesale prices in September 2005, which was
partly offset by the decline in the absolute number of pay-TV cable customers taking one
or more Premium Channels. At 30 June 2006, there were 3,898,000 (2005: 3,872,000)
UK and Ireland cable subscribers to our programming.
The increase in advertising revenue of £13 million reflects a further one percentage point
increase in Sky’s share of the UK television advertising sector during the 2006 fiscal year
to 13.0%.
Sky Bet revenue increased by £5 million compared to the 2005 fiscal year as a result of
strong growth in stakes placed by customers.
Installation, hardware and service revenue of £131 million was in line with the previous
year. Growth in interactive advertising and enhanced TV service revenue were more than
offset by the absence of SkyBuy revenue, following the closure of the business in the
final quarter of the 2005 fiscal year.
Other revenue increased by £97 million compared to the 2005 fiscal year. This increase
was as a result of the inclusion of £76 million of revenue generated by the corporate
business of Easynet (which was acquired during the 2006 fiscal year), the first full year
effect of Sky credit card revenue and the Sky News channel five contract.
Operating expense
The Group’s operating expense can be analysed as follows:
For the year to 30 June
2006
£m
%
2005
£m
%
Programming
Transmission and related functions
Marketing
Subscriber management
Administration
1,599
54
234
6
622
17
468
13
348
10
100
3,271
...........................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................
1,635
171
527
392
295
3,020
49
7
19
14
11
100
Sky Sports channels’ programming costs increased by 2% to £766 million in the 2006
fiscal year from £750 million in the 2005 fiscal year due to an increased level of live
coverage and a wider sports offering following the addition of the new ECB cricket
contract and an additional cricket tour during the 2006 fiscal year. The associated
increase in costs was partially offset by the absence of the Ryder Cup, a biennial event,
in the 2006 fiscal year. Sky Movies channels’ programming costs decreased by 10% to
£310 million in the 2006 fiscal year from £343 million in the 2005 fiscal year, reflecting
savings generated from contract renewals, the relative timing of licence period start dates
for our portfolio of movies which has a consequent effect on the amount of amortisation
recognised between years, and a foreign exchange benefit of £8 million from a more
favourable average exchange rate at which US dollars were purchased. News and
entertainment programming costs increased by 11% to £200 million in the 2006 fiscal
year from £180 million in the 2005 fiscal year due to an increase in expenditure on
commissioned programming for Sky One and increased investment in Sky News.
Third party channel costs decreased by 11% to £323 million in the 2006 fiscal year from
£362 million in the 2005 fiscal year. This reflected a 15% reduction in the cost per
subscriber, partly offset by a 5% increase in the average number of DTH subscribers.
This saving was generated by the renewal of a number of our contracts on improved
terms during the 2006 fiscal year.
Retail subscription revenue increased by £183 million in the 2006 fiscal year mainly due
to a 5% increase in the average number of DTH subscribers and an increase in average
Transmission and related costs increased by £63 million, as a result of the consolidation
of Easynet network costs since acquisition in January 2006 and broadband costs.
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Marketing costs increased by £95 million compared to the 2005 fiscal year. Marketing
costs to new customers grew by £51 million to £359 million reflecting an increased
number of gross additions during the 2006 fiscal year and a higher proportion of new
customers taking new products. During the 2006 fiscal year, 18% of new customers
chose to take Sky+ from day one, compared to 13% in the 2005 fiscal year. Above the
line marketing costs for the 2006 fiscal year remained broadly flat at £75 million and
retention and other marketing costs increased by £18 million on the 2005 fiscal year to
£110 million.
Subscriber management costs increased by £76 million. This reflected the first time
consolidation of Easynet and broadband expenses of £12 million, depreciation of the new
customer management systems of £26 million and growth of £38 million due to the
expansion of the Group’s customer management operation to further improve customer
service levels and manage the increase in sales activity. During the 2006 fiscal year, Sky
expanded its existing customer service operations in Scotland, adding 1,500 new
customer advisor positions and 600 new home installation engineers in preparation for
the roll-out of broadband and providing the Group with one of the largest customer
service and home installation workforces in the UK.
As a result of the acquisition of Easynet, the Group recognised a deferred tax asset of
£83 million during the 2006 fiscal year, representing timing differences on fixed assets.
The current tax charge in 2006 benefited from a partial unwind of this asset by
£59 million, reducing the cash tax liability due in respect of the 2006 fiscal year profits
accordingly. The balance is expected to unwind in future periods.
Profit for the year and earnings per share
Profit for the 2006 fiscal year was £551 million compared with £578 million in the 2005
fiscal year, mainly as a result of an increase in finance costs of £56 million, an increase
in taxation of £38 million as a result of increased profitability, and a profit on disposal of
a joint venture in the 2005 fiscal year of £9 million, offset by an increase in operating
profit of £55 million and an increase in investment income of £23 million.
Basic earnings per share were 30.2 pence in the 2006 fiscal year, in line with the 2005
fiscal year. The decrease in profit for the 2005 fiscal year was offset by the effect of our
share buy-back programmes. During the 2005 fiscal year, a total of 74.3 million shares
were repurchased for cancellation, and during the 2006 fiscal year 76.4 million shares
were repurchased for cancellation.
Administration costs increased by £53 million compared to the 2005 fiscal year. This was
a result of the consolidation of £29 million of Easynet and broadband administration
expenses and a higher depreciation charge of £16 million resulting from the
infrastructure investment programme, which commenced in August 2004.
Adjusted basic earnings per share were 30.7 pence in the 2006 fiscal year, a 9%
increase compared to the 2005 fiscal year. For a reconciliation from earnings per share
to adjusted earnings per share, see note 9 to the consolidated financial statements.
The 2005 fiscal year administration expense was offset by a £13 million receipt following
the settlement of ITV Digital programming receivables.
Operating profit and operating margin
Operating profit increased by 7% to £877 million in the 2006 fiscal year from
£822 million in the 2005 fiscal year. This increase was driven by the increase in DTH
subscribers, advertising and other revenue, as detailed above, partly offset by the
increase in operating expense as detailed above.
Operating margin (calculated as total revenue less all operating expense as a percentage
of total revenue) for the 2006 fiscal year was 21%, in line with the 2005 fiscal year.
Joint ventures and associates
Our share of the net operating results from joint ventures and associates decreased from
a £14 million net profit in the 2005 fiscal year to a £12 million net profit in the 2006
fiscal year due to the disposal of the Group’s holding in Granada Sky Broadcasting
(‘‘GSB’’) during the 2005 fiscal year, the disposal of the Group’s holding in Music Choice
Europe during the 2006 fiscal year, and lower profits from the History Channel, partly
offset by improved profits from National Geographic and Attheraces.
Investment income and finance costs
Investment income increased by 79% to £52 million in the 2006 fiscal year from
£29 million in the 2005 fiscal year. This increase was primarily due to higher levels of
cash on deposit, subsequent to the issue of Guaranteed Notes in October 2005.
Finance costs increased by 64% to £143 million in the 2006 fiscal year from £87 million
in the 2005 fiscal year. This increase was primarily a result of the increase in our total
borrowings, which increased from £982 million at 30 June 2005 to £1,988 million at
30 June 2006, following the issue of Guaranteed Notes in October 2005. The higher
charge also reflected an £18 million non-cash movement in the marked-to-market
valuation of non-hedge accounted derivatives and the net impact on interest following
the acquisition of Easynet.
Profit on disposal of joint venture
On 1 November 2004, we sold our 49.5% investment in GSB to ITV plc for £14 million
cash consideration. After deducting the carrying value of the investment in GSB, the
disposal generated a profit of £9 million.
Taxation
The total tax charge for the 2006 fiscal year of £247 million comprised a current tax
charge of £141 million and a deferred tax charge of £106 million. The mainstream
corporation tax liability for that period was £147 million and in accordance with the
quarterly payment regime, £95 million was paid during the 2006 fiscal year in respect of
this liability.
Major non-cash transactions
Corporate reorganisation
On 13 April 2005, the High Court approved a reduction in the share capital of
BSkyB Investments Limited, a 100% owned subsidiary. This formed part of a
corporate reorganisation, allowing the Company access to significant additional
distributable reserves.
Tabular disclosure of contractual obligations
A summary of our contractual obligations and commercial commitments due by period at
30 June 2007 is shown below:
Less than
1 year
£m
Between
1-3 years
£m
Between
3-5 years
£m
More than
5 years
£m
Total
£m
Obligation or commitment
Purchase obligations
— Programme rights(1)
— Set-top boxes
— Third party payments(2)
— Transponder capacity(3)
— Capital expenditure
— Other
Borrowings(4)
Interest costs
Operating leases(5)
Finance leases(6)
17
—
1
112
—
—
1,248
878
79
62
2,397
.................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................
2,638
187
118
331
20
58
1,987
1,436
206
66
7,047
1,581
6
68
93
—
17
723
233
54
1
2,776
919
181
35
64
20
41
16
155
32
1
1,464
121
—
14
62
—
—
—
170
41
2
410
For the avoidance of doubt, this table does not include obligations or commitments
relating to employee costs.
(1) At 30 June 2007, the Group had minimum television programming rights
commitments of £2,638 million (2006: £3,260 million), of which £527 million (2006:
£667 million) related to commitments payable in US dollars for periods of up to six
years (2006: six years).
Assuming that movie subscriber numbers remain unchanged from current levels, an
additional £284 million (US$569 million) of commitments (2006: £363 million
(US$671 million)) would also be payable in US dollars, relating to price escalator
clauses. The pound sterling television programme rights commitments include similar
price escalation clauses that would result in additional commitments of £10 million
(2006: £2 million) if subscriber numbers were to remain at current levels.
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(2) The third party payment commitments are in respect of distribution agreements for
the Sky Distributed Channels and are for periods of up to seven years (2006: five
years). The extent of the commitment is largely dependent upon the number of DTH
subscribers to the relevant Sky Distributed Channels, and in certain cases, upon
inflationary increases. If both the DTH subscriber levels to these channels and the
rate payable for each Sky Distributed Channel were to remain at current levels
subject to inflationary increases, the additional commitment would be £968 million
(2006: £491 million).
(3) Transponder capacity commitments are in respect of the Astra and Eurobird satellites
that the Group uses for digital transmissions to both DTH subscribers and cable
operators. The commitments are for periods of up to thirteen years (2006: fourteen
years). Three additional transponder agreements were entered into in the year ended
30 June 2006 to provide capacity to facilitate the launch of the Group’s HD services.
(4) Further information concerning borrowings is given in note 21 of the consolidated
financial statements.
(5) At 30 June 2007, our operating lease obligations totalled £206 million (2006:
£144 million), the majority of which related to property leases.
(6) At 30 June 2007, our obligations under finance leases were £66 million (2006:
£67 million). This primarily represents financing arrangements in connection with
the customer management centre in Dunfermline, Scotland (which expires in
September 2020) and the broadband network infrastructure (which expires
in March 2040). For further details see note 21 of the consolidated
financial statements.
Trends and other information
The significant trends which have a material effect on our financial performance are
outlined below.
The number of DTH homes increased by 406,000 in the current year to 8,582,000,
compared to growth of 389,000 in the prior year. We expect growth in subscriber
numbers to continue as a result of the implementation of our current marketing strategy,
with the aim of achieving our target of 10 million DTH subscribers in 2010. Sky+ and
Multiroom subscribers both increased substantially in the current year — by 53% and
28% respectively — representing a penetration of total DTH subscribers of 28% and 16%
respectively. We reached our target of 25% Sky+ penetration in the third quarter of fiscal
2007, three years early. We expect Multiroom subscriber growth to continue, consistent
with achieving our target of 30% Multiroom penetration of DTH subscribers in 2010. On
22 May 2006, we launched our HD service, and at 30 June 2007, there were 292,000
subscribers (2006: 38,000). DTH churn for the current year was 12.4%, compared to
11.1% in the prior year, reflecting the decision made during the period to reduce
viewing package discounts and improve price transparency. Over the medium term we
expect a reduction in our churn. We launched our retail broadband service on 18
July 2006, and at 30 June 2007 there were 716,000 broadband subscribers. We expect
there to be substantial growth in the number of retail broadband connections activated
in future years. The number of Sky Talk subscribers increased by 342,000 in the current
year to 526,000. We expect growth in Sky Talk subscribers to continue. Price increases,
the increased number of subscribers to our Multiroom and HD products and the launch
of new services are expected to generate increased retail revenue on a per
subscriber basis.
The operating margin for the current year was 18%, down from 21% in the prior year.
In the shorter term, we expect our operating margin will decline, primarily due to the
continued development, investment in and launch of our retail broadband services.
During the current year, the number of cable homes receiving Sky Channels in the UK
and Ireland decreased by 2,639,000 to 1,259,000 following an increase of 26,000 in the
prior year. Following the expiry of an agreement at the end of February 2007, Sky’s
Basic Channels ceased to be carried on Virgin Media’s platform. We estimate operating
profit will be adversely affected by around £15 million should our Basic Channels remain
off Virgin Media’s platform tor the entirety of the first quarter of fiscal 2008. We
currently expect cable subscriber numbers to remain stable in the foreseeable future,
although this is dependent on the strategies of the relevant cable companies, as they
relate to the distribution of our channels (for further details see ‘‘Review of the business
— Risk factors’’).
Advertising revenue increased by 3% in the current year. If Sky’s basic channels remain
off Virgin Media’s platform, we expect that our share of UK television advertising revenue
will decline. Over the medium term we expect our overall advertising revenue to grow,
despite a challenging TV advertising sector, primarily as a result of increasing commercial
impacts for those channels for which we sell airtime.
Sky Bet revenue increased by 27% in the current year. We expect Sky Bet revenue to
continue to grow, driven by customer acquisitions to the Sky platform and recently
acquired 365 Media content websites, an improved on-line gaming proposition, and
continued strong growth of Sky Poker which launched in February 2007. As a result of
the Gambling Act of 2005, regulation in the UK passes to the Gambling Commission
from 1 September 2007. From this date, Sky Bet will operate an on-shore sportsbook,
regulated by the Gambling Commission, and will operate gaming products off-shore,
regulated by the Alderney Gambling Control Commission. Sky Bet continues to operate
measures to prevent US residents using our services.
Programming costs were in line with the prior year. Included within programming costs
for the current year is a £65 million receipt, arising from certain contractual rights under
one of the Group’s channel distribution agreements. Following our successful bid for four
of the six available packages (each of 23 games) of exclusive live UK television rights to
FAPL football from the beginning of the 2007/08 season to the end of the 2009/10
season and because of anticipated intensifying competition for programming, our
expenditure on programming costs will increase in the future. We will continue to seek
to reduce the per subscriber cost in relation to the Sky Distributed Channels, as and
when the contracts for these are renewed. However, we do expect minor fluctuations
depending upon the timing of individual programming agreements and the consequential
delivery and availability of programming to the Group.
Transmission and related functions costs increased during the current year, and are
expected to continue to increase in future years at a higher rate than the growth in
subscribers, resulting in an increased cost per subscriber, reflecting the costs of
operating our Sky Talk service, the launch of retail broadband services and increased
depreciation charges.
Marketing costs increased in the current and prior years. We expect marketing costs to
increase in the shorter term, principally due to costs associated with the promotion of
our retail broadband service.
Subscriber management costs increased during the current year at a higher rate than in
the prior year. We expect that subscriber management costs will increase at a higher
rate over the next few years due to a greater proportion of Sky+ and HD customers,
whose installations carry higher hardware costs than the standard installations, and
increased costs associated with the launch of retail broadband services, partly offset by a
reduction in the cost of set-top boxes. We are also investing in increasing the capacity of
our contact centres, which is expected to result in an associated increase in the cost of
subscriber management.
Administration costs increased in the current and prior years, and are expected to
continue increasing in the foreseeable future due to the growth in our overall business
and higher depreciation charges relating to investment in our properties, including
expenditure on broadcasting infrastructure.
The Directors are proposing a final dividend for 2006/07 of 8.9 pence per share, which,
combined with the interim dividend of 6.6 pence per share, will result in total dividend
growth of 27% on the prior year total dividend. The Group continues to be cash
generative despite the projected reduction in short term earnings per share as a result of
the investment in broadband. It is therefore the Board’s aim to maintain a progressive
dividend policy through the broadband investment phase, resulting in continued real
growth in dividend per share.
We currently believe that our existing external financing, together with internally
generated cash inflows, will continue to be sufficient sources of liquidity to fund our
current operations, including our contractual obligations and commercial
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commitments described above, our approved capital expenditure requirements and any
dividends proposed.
Off-balance sheet arrangements
At 30 June 2007, the Company did not have any undisclosed off-balance sheet
arrangements that require disclosure as defined under the applicable rules of the
Securities and Exchange Commission.
Research and development
During the current year, the Group made payments totalling £15 million to a third party
for development of encryption technology (2006: £15 million; 2005: £11 million). The
Group did not incur any other significant research and development expenditure in the
current or prior years.
Related party transactions
The Group conducts all business transactions with companies which are part of the News
Corporation group (‘‘News Corporation’’), a major shareholder, on an arm’s length basis.
During the year the Group made purchases of goods and services from News
Corporation totalling £195 million (2006: £175 million; 2005: £163 million) and supplied
services to News Corporation totalling £18 million (2006: £21 million; 2005: £18 million).
During the year the Group made purchases of goods and services from joint ventures
and associates totalling £49 million (2006: £46 million; 2005: £54 million) and supplied
services to joint ventures and associates totalling £15 million (2006: £14 million; 2005:
£20 million).
For further details of transactions with related parties, see note 29 of the consolidated
financial statements.
US GAAP reconciliation
Profit for the year under IFRS was £499 million (2006: £551 million; 2005: £578 million).
Under US GAAP, net income was £479 million (2006: £551 million; 2005: £577 million).
Shareholders’ equity under IFRS at 30 June 2007 was £47 million (2006: £121 million).
Under US GAAP, shareholders’ equity was £616 million (2006: £759 million).
The principal differences between US GAAP and IFRS, as they relate to the Group, arise
from the methods of accounting for goodwill, employee stock-based compensation,
capitalisation of interest, derivatives, pre-consolidation results, debt issue costs and
deferred taxation. For a further explanation of the differences between US GAAP and
IFRS, see note 31 to the consolidated financial statements.
Critical accounting policies
The application of IFRS requires our judgement when we formulate our accounting
policies and when presenting our financial performance and position in the consolidated
financial statements. Judgement is often required in respect of items where the choice of
specific policy to be followed can materially affect our reported results or net asset
position, in particular through estimating the recoverable lives of particular assets, or in
the timing of transaction recognition. A description of our significant accounting policies
is disclosed in note 1 of the consolidated financial statements. We do not believe that we
have any critical accounting policies which are specific to US GAAP, as any US GAAP
accounting policies that we have deemed to be critical are also critical under IFRS. We
consider that our accounting policies in respect of the following are critical:
Goodwill
Business combinations that have occurred since the IFRS Transition Date (1 July 2004)
(‘‘IFRS Transition Date’’) are accounted for by applying the purchase method of
accounting. Following this method, goodwill is initially recognised on consolidation,
representing the difference between the cost of the business combination and the fair
value of the identifiable assets, liabilities and contingent liabilities assumed. Judgement is
required in determining the fair value of identifiable assets, liabilities and contingent
assets assumed in a business combination. Calculating the fair values involves the use of
significant estimates and assumptions, including expectations about future cash flows,
discount rates and the lives of assets following purchase. In respect of business
combinations that occurred prior to the IFRS Transition Date, goodwill has been included
at its deemed cost, as permitted by IFRS 1 ‘‘First-time Adoption of International Financial
Reporting Standards’’. Deemed cost represents the goodwill’s carrying value under the
Group’s UK GAAP accounting policies on the IFRS Transition Date.
Goodwill is stated at cost less any impairment losses and is tested annually for
impairment, or more frequently if events or changes in circumstances indicate that it
might be impaired. Any impairment identified is recognised immediately in the income
statement and may not subsequently be reversed. The carrying amount of goodwill in
respect of associates and joint ventures is included in the carrying amount of the
investment in the associate or joint venture.
At 30 June 2007, the carrying value of goodwill amounted to £741 million (2006:
£637 million) and represented 19% (2006: 17%) of our total assets. Applying the
impairment tests has not resulted in a charge for impairment in either the current or
prior two years.
Judgement is required in evaluating whether any impairment loss has arisen against the
carrying amount of goodwill. This may require calculation of the recoverable amount of
cash generating units to which the goodwill is associated. Such a calculation may involve
estimates of the net present value of future forecast cash flows and selecting an
appropriate discount rate.
The main difference between IFRS and US GAAP with respect to goodwill relates to the
deemed cost of the goodwill in our balance sheets (see note 31 of the consolidated
financial statements for further details).
Revenue and bad debt provisions
Selecting the appropriate timing for, and amount of, revenue to be recognised requires
judgement. This may involve estimating the fair value of consideration before it is
received. The main source of our revenue is revenue from subscribers. In the current
year, retail and wholesale subscription revenue comprised 79% of total revenue (2006:
82%; 2005: 83%). Revenue from retail subscribers is charged to contract customers on a
monthly basis. Revenue is invoiced and recorded as part of a periodic billing cycle, and is
recognised as the services are provided. When the Group sells a set-top box, installation
and subscription service in one bundled transaction, we allocate the total consideration
from the arrangement to each element based on their relative fair values. The fair value
of each individual element is determined using vendor specific or third party evidence on
a periodic basis. The amount of revenue the Group recognises for delivered elements is
limited to the cash received.
Judgement is also required in evaluating the likelihood of collection of customer debt
after revenue has been recognised. This evaluation requires the application of estimates,
including the level of provision to be made for amounts with uncertain recovery profiles.
Provisions are based on historical trends in the percentage of debts which are not
recovered or on more detailed reviews of individually significant balances. As retail
subscriber revenue is generally billed in advance and corrective action is taken early
within the billing cycle, bad debts are a relatively low percentage of sales. There is no
difference in the Group’s revenue and bad debt provisions between IFRS and US GAAP.
Property, plant and equipment and intangible assets
At 30 June 2007, property, plant and equipment and intangible assets represented 24%
of our total assets (2006: 19%). Property, plant and equipment and intangible assets are
stated at cost, net of accumulated depreciation or amortisation and any impairment
losses, other than those that are classified as held for sale, which are stated at the lower
of carrying amount and fair value less costs to sell. When an item comprises major
components having different useful lives, each component is accounted for as a
separate asset.
The assessment of the useful economic lives of these assets requires judgement.
Depreciation or amortisation is charged to the income statement based on the useful
economic life selected. This assessment requires estimation of the period over which the
Group will benefit from the assets.
Determining whether the carrying amount of these assets has any indication of
impairment also requires judgement. If an indication of impairment is identified, further
judgement is required to assess whether the carrying amount can be supported by the
net present value of future cash flows forecast to be derived from the asset. This forecast
involves cash flow projections and selecting the appropriate discount rate. There have
been no material impairments in the period.
International Accounting Standard 38, ‘‘Intangible Assets’’, specifies criteria for the
recognition of intangible assets, including a detailed definition of costs that must be
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Financial and operating review
continued
capitalised in relation to internally generated assets. Assessing whether assets meet the
required criteria for initial capitalisation requires judgement. This requires a
determination of whether the assets will result in future benefits to the Group. In
particular, internally generated intangible assets must be assessed during the
development phase to identify whether the Group has the ability and intention to
complete the development successfully.
The only difference between IFRS and US GAAP relates to the capitalisation of interest
costs on funds invested in the construction of major capital assets (see note 31 of the
consolidated financial statements for further details).
Amortisation of programming inventory
A significant proportion of programming costs relates to the amortisation of television
programme rights. Programming costs constituted 41% of operating expense in the
current year (2006: 49%; 2005: 54%). The key area of accounting for programming
inventory requiring judgement is the assessment of the appropriate profile over which to
recognise amortisation in the income statement. This assessment requires the Group to
form an expectation of the number of times a programme will be broadcast and the
value associated with each broadcast.
For general entertainment programming, in order to perform this assessment, we
consider the expected number of viewers a programme is likely to achieve on repeat
broadcast, the alternative programming available to the programming scheduler, the
potential marketing benefits relating to the scheduling of certain programmes and the
Group’s assessment of its competitors’ scheduling intentions when determining the
amount of programme expense to recognise for each broadcast. Acquired movie rights
are amortised on a straight-line basis over the period of the transmission rights. Where
contracts for sports rights provide for multiple seasons for competitions, they are
amortised on a straight-line basis across the season or competition as our estimate of
the benefits received from these rights is determined to be most appropriately aligned
with a straight-line amortisation profile.
There is no difference in the Group’s treatment of amortisation of programme inventory
between IFRS and US GAAP.
Deferred tax
We recognise deferred tax assets and liabilities using the balance sheet liability method,
providing for temporary differences between the carrying amounts of assets and liabilities
in the balance sheet and the corresponding tax bases used in the computation of taxable
profit. The following temporary differences are not provided for: goodwill; the initial
recognition of assets or liabilities that affect neither accounting profit nor taxable profit;
and differences relating to investments in subsidiaries to the extent that it is not
probable that they will reverse in the foreseeable future. The amount of deferred tax
provided is based on the expected manner of realisation or settlement of the carrying
amount of assets and liabilities, using tax rates that have been enacted or substantially
enacted at the balance sheet date.
The key area of deferred tax accounting requiring judgement is the assessment of the
expected timing and manner of realisation or settlement of the carrying amounts of
assets and liabilities held at the balance sheet date. In particular, assessment is required
of whether it is probable that there will be suitable taxable profits against which the
deferred tax can be utilised.
If our ability to generate sufficient future taxable income changes, or if there is a
material change in the actual tax rates or time period within which the underlying
temporary difference becomes taxable or deductible, we could be required either to
write down our deferred tax assets further, resulting in an increase in our effective tax
rate and an adverse impact on our financial results, or to recognise additional deferred
tax assets, resulting in a decrease in our effective tax rate and a positive impact on our
financial results.
At 30 June 2007, we have recognised a deferred tax asset of £54 million
(2006: £100 million) and have unrecognised deferred tax assets of £152 million
(2006: £121 million) in respect of tax losses arising from trading, and £447 million
(2006: £354 million) in respect of tax losses arising from capital disposals and provisions
against investments. The Directors consider that at 30 June 2007 there was sufficient
evidence to support the recognition of our deferred tax asset on the basis that it was
probable that there would be suitable taxable profits against which this asset could
be utilised and from which future reversals of underlying timing differences could
be deducted.
The net deferred tax asset recognised under US GAAP has primarily differed in respect of
deferred tax on IFRS to US GAAP adjustments and in relation to the recognition of
deferred tax assets in respect of employee stock-based compensation expense (see
note 31 of the consolidated financial statements for further details).
Available-for-sale investments
Equity investments intended to be held for an indefinite period of time are classified as
available-for-sale investments. They are carried at fair value, where this can be reliably
measured, with movements in fair value recognised directly in the available-for-sale
reserve within equity. Where the fair value cannot be reliably measured, the investment
is carried at cost. Permanent impairment losses in available-for-sale investments are
recognised in the income statement and are not reversible.
The key areas of judgement in respect of available-for-sale investments are the
assessment of whether there is objective evidence that a loss event has occurred after
initial recognition, and whether such a loss event has a reliably measurable impact on
the estimated future cash flows of the investment. At each balance sheet date,
management consider whether there is objective evidence that a loss event has occurred
and whether it has had an impact on the estimated future cash flows of the
available-for-sale investment. If a loss event has occurred, management would then
consider whether an impairment loss has occurred and the quantum of that loss. As at
30 June 2007, the Group’s assets included an investment in ITV plc, which had a
carrying value of £795 million (2006: nil). The factors management considered in
determining whether an impairment loss in ITV plc had occurred included observable
data about the estimated future cash flows of ITV plc based on ITV plc’s publicly
available financial reporting and announcements, publicly available information from
financial commentators about ITV plc and the market in which it operates, the historical
performance of ITV plc’s share price, and the regulatory environment affecting ITV plc
and the Group.
Under US GAAP, similar judgement is required in determining whether an ‘‘other than
temporary’’ impairment has occurred. There is currently no difference in the Group’s
treatment of available-for-sale investments under IFRS and US GAAP.
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Property
Our headquarters are located at leasehold and freehold premises in Isleworth, England. We own or lease approximately 75 properties, the majority of which are located in the UK.
The principal properties of the Group we own and lease are as follows:
Approximate
square foot
net internal
area
313,085
Use
Offices, studios,
technology and storage
Location
1 to 8 Grant Way, Isleworth, England
Tenure
Freehold
Leasehold
..................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................
159,632
New Horizons Court, Brentford, England
..................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................
146,713
1, 2, 4 and 5 Macintosh Road, Livingston, Scotland
..................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................
95,852
Carnegie Campus, Dunfermline, Scotland
..................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................
85,509
Marcopolo House and Arches, Queenstown Road, London, England
..................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................
77,000
1 Brick Lane, London England
..................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................
72,194
West Cross House, Brentford, England
..................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................
61,937
The Chilworth Research Centre, Southampton, England
..................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................
53,583
Athena Court, Isleworth, England
..................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................
53,293
Chancellor House, 19 Thomas More Square, London, England
..................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................
36,686
123 Buckingham Place Road, London, England
..................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................
2,500
26 Boulevard Royal, 2449 Luxembourg, Grande duche du Luxembourg
Office & technical
Contact centres
Satellite uplink
Sub-let offices
Contact centre
Leasehold
Leasehold
Leasehold
Leasehold
Leasehold
Leasehold
Leasehold
Freehold
Freehold
Offices
Offices
Offices
Offices
Offices
Offices
..................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................
Leased serviced
office space
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Directors’ report
............................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................
Introduction
The Directors present their Annual Report on the affairs of British Sky Broadcasting
Group plc (the ‘‘Company’’) and its subsidiary undertakings, together with the Accounts
and Auditors’ Report for the year ended 30 June 2007.
Business review
The Companies Act 1985 requires the Company to set out in this report a fair review of
the business of the Group during the financial year ended 30 June 2007 including an
analysis of the position of the Group at the end of the financial year, and a description of
the principal risks and uncertainties facing the Group (known as a ‘Business Review’).
The information that fulfils the Business Review requirements can be found in the
following sections of the Annual Report which are incorporated into this report by
reference:
s Chairman’s statement on page 2
s Chief Executive Officer’s statement on page 3
s Review of the business on pages 4 to 25
s Financial review on pages 26 to 35
s Principal risks and uncertainties that face the Group are described on pages 17 to 19
s Significant trends that could have a material effect on the performance of the Group
are described on pages 32 to 33
Pages 36 to 49 inclusive (together with the sections mentioned above which are
incorporated by reference) consist of a Directors’ report that has been drawn up and
presented in accordance with and in reliance upon applicable English company law and
the liabilities of the Directors’ in connection with that report shall be subject to the
limitations and restrictions provided by the law.
Principal activities
British Sky Broadcasting Group plc is the holding company of the British Sky
Broadcasting group of companies (the ‘‘Group’’). The Group’s principal activities are
detailed in the Review of the business on pages 4 to 25.
Financial instruments
Details of the Group’s use of financial instruments, together with information on our risk
management objectives and policies, and our exposure to price risks, credit risks,
liquidity risks and cash flow risks, can be found in note 22 to the accounts.
Results and dividends
The profit for the year ended 30 June 2007 was £499 million (2006: £551 million). The
Directors recommend a final dividend for the year ended 30 June 2007 of 8.9 pence per
ordinary share which, together with the interim dividend of 6.6 pence paid to
shareholders on 24 April 2007, will make a total dividend for the year of 15.5 pence
(2006: 12.20 pence). Subject to approval at the Annual General Meeting (‘‘AGM’’), the
final dividend will be paid on 16 November 2007 to shareholders appearing on the
register at the close of business on 26 October 2007.
Payment policy
The policy of the Group is to agree terms of payment with suppliers prior to entering
into a contractual relationship. In the absence of a specific agreement, it is the policy of
the Group to pay suppliers on a monthly basis. The Group had below 30 days’ purchases
outstanding at 30 June 2007 (2006: below 30 days), based on the total amount invoiced
by non-programme trade suppliers during the year ended 30 June 2007. Programme
creditors include significant balances which are not yet contractually due. In respect of
amounts both contractually due and invoiced, the outstanding number of days’ purchases
is below 30 days (2006: below 30 days).
Share capital
Details of the structure of the Company’s share capital and changes in the share capital
during the year are disclosed in note 23 to the consolidated financial statements.
The Shareholder information item on pages 102 to 109 contains details of the rights
attaching to the Company’s ordinary shares.
The information disclosed to the Company, as at 26 July 2007, under Rule 5 of the
Disclosure and Transparency Rules of the Financial Services Authority in respect of
holdings exceeding the 3% notification threshold is detailed in ‘‘Shareholder information
— Major shareholders’’ on page 103.
Corporate governance
Details concerning the Company’s arrangements relating to corporate governance and its
compliance with the Combined Code 2006 (the ‘‘Combined Code’’) given on pages 39 to
43. The Report on Directors’ remuneration is on pages 43 to 49.
Significant agreements
Details of any significant agreements that take effect, alter or terminate on a change of
control of the Company, are disclosed in the Review of the business on page 15.
Charitable contributions and community and environmental activities
The Group’s fifth Corporate Responsibility Review, which does not form part of the
Annual Report, will be published in August 2007, and will provide further information on
the Group’s commitment to corporate responsibility, including community and
environmental activities (see www.sky.com/responsibilities). An overview of the Group’s
community and environmental activities is also included in the Review of the business
on pages 15 to 16.
During 2007, the Group donated £1,881,125 (2006: £2,308,581) to charities in the UK in
the form of cash. The Group’s total community investment (cash, time, in kind and
management costs) will be published in the Corporate Responsibility Review.
Political contributions
Political contributions of the Group in the UK during 2007 amounted to nil (2006: nil).
Directors
The names and biographical details of the Directors of the Company are given on pages
37 to 39. The following Board change occurred during the year:
Lord St John of Fawsley resigned as a Director of the Company on 3 November 2006.
Jeremy Darroch, Andrew Higginson, Gail Rebuck and Lord Rothschild retire from the
Board by rotation, and being eligible, offer themselves for re-election at the 2007 AGM.
David DeVoe, Rupert Murdoch and Arthur Siskind are subject to annual reappointment in
accordance with requirement A.7.2 of the Combined Code, as they have served as Non-
Executive Directors for longer than nine years.
The Directors’ interests in the ordinary shares and options of the Company are disclosed
within the Report on Directors’ remuneration on pages 47 to 49.
Details of the powers of the Company’s Directors are disclosed in ‘‘Memorandum and
articles of association — Directors’’ on pages 104 to 107.
Employment policies
Details of the Group’s employees, together with statements of policy on equality of
opportunity, disabled persons, employee involvement and communication, training and
development and financial participation are provided in the People section of the Review
of the business on pages 16 to 17.
Health and Safety
The health and safety of the Group’s employees is a matter of major importance.
Accordingly, it is the Group’s policy to manage its activities so as to avoid causing any
unnecessary or unacceptable risk, so far as is reasonably practicable, to the health, safety
and wellbeing of its personnel. Furthermore, the Group directs its managers and
contractors to take all reasonable steps to reduce risks to the minimal level achievable
through good management practice and the application of relevant control measures.
The Group’s goal is to ensure continuous improvement in the management of its health
and safety risks. Sky’s drive to achieve its aim of continual organisational development
follows a programme plan approach which structures the delivery of business relevant
improvements within the systems of work, policies and procedures in-place across the
Group. The reinvigorated management system and governance model for health and
safety within Sky introduced three years ago is now securely embedded across the
Group. This structure secures practical resolutions for operational hazards and risks,
seeking to ensure the welfare of the Group’s employees, compliance with all applicable
statutory requirements, and ensuring that the business continues to grow and develop in
a health and safety conscious way.
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Purchase of own shares
At the AGM, held on 4 November 2005, the shareholders gave the Company the
authority to purchase in the market a maximum of 92,000,000 of its own shares. This
authority expired on 3 November 2006.
During the year ended 30 June 2007 and prior to 3 November 2006, the Company
purchased, and subsequently cancelled, 38,235,000 ordinary shares of 50p each,
representing approximately 2.18% of the issued ordinary share capital of the
Company at 26 July 2007, for a consideration of £212 million, before stamp duty
and commissions. Please see ‘‘Memorandum and articles of association — Alteration of
share capital’’ for more details.
Annual General Meeting
The notice convening the AGM, to be held at the Royal Institute of British Architects, 66
Portland Place, London W1B 1AD on 2 November 2007 at 9.00am, will be sent to all
shareholders under separate cover in September 2007.
Going concern
After making enquires, the Directors have formed the judgement, at the time of
approving the consolidated financial statements, that there is a reasonable expectation
that the Group has adequate resources to continue in operational existence for the
foreseeable future. For this reason, the Directors continue to adopt the going concern
basis in preparing the consolidated financial statements.
Auditors
In accordance with the provisions of Section 234ZA of the Companies Act 1985, each of
the persons who are Directors of the Company at the date of approval of this report
confirms that:
s so far as the Director is aware, there is no relevant audit information (as defined in
the Companies Act 1985) of which the Company’s auditors are unaware; and
s the Director has taken all the steps that he/she ought to have taken as a Director to
make himself/herself aware of any relevant audit information (as defined) and to
establish that the Company’s auditors are aware of that information.
A resolution to re-appoint Deloitte & Touche LLP as the Company’s auditors will be
proposed at the forthcoming AGM.
By order of the Board,
Dave Gormley
Company Secretary
26 July 2007
Board of Directors and senior management
Our Directors are as follows:
Name
Age
Position with the Company
Chase Carey
Jeremy Darroch
David DeVoe
David Evans
Nicholas Ferguson
Andrew Higginson
Allan Leighton
James Murdoch
Rupert Murdoch
Jacques Nasser
Gail Rebuck
Lord Rothschild
Arthur Siskind
Lord Wilson of Dinton
53
45
60
67
58
50
54
34
76
59
55
71
68
64
*Director
Director (Chief Financial Officer)
*Director
**Director
**Director (Senior Independent Non-Executive Director
& Remuneration Committee Chairman)
**Director
**Director (Audit Committee Chairman)
Director (Chief Executive Officer)
*Chairman
**Director
**Director
**Director (Deputy Chairman)
*Director
**Director (Corporate Governance & Nominations
Committee Chairman)
...........................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................
*Non-Executive
**Independent Non-Executive
Our senior management who are not members of the Board of Directors (‘‘Senior
Executives’’) are as follows:
Name
Age
Position with the Company
Matthew Anderson
James Conyers
Beryl Cook
Robin Crossley
Mike Darcey
David Gormley
Jeff Hughes
Didier Lebrat
David Rowe
Brian Sullivan
Sophie Turner Laing
Vic Wakeling
Alun Webber
...........................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................
Group Director for Communications & Brand Marketing
General Counsel
Director for People and Organisational Development
Strategic Adviser, Technology
Chief Operating Officer
Group Company Secretary
Executive Vice President
Chief Technology Officer
Managing Director, Enterprise
Managing Director, Customer Group
Managing Director, Entertainment
Managing Director, Sky Sports and Sky News
Group Director of Strategic Project Delivery
41
42
46
48
42
44
37
47
48
45
46
64
41
None of the Senior Executives listed above holds directly more than 1% of the issued
share capital in the Company.
Further information with respect to the Directors and Senior Executives is set forth below.
Board of Directors
Chase Carey was appointed as a Director of the Company on 13 February 2003. Mr Carey
has been a Non-Executive Director of News Corporation since 2002 and was an Executive
Director from 1996 until 2002. Mr Carey is President and Chief Executive Officer (‘‘CEO’’)
of The DIRECTV Group, Inc. (‘‘DIRECTV’’). Mr Carey previously served as Co-Chief
Operating Officer of News Corporation and as a Director and Co-Chief Operating Officer of
Fox Entertainment Group (‘‘FEG’’). Mr Carey has also held the positions of Chairman and
CEO of Fox Television, Director of Star Group Limited (‘‘Star’’), Director of NDS Group plc
(‘‘NDS’’) and Director of Gemstar-TV Guide International, Inc. (‘‘Gemstar’’).
Jeremy Darroch was appointed as Chief Financial Officer (‘‘CFO’’) and a Director of the
Company on 16 August 2004. Mr Darroch joined DSG International plc (‘‘DSG’’), formerly
Dixons Group plc, in January 2000 as Retail Finance Director, rising to the position of
Group Finance Director in February 2002. Prior to DSG, Mr Darroch spent 12 years at
Procter & Gamble in a variety of roles in the UK and Europe, latterly as European
Finance Director for its Health Care businesses. In February 2006 Mr Darroch was
appointed a Non-Executive Director of Marks & Spencer Group plc. Mr Darroch is a
member of the 100 Group of Finance Directors.
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Board of Directors and senior management
continued
David F. DeVoe was appointed as a Director of the Company on 15 December 1994.
Mr DeVoe has been a Director of News Corporation and its Chief Financial Officer
since October 1990. Mr DeVoe has served as Senior Executive Vice President of News
Corporation since January 1996. Mr DeVoe has been a Director of News America
Incorporated (‘‘NAI’’) since January 1991 and a Senior Executive Vice President
since January 1998. Mr. DeVoe has been a Director of FEG since 1991 and its Senior
Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer since August 1998. Mr. DeVoe has
been a Director of STAR since July 1993, a Director of NDS since October 1996, a
Director of Gemstar-TV Guide since June 2001 and a Director of DIRECTV
since December 2003.
David Evans was appointed as a Director of the Company on 21 September 2001. In
July 2006, Mr Evans joined the executive team of RHI Entertainment (‘‘RHI’’). Mr Evans
was previously President and CEO of Crown Media Holdings, Inc. (‘‘Crown’’) and its
predecessor company, Hallmark Entertainment Networks, from 1 March 1999. Prior to
that, Mr Evans was President and CEO of Tele-Communications International, Inc.
(‘‘TINTA’’) from January 1998. Mr Evans joined TINTA in September 1997 as its President
and Chief Operating Officer (‘‘COO’’), overseeing the day-to-day operations of the
company. Prior to joining TINTA, from July 1996, Mr Evans was Executive Vice President
of News Corporation, President and CEO of Sky Entertainment Services Latin America, LLC,
and President and COO of The Fox Television Network.
Nicholas Ferguson was appointed as a Director of the Company on 15 June 2004 and
Senior Independent Non-Executive Director on 12 June 2007. Mr Ferguson is Chairman
of SVG Capital plc, a publicly-quoted private equity group, and was formerly Chairman of
Schroder Ventures. He is also Chairman of the Courtauld Institute of Art and the Institute
of Philanthropy.
Andrew Higginson was appointed as a Director of the Company on 1 September 2004.
Mr Higginson is Finance and Strategy Director of Tesco plc (‘‘Tesco’’). Mr Higginson was
appointed to the Board of Tesco in 1997, having previously been the Group Finance
Director of the Burton Group plc. Mr Higginson is a member of the 100 Group of
Finance Directors and Chairman of Tesco Personal Finance.
Allan Leighton was appointed as a Director of the Company on 15 October 1999.
Mr Leighton joined ASDA Stores Limited (‘‘ASDA’’) as Group Marketing Director
in March 1992 and was appointed Chief Executive in September 1996. In November 1999
he was appointed President and CEO of Wal-Mart Europe. Mr Leighton resigned from all
of these positions in September 2000. Mr Leighton is currently Chairman of The Royal
Mail Group and Bhs Ltd and Deputy Chairman of Selfridges & Co, George Weston Ltd and
Loblaws Ltd.
James Murdoch was appointed as a Director of the Company on 13 February 2003 and
CEO with effect from 4 November 2003. Until Mr Murdoch’s appointment as CEO, he was
Chairman and CEO of Star from May 2000. Prior to 4 November 2003, Mr Murdoch was
Executive Vice President of News Corporation and a member of News Corporation’s
Board of Directors and Executive Committee. Mr Murdoch serves on the Board of
YankeeNets and the Board of Trustees of the Harvard Lampoon. Mr Murdoch attended
Harvard University. James Murdoch is the son of Rupert Murdoch.
Rupert Murdoch was appointed as a Director of the Company in November 1990, when
he founded British Sky Broadcasting, and was appointed Chairman in June 1999.
Mr Murdoch has been CEO of News Corporation since 1979, Chairman since 1991 and
was Managing Director from 1979 until November 2004. Mr Murdoch has also served as
a Director of FEG and its predecessor companies since 1985, Chairman since 1992 and
CEO since 1995. In addition, Mr Murdoch has been a Director of Star since 1993,
Gemstar since 2001 and DIRECTV since 2003.
Jacques Nasser was appointed as a Director of the Company on 8 November 2002.
Mr Nasser served as a Member of the Board of Directors, and as President and CEO of
Ford Motor Company from 1998 to 2001. Mr Nasser is currently a Partner of One Equity
Partners and serves on the Board of Quintiles Transnational Corporation, Brambles
Industries, BHP Billiton and the International Advisory Board of Allianz A.G.. Mr Nasser
has received an honorary Doctorate of Technology and graduated in Business from the
RMIT University of Melbourne, Australia. Because of Mr Nasser’s significant contributions
to the wellbeing of humanity and to the country of Lebanon, he has received the Order
of the Cedar. In recognition of Mr Nasser’s work for Australian industry, as an adviser to
government, and for education in the area of technology, he has been awarded an Order
of Australia and a Centenary Medal.
Gail Rebuck was appointed as a Director of the Company on 8 November 2002. Ms
Rebuck is Chairman and Chief Executive of The Random House Group Limited (‘‘Random
House’’), one of the UK’s leading trade publishing companies. In 1982, Ms Rebuck
became a founder Director of Century Publishing (‘‘Century’’). Century merged with
Hutchinson in 1985 and in 1989 Century Hutchinson was acquired by Random House
Inc. In 1991, Ms Rebuck was appointed Chairman and Chief Executive of Random House.
Ms Rebuck was a Trustee of the Institute for Public Policy Research from 1993 to 2003
and was for three years a member of the Government’s Creative Industries Task Force.
Ms Rebuck is on the Board of The Work Foundation, a member of the Court of the
University of Sussex, on the Advisory Board of the Cambridge Judge Institute, and the
Council of the Royal College of Art. Ms Rebuck was awarded a CBE in the 2000 New
Year’s Honours List.
Lord Rothschild was appointed as a Director, Deputy Chairman and Senior Independent
Non-Executive Director of the Company on 17 November 2003. Lord Rothschild
relinquished the position of Senior Independent Non-Executive Director on 12 June 2007.
Lord Rothschild is Chairman of RIT Capital Partners plc and Five Arrows Limited. He
co-founded Global Asset Management and J Rothschild Assurance, the life assurance
company now part of St James’s Place Capital plc. Lord Rothschild is also a nominee to
the board of directors of the general partner of the Blackstone Group. In addition to his
career in the world of finance, he has been involved in philanthropy and public service.
Arthur Siskind was appointed as a Director of the Company on 19 November 1991.
Mr Siskind has been the Senior Advisor to the Chairman of News Corporation
since January 2005. Mr Siskind has been an Executive Director of News Corporation since
1991 and was Group General Counsel of News Corporation from March 1991
until December 2004. Mr Siskind was Senior Executive Vice President of News
Corporation from January 1996 until December 2004 and an Executive Vice President of
News Corporation from February 1991 until January 1996. Mr Siskind has been a
Director of NDS since 1996 and was a Director of NAI from 1991 until January 2005 and
a Director of Star from 1993 until January 2005. Mr Siskind was Senior Executive Vice
President and General Counsel of FEG from August 1998 until January 2005 and a
Director from August 1998 to March 2005. Mr Siskind was an Adjunct Professor of Law
at the Georgetown Law Center from 2005 to 2007. Mr Siskind has been an Adjunct
Professor of Law at the Cornell Law School since 2007. Mr Siskind has been a member
of the Bar of the State of New York since 1962.
Lord Wilson of Dinton was appointed as a Director of the Company on 13 February 2003.
Lord Wilson retired from the Civil Service in 2002 after serving 36 years in a number of
UK Government departments including the Department of the Environment (appointed
Permanent Secretary in 1992), the Home Office (appointed Permanent Under Secretary in
1994), and Secretary of the Cabinet and Head of the Home Civil Service in January 1998.
Since his retirement in September 2002, Lord Wilson has been Master of Emmanuel
College, Cambridge. He was appointed as a Non-Executive Director of Xansa plc in April
2003 and became Non-Executive Chairman of C. Hoare and Co, Bankers, in October
2006. Lord Wilson was made a peer in November 2002.
Alternate Directors
A Director may appoint any other Director or any other person to act as his Alternate. An
Alternate Director shall be entitled to receive notice of and attend meetings of the
Directors and Committees of Directors of which his appointer is a member and not able
to attend. The Alternate Director shall be entitled to vote at such meetings and generally
perform all the functions of his appointer as a Director in his absence.
On the resignation of the appointer for any reason the Alternate Director shall cease to
be an Alternate Director. The appointer may also remove his Alternate Director by notice
to the Company Secretary signed by the appointer making or revoking the appointment.
An Alternate Director shall not be entitled to fees for his service as an Alternate Director.
Rupert Murdoch, David DeVoe, Arthur Siskind and Chase Carey have appointed each of
the others to act as their Alternate Director and, in addition, each has appointed Leslie
Hinton to act as his Alternate Director. David Evans has appointed Allan Leighton as his
Alternate Director.
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Leslie Hinton served as a Director of the Company from 15 October 1999 until 13 February
2003. Following his resignation as a Director, Mr Hinton was immediately appointed as
an Alternate Director of the Company. He has worked for News Corporation for more
than 40 years as a journalist and manager in Australia, the United States, and the United
Kingdom and is currently Executive Chairman of News International Limited. In 1996,
Mr Hinton joined the board of the Press Association in Britain. In October 1998, he was
elected Chairman of the newspaper and magazine publishing industry’s Code of Practice
Committee which sets the code implemented by the Press Complaints Commission.
Mr Hinton was appointed as an independent non-executive director of Johnston Press in
March 2005.
Senior executives
Our Senior Executives are as follows:
Matthew Anderson joined us in November 2005 as our Group Director for
Communications. In November 2006, Mr Anderson’s role was expanded to include
overall responsibility for Brand Marketing.
James Conyers joined us in April 1993 as Assistant Solicitor. During 1998 he was
appointed as our Deputy Head of Legal and Business Affairs. In January 2004, he was
appointed as our Head of Legal and Business Affairs, and in September 2005, he was
appointed as our General Counsel.
Beryl Cook joined us in April 2004 as our Director for People and Organisational
Development. On 4 June 2007, the Company announced that Ms Cook will be leaving the
Company in the summer of 2007.
Robin Crossley joined us in 1988 and was appointed National Operations Manager in
1989. He left in 1991 but subsequently rejoined us in June 1995 as Director of Digital
Development. In January 2001, Mr Crossley was appointed Strategic Adviser, Technology.
Mike Darcey joined us in February 1998 as our Head of Strategic Planning and in
July 2002 he was appointed as our Group Director of Strategy. In February 2006, he was
appointed Group Commercial and Strategy Director with extended responsibility for a
new group that combines our Strategy, Future Technology, Research and Development
and Business Development teams. Mr Darcey was appointed Chief Operating Officer
in November 2006.
Dave Gormley joined us in March 1995 as Assistant Company Secretary and was
appointed as Group Company Secretary in November 1997.
Jeff Hughes joined us in May 2005 as our Group Director for IT and Strategy.
In November 2006, he was appointed Executive Vice-President. His role includes overall
responsibility for our proposed pay TV offering on DTT.
Didier Lebrat joined us in December 2006 as Chief Technology Officer. This role includes
overall responsibility for the Information Technology, Network Infrastructure and
Broadcast Technology, and Customer and Interactive Technology teams.
David Rowe joined us in July 2006 as Managing Director, Enterprise Business and is
responsible for our business-to-business services across both television and telecoms.
Mr Rowe was CEO of Easynet Group plc until it became part of Sky in January 2006.
In November 2006, Mr Rowe’s role was expanded to include overall responsibility
for Sky Bet.
Brian Sullivan joined us in February 1996 as Subscriber Marketing Manager and has held
a variety of roles within sales and marketing over the last 10 years. In November 2006,
Mr Sullivan was appointed as Managing Director, Customer Group with responsibility for
marketing strategy, product development and management, sales, retention, service and
field operations, as well as overall customer growth.
Sophie Turner Laing joined us in March 2003 as Director of Film Channels & Acquisitions.
In 2004 she was appointed Deputy Managing Director, Sky Channels and Services.
In March 2007 she was appointed Managing Director, Entertainment with overall
responsibility for the multi-platform content strategy for Sky’s wholly owned
entertainment channels.
Vic Wakeling joined us in 1991 as Head of Football, taking over as Head of Sport
in January 1994. In August 1998, he was appointed Managing Director, Sky Sports and in
December 2006 his role was expanded to include overall responsibility for Sky News.
Alun Webber joined us in 1995 and was part of the core team which launched Sky
Digital, and established the Sky Interactive venture. In April 2002, he was appointed
Group Director of Engineering and Platform Technology. In July 2006, Mr Webber was
appointed Group Director of Strategic Project Delivery.
There is no arrangement or understanding between any of the above listed persons
and any other person pursuant to which he or she was elected as a Director or
Senior Executive.
Employees
The average monthly number of full time equivalent persons (including temporary
employees) employed by us during the previous three fiscal years was as follows:
2007
number
2006
number
2005
number
Channels and services
Customer service, sales and marketing
Transmission and technology
Management and administration
2,357
5,472
1,201
928
9,958
...........................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................
2,403
6,486
1,267
1,060
11,216
2,472
7,591
1,560
1,464
13,087
Corporate governance report
The Company is committed to maintaining high standards of corporate governance in its
management of the Group and when accounting to shareholders. The management of
the Company values an effective long-term outlook and sees itself as responsible to the
wider range of stakeholders, whilst being accountable for the pursuit of its objectives
primarily for the benefit of the Company’s owners.
This section of the Annual Report has been prepared in accordance with the Code of
Best Practice set out in Section 1 of the Combined Code.
With effect from 3 November 2006, the Company has been in full compliance with the
provisions set out in Section 1 of the Combined Code. Prior to this, in the financial year
the Company complied with the Combined Code, apart from the requirement for Non-
Executive Directors who have served for more than nine years being subject to annual
re-election.
The Company, as a foreign issuer with American Depositary Shares listed on the New
York Stock Exchange (‘‘NYSE’’), is obliged to disclose any significant ways in which its
corporate governance practices differ from the NYSE’s corporate governance listing
standards. Furthermore, the Company must comply fully with the provisions of the NYSE
listing standards which relate to the composition, responsibilities and operation of audit
committees. These provisions also incorporate certain rules concerning audit committees
implemented by the SEC and the NYSE under the US Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002.
The Company has reviewed the NYSE’s listing standards and believes that its corporate
governance practices are consistent with the standards, with the following exception.
The standards state that companies must have a nominating/corporate governance
committee composed entirely of independent directors. The Company’s Corporate
Governance & Nominations Committee is made up of a majority of Independent
Non-Executive Directors.
Corporate policies
The policies of the Group aim to enhance and maintain risk management, and through
this, safeguard the efficiency and effectiveness of the Group. Other policies are committed
to improving equality in the workplace, share dealing, work practices
(on and off-site), and social arrangements. Copies are readily available to all staff on
the intranet.
The Company has also adopted since 2003 a Code of Ethics that applies to the
Company’s CEO and CFO, who also serves as the principal accounting officer. The full text
of the code of ethics is incorporated by reference to the Annual Report on Form 20-F of
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the Company for the fiscal year ended 30 June 2003 filed with the SEC on
5 December 2003.
The Group continues to contribute more broadly to society and to ensuring it is
addressing social and environmental risks associated with its operations. Policies on
Social, Environmental and Ethical Performance can be found on pages 15 to 17.
The Board
The Board currently comprises fourteen Directors, made up of two Executive Directors
and twelve Non-Executive Directors. A majority of eight Non-Executive Directors are
determined to be independent in compliance with the Combined Code. They bring a
wide range of experience and expertise to the Group’s affairs, and carry significant
weight in the Board’s decisions. The Independent Non-Executive Directors provide a
strong independent element and a foundation for good corporate governance. Short
biographies of each of the Directors are set out on pages 37 to 39. The table on page
37 identifies those Directors who are, in the view of the Board, independent within the
meaning of the Combined Code. Each board member receives and completes a
questionnaire to determine factors that may affect independence according to the
Combined Code, NYSE Corporate Governance Rules and Rule 10A-3 under the Securities
Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the ‘‘Exchange Act’’). The responses to the
questionnaire assist the Board in ascertaining whether a director is independent in
character and judgement, and whether there are relationships or circumstances which
are likely to affect, or could appear to affect, the director’s judgement.
The Company recognises that all Directors are equally and collectively accountable under
the law for the proper stewardship of the Company’s affairs. The Company maintains a
directors’ and officers’ liability insurance policy which meets defence costs when the
Director is not proved to have acted fraudulently.
Executive Directors are not allowed to take on the chairmanship of a FTSE 100 company,
but are allowed to take up one external non-executive FTSE 100 appointment and retain
any payments in respect of this appointment.
The roles of the Chairman and CEO, are separate and the roles have been since the
Company’s shares were admitted to listing in 1994. The full schedule of matters reserved
for decision making by the Board, can be found on the Company’s corporate website at
www.sky.com/corporate.
The Chairman
The Chairman is responsible for leadership of the Board, ensuring its effectiveness on all
aspects of its role and setting its agenda. This includes ensuring, via the Company
Secretary, that the Directors receive accurate, timely and clear information. The duties of
the Chairman include the following:
s to encourage and ensure effective communication with shareholders, and ensure
shareholder views are communicated to the Board as a whole;
s to facilitate a structure to allow the effective contribution of all Directors, and of non-
executive Directors in particular;
s to create an environment which engenders constructive relations between executive
and non-executive Directors;
s to organise the business of the Board so that it can be carried out effectively
and efficiently;
s to lead the Board in discussions regarding the Company’s strategy and in the
achievement of its objectives;
s to ensure Board Committees are properly established, composed and operated; and
s to enhance the Company’s public standing and image overall.
The Chief Executive Officer
The CEO is responsible for the daily operation of the Company, advancing long-term
shareholder value, supported by the management team. He is accountable and
responsible to the Board for the management and operation of the Company. He is also
involved in the management of the social and environmental responsibilities of
the Company. The duties of the CEO include the following:
s to be responsible and accountable to the Board for the management and operation of
the Group;
s to prepare and implement plans and programmes for the attainment of approved
objectives and to recommend such plans and programmes to the Board as appropriate;
s to provide leadership in the Group’s commitment to attaining high business
standards generally;
s to create the conditions within the Group for the efficient operation of all
business units;
s to establish and maintain relationships with shareholders and potential shareholders,
and major external bodies;
s to keep the Board informed on all matters of material importance; and
s to chair meetings of the Executive Committee.
Senior Independent Non-Executive Director
On 12 June 2007, Lord Rothschild relinquished the position of Senior Independent Non-
Executive Director (but continues to serve on the Board as Deputy Chairman and an
independent Non-Executive Director) and Nicholas Ferguson was appointed to the role.
Non-Executive Directors
The dates on which the Non-Executive Directors’ initial service agreements/letters of
appointment commenced and current expiry dates are as follows:
Expiry date of
current service
agreement or letter
of appointment
Commencement date
November 2009*
Chase Carey
David DeVoe(ii)
2 November 2007
David Evans(iii)
November 2008*
November 2009*
Nicholas Ferguson
Andrew Higginson(i)
2 November 2007
Allan Leighton(iii)
November 2008*
Rupert Murdoch(ii)
2 November 2007
3 November 2009*
Jacques Nasser
Gail Rebuck(i)
2 November 2007
Lord Rothschild(i)
2 November 2007
Arthur Siskind(ii)
2 November 2007
Lord Wilson of Dinton(iii)
November 2008*
...........................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................
13 February 2003
15 December 1994
21 September 2001
15 June 2004
1 September 2004
15 October 1999
3 November 1990
8 November 2002
8 November 2002
17 November 2003
19 November 1991
13 February 2003
* These letters of appointment will expire on the day of the Company’s AGM in either
November 2008 or 2009, the dates of which have yet to be agreed.
All Directors are subject to retirement by rotation and reappointment by shareholders in
accordance with the Company’s current Articles of Association (see
‘‘Shareholder Information’’).
Notes:
(i)
Non-Executive Directors retiring by rotation and offering themselves for
reappointment by shareholders at the Company’s next AGM, to be held on
2 November 2007. Jeremy Darroch will also retire by rotation and offer himself
for reappointment.
(ii) David DeVoe, Arthur Siskind and Rupert Murdoch are subject to annual
reappointment by shareholders in accordance with requirement A.7.2. of the
Combined Code as they have served as Non-Executive Directors for longer than
nine years.
(iii) David Evans, Allan Leighton and Lord Wilson of Dinton will be subject to retirement
by rotation and reappointment by shareholders at the Company’s AGM in 2008, the
date of which has yet to be agreed. In accordance with the Company’s current
Articles of Association, one-third of the Directors must retire by rotation. In
circumstances where the number of Directors is not a multiple of three, the
number of Directors retiring by rotation should be the whole number which is
nearest to, but does not exceed, one-third of the number of Directors. Therefore,
assuming that the Board continues to comprise fourteen Directors, four Directors
will be required to retire by rotation at the Company’s AGM in 2008 (in addition to
those then subject to annual reappointment). Accordingly, the remaining Director to
retire by rotation in 2008 will be selected by drawing lots from those Directors
who would otherwise be due to retire by rotation at the AGM of the Company to
be held in 2009. Non-Executive Directors’ service agreements do not contain a
notice period.
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Non-Executive Directors’ service agreements do not contain a notice period.
The Company Secretary
The Company Secretary is available to advise all Directors and is responsible for ensuring
the Board is supplied with all necessary information in a reliable, timely manner. The
Company Secretary ensures good communication between the Board, Board committees
and senior management. He facilitates Directors’ induction and training.
Board Practices
The Board is scheduled to meet at least six times a year to review appropriate strategic,
operational and financial matters as required. During the financial year, one of these
meetings was held over two days when the Board met to review the future strategy and
direction of the Group.
The Board has also delegated specific responsibilities to Board Committees, notably the
Audit, Remuneration and Corporate Governance & Nominations Committees, as set out
below. Directors receive Board and Committee papers several days in advance of Board
and Committee meetings. In addition, the Board members have access to external
professional advice at the Company’s expense. Non-Executive Directors serve for an initial
term of three years, subject to election by shareholders following appointment,
subsequent re-election by shareholders, and Companies Act provisions relating to the
removal of Directors. In addition, reappointment for a further term is not automatic, but
may be mutually agreed. All of the Directors are required to retire and offer themselves
for re-election at least once in every three years. Non-Executive Directors who have
served for more than nine years on the Board are now subject to annual re-election in
accordance with the Combined Code.
Attendance of the current Directors at Board and Committee meetings during the year, is
set out in the table below:
A committee of senior management generally meets on a weekly basis to allow prompt
discussion of relevant business issues. It is chaired by the CEO and comprises the CFO
and other Senior Executives from within the Group.
Board
8
Audit
6
Remuneration
4
Corporate
Governance &
Nominations
3
Director
–
7
Rupert Murdoch, Chairman
–
8
James Murdoch, CEO
–
8
Jeremy Darroch, CFO
–
8
Chase Carey
–
8
David DeVoe
–
7
David Evans*
–
7
Nicholas Ferguson*
–
7
Andrew Higginson***
–
6
Allan Leighton***
–
6
Jacques Nasser*
–
8
Gail Rebuck***
3
8
Lord Rothschild**
3
8
Arthur Siskind**
3
8
Lord Wilson of Dinton**
.................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
5
6
–
6
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
4
4
–
–
4
–
–
–
–
*Remuneration Committee member
**Corporate Governance & Nominations Committee member
***Audit Committee member
In accordance with good practice, the independent Non-Executive Directors of the Board
held a separate meeting during the year.
Board role
A schedule of matters reserved for the full Board’s determination and/or approval is in
place, which includes:
s approval of the annual budget and any changes to it;
s a major change in the nature, scope or scale of the business of the Group;
s approval of the interim and final results;
s approval of any dividend policy;
s changes relating to the Group’s capital structure, including reductions of capital and
share buy-backs;
s the entering into by the Group of a commitment or arrangement (or any series of
related commitments or arrangements) which, whether budgeted or unbudgeted,
involves or could reasonably involve, the payment or receipt by the Group of amounts
equal to or in excess of £100 million in aggregate value;
s the entering into by the Group of a commitment or arrangement (or any series of
related commitments or arrangements) with News Corporation, any of its subsidiaries,
or a related party which involves, or could reasonably involve, the payment or receipt
by the Group of amounts equal to or in excess of £25 million in aggregate value;
s approval of resolutions to be put forward to shareholders at a general meeting;
s communication involving the general state of the Company; and
s determining the independence of Non-Executive Directors.
Following appointment to the Board, all new Directors receive an induction tailored to
their individual requirements. The induction process involves a meeting with all of the
Company’s Executive Directors and Senior Executives. This facilitates their understanding
of the Group and the key drivers of the business’ performance. The Directors are also
provided with copies of the Company’s corporate governance practices and procedures.
Directors regularly receive additional information from the Company between Board
meetings, including a monthly report updating the Directors on the performance of
the Group.
Where appropriate, additional training and updates on particular issues are arranged. For
example, the Board will receive briefings on the Companies Act 2006.
During the year, the Directors carried out a full evaluation of the performance of the
Board, its committees and individual Directors. The process was carried out internally
and was led by the Corporate Governance & Nominations Committee, with the assistance
of the Company Secretary and members of the legal department. The evaluation
confirmed that the Board was satisfied with the Board’s overall performance.
During the year, the Senior Independent Non-Executive Director held a formal meeting of
the Non-Executive Directors, without Executive Directors present, to discuss the
functioning of the Board. There was also a meeting of the Non-Executive Directors
without the Chairman present to evaluate his performance led by the Senior Independent
Non-Executive Director.
Following this year’s review, the Corporate Governance & Nominations Committee and
Board have confirmed that all Directors standing for re-election at the forthcoming AGM
continue to perform effectively and demonstrate commitment to their roles.
Jeremy Darroch, Andrew Higginson, Lord Rothschild and Gail Rebuck retire from the
Board by rotation, and being eligible, offer themselves for re-election at the 2007 AGM.
David DeVoe, Rupert Murdoch and Arthur Siskind are subject to annual re-election in
accordance with requirement A.7.2 of the Combined Code, as they have served as Non-
Executive Directors for longer than 9 years.
Board Committees
Terms of reference for the governance of the Board Committees can be found on the
Company’s corporate website.
Remuneration Committee
The members of the Remuneration Committee are Nicholas Ferguson (Chairman), David
Evans and Jacques Nasser, all of whom are Independent Non-Executive Directors, in
compliance with the Combined Code.
The Remuneration Committee has clearly defined terms of reference, meets at least twice
a year, and takes advice from the CEO and independent consultants as appropriate in
carrying out its work. Following publication of the annual report we arrange meetings
and round-table discussions between the Remuneration Committee and institutional
shareholders to discuss remuneration policy and aspects of the Committee’s Report on
Directors’ remuneration. The Remuneration Committee Chairman reports regularly to the
Board on its activities.
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Corporate governance report
continued
Rupert Murdoch and David DeVoe have a standing invitation to attend meetings of the
Remuneration Committee. Their attendance at these meetings is as observers only and in
a non-voting capacity.
The Report on Directors’ remuneration can be found on pages 43 to 49. In accordance
with the Directors’ Remuneration Report Regulations 2002, the Report on Directors’
remuneration will be put forward for an advisory shareholder vote at the AGM.
Corporate Governance & Nominations Committee
The Corporate Governance & Nominations Committee is chaired by Lord Wilson of Dinton
and its other members are Lord Rothschild and Arthur Siskind. The Corporate
Governance & Nominations Committee met three times during the year and the
Chairman reports regularly to the Board on its activities. Its main duties include:
s the identification and nomination, for approval by the Board, of candidates to fill
Board vacancies as they arise;
s the drafting of requirements for a particular appointment to the Board, taking into
consideration the present balance of skills, knowledge and experience on the Board;
s the regular review of the structure, size and composition of the Board and to
recommend any changes to the Board or succession planning;
s the provision of a formal letter of appointment, setting out clearly what is expected of
new appointees to the Board, in terms of time commitment, term of office and
committee service as well as their duties and liabilities as a Director, including details
of the Company’s corporate governance policies and directors & officers liability
insurance cover; and
s the monitoring of the Company’s compliance with applicable Corporate Governance
Codes and other similar requirements.
The Corporate Governance & Nominations Committee has in the past used the services of
external recruitment advisors when seeking to appoint a Director to the Board. There
have been no nominations to the Board during this year.
The Corporate Governance & Nominations Committee led the evaluation of the Board that
was completed during the year as discussed earlier in this report.
The Committee also reviewed the independence of the Non-Executive Directors and
recommended to the Board that there be no changes to the independent status of the
current Non-Executive Directors. The table on page 37 clearly sets out those Non-
Executive Directors who are considered by the Board to be independent.
Audit Committee
The Audit Committee, which consists exclusively of Independent Non-Executive Directors,
has clearly defined terms of reference as laid down by the Board. The composition of
the Audit Committee is currently Allan Leighton (Chairman), Gail Rebuck and Andrew
Higginson. The CFO and representatives from the external auditor and the internal
auditor attend meetings at the request of the Audit Committee. It is also usual practice
for the CEO to attend meetings of the Audit Committee. Other finance and business
executives attend meetings from time to time and the Company Secretary is Secretary
to the Committee. The Audit Committee Chairman reports regularly to the Board on
its activities.
David DeVoe and Arthur Siskind have a standing invitation to attend meetings of the
Audit Committee. Their attendance at these meetings is as observers only and in a non-
voting capacity. All three members of the Audit Committee are independent for the
purposes of the Combined Code and Rule 10A-3(b)(1) under the Exchange Act. The
members have wide ranging experience to bring to the work of the Audit Committee.
The Audit Committee met six times during the year. Its duties include:
s making recommendations to the Board in relation to the appointment, reappointment
and removal of the external auditors and discussing with the external auditors the
nature, scope and fees for the external auditors’ work;
s reviewing and making recommendations to the Board regarding the approval, or any
amendment to, the quarterly, half year and annual financial statements of the Group;
s reviewing and approving the Group’s US Annual Report on Form 20-F prior to
its filing;
British Sky Broadcasting Group plc
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s reviewing the Group’s significant accounting policies;
s reviewing the Group’s systems of internal control;
s reviewing the Group’s treasury policies;
s recommending the appointment of the Group’s Director of Internal Audit;
s reviewing the audit plan and findings of the Group’s internal audit function;
s monitoring and reviewing the effectiveness of the Group’s internal audit function;
s monitoring the Group’s whistle-blowing policy;
s News UK Nominees Limited, a subsidiary of News Corporation, is a major shareholder
in the Group. The Audit Committee receives, on a quarterly basis, a schedule of all
transactions between companies within the News Corporation Group and the Group,
and any other related party transactions, showing all transactions which have been
entered into during the year and which cumulatively exceed £100,000 in value;
s Furthermore, Audit Committee approval is required for the entering into by the Group
of a commitment or arrangement (or any series of related commitments or
arrangements) with News Corporation or any of its subsidiaries, or any other related
party which involves or could reasonably involve the payment or receipt by the Group
of amounts equal to or in excess of £10 million, but not exceeding £25 million in
aggregate value with News Corporation. Any transaction in excess of £25 million in
aggregate value must be submitted to the Audit Committee and, if approved by the
Audit Committee, must also be submitted to the full Board for approval.
The Audit Committee does not include an ‘‘Audit Committee Financial Expert’’ as such
term is defined by the SEC rules. The Audit Committee members have considerable
financial and business experience and the Board considers that the membership as a
whole has sufficient recent and relevant financial experience to discharge its functions. In
addition, the Board has determined that each member of the Audit Committee has
sufficient accounting or related financial management expertise as required by the NYSE
listing rules. Accordingly, it is the opinion of the Board not to formally designate a
member as the Audit Committee financial expert.
Internal control
The Directors have overall responsibility for establishing and maintaining the Group’s
systems of internal control and risk management and for reviewing their effectiveness.
These systems are designed to manage, and where possible eliminate, the risk of failure
to achieve business objectives and to provide reasonable, but not absolute, assurance
against material misstatement or loss. An ongoing process for identifying, evaluating and
managing the significant risks faced by the Group has been established, in accordance
with the guidance of the Turnbull Committee on internal control issued in September 1999
and updated by the Financial Reporting Council in October 2005. This process has been
in place for the year ended 30 June 2007 and up to the date on which the financial
statements were approved.
The Audit Committee, on behalf of the Board, considers the effectiveness of the operation
of the Group’s systems of internal control and risk management during the year and this
review has been carried out for the year ended 30 June 2007 and up to the date on
which the financial statements were approved. This review relates to the Company and
its subsidiaries and does not extend to joint ventures. The Audit Committee meets on at
least a quarterly basis with the Group’s internal audit team and the external auditors.
There is a comprehensive budgeting and forecasting process, and the annual budget,
which is regularly reviewed and updated, is approved by the Board. Risk assessment and
evaluation take place as an integral part of this process. Performance is monitored
against budget through weekly and monthly reporting cycles. Monthly reports on
performance are provided to the Board and the Group reports to shareholders each
quarter. Each area of the Group carries out risk assessments of its operations and
ensures that the key risks are addressed. A Risk Management Committee, chaired by the
CFO and comprising Senior Executives, reviews the management of risks in all areas of
the Group. The results of the Risk Management Committee’s review are integrated into
the budgeting and forecasting process and are integrated into the internal audit planning.
The internal audit team provides objective assurance as to the effectiveness of the
Group’s systems of internal control and risk management to the Group’s operating
management and to the Audit Committee.
Management’s report on internal control over financial reporting
The management of British Sky Broadcasting Group plc is responsible for establishing
and maintaining adequate internal control over financial reporting as defined in Rule
13a-15(f) under the Exchange Act.
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Internal control over financial reporting, no matter how well designed, has inherent
limitations. Therefore, even those systems determined to be effective can provide only
reasonable assurance with respect to financial statement preparation and presentation.
Further, because of changes in conditions, the effectiveness of internal control over
financial reporting may vary over time.
Management, including the CEO and CFO, has conducted an evaluation to assess the
effectiveness of the Group’s internal control over financial reporting as of 30 June 2007
based upon criteria set forth in the framework Internal Control-Integrated Framework
issued by the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission. The
assessment excluded the internal controls over financial reporting relating to 365 Media
because the entity was acquired on 23 January 2007. Based on their assessment,
management concluded that, as at 30 June 2007, the Group’s internal control over
financial reporting was effective.
The audit report set out on page 51 is provided in compliance with International
Standards on Auditing (UK and Ireland). Deloitte & Touche LLP has also issued reports in
accordance with auditing standards of the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board
(US), which will be included in the Annual Report on Form 20-F to be filed with the SEC.
Those reports express unqualified opinions on the consolidated financial statements of
the Group as of and for the year ended 30 June 2007 as well as on the assessment and
effectiveness of the Group’s internal control over financial reporting as of 30 June 2007.
Disclosure controls and procedures
The Company maintains disclosure controls, procedures and systems that are designed to
ensure that information required to be disclosed in the reports filed under the Securities
Exchange Act is recorded, processed, summarised and reported within the time periods
specified in the SEC’s rules and forms, and the Company’s UK listing obligations. The
Company has established a disclosure committee. The committee is chaired by the
Company Secretary and its members consist of senior managers from group finance,
legal and investor relations. It has responsibility for considering the materiality of
information (including inside information) and on a timely basis, determination of the
disclosure and treatment of such information. The committee also has responsibility for
overseeing the process for the formal review of the contents of the Company’s Annual
Report and filing on Form 20-F.
The Company carried out an evaluation, under the supervision and with the participation
of the Company’s management, including the CEO and CFO, of the effectiveness of the
design and operation of these disclosure controls, procedures and systems at
30 June 2007. Based on that evaluation, the CEO and CFO of the Company have
concluded that the Company’s disclosure controls and procedures are effective.
Changes in internal controls
No change in the Company’s internal control over financial reporting has occurred during
the year ended 30 June 2007 that has materially affected, or is reasonably likely to
materially affect, the Company’s internal control over financial reporting.
Use of external auditors
The Group has a policy on the provision by the external auditors of audit and non-audit
services, which categorises such services between:
delivery of the system had Deloitte & Touche LLP personnel been withdrawn prior to
completion of the project. The Audit Committee further noted that those members of
Deloitte & Touche LLP who worked on the project were completely separate from the
Deloitte & Touche LLP audit team and also were not involved in the development of any
of the financial systems within the project. During this year the level of non-audit fees
has significantly reduced.
For the year ended 30 June 2007, the Audit Committee has discussed the matter of audit
independence with Deloitte & Touche LLP, the Group’s external auditors, and has
received and reviewed confirmation in writing that, in Deloitte & Touche LLP’s
professional judgement, Deloitte & Touche LLP is independent within the meaning of all
UK and US regulatory and professional requirements and the objectivity of the audit
engagement partner and audit staff is not impaired.
There were no services provided during the year that were not pre-approved by the
Audit Committee in accordance with the Group’s policy.
Communication with shareholders
Presentations and webcasts on the development of the business are available to all
shareholders on the Company’s corporate website. The Company also uses email alerts
and actively promotes downloading of all reports enhancing speed and equality of
shareholder communication.
The Company is committed to maintaining and improving dialogue with shareholders
in order to ensure that the objectives of both the Group and the shareholders
are understood.
A programme of meetings with institutional shareholders, fund managers and analysts
takes place each year. The Company also makes presentations to analysts and investors
around the time of the half year and full year results announcement; conference calls are
held with analysts and investors following the announcement of the first quarter and
third quarter results, and on occasion, following the announcement of the fourth quarter
results, and presentations are made during the year to many existing or potential
shareholders. During the year, various members of the Board have met with institutional
shareholders and representative bodies, reinforcing the continuation of open dialogue
and discussion of strategy between the Board and its shareholders. Non-Executive
Directors are offered the opportunity to attend meetings with major shareholders and are
expected to attend if required.
The Board views the AGM as an opportunity to communicate with private investors and
sets aside time at these meetings for shareholders to ask questions of the Board. All
members of the Board attended the 2006 AGM. At the AGM, the Chairman provides a
brief re´sume´ of the Company’s activities for the previous year to the shareholders. The
Company, in accordance with the Combined Code, announces the number of proxy votes
cast on resolutions at the AGM. For each resolution put forward at the AGM, proxy
appointment forms provide shareholders with the option to direct their proxy to vote
either for or against the resolution or to withhold their vote. The proxy form and any
announcement of the results of a vote makes it clear that a ‘vote withheld’ is not a vote
in law and will not be counted in the calculation of the proportion of the votes for or
against the resolution.
s those services which the auditors are prohibited from providing;
s those services which are acceptable for the auditors to provide and the provision of
Directors’ responsibilities
The responsibilities of the Directors are set out on page 50.
which has been pre-approved by the Audit Committee; and
s those services for which the specific approval of the Audit Committee is required
before the auditors are permitted to provide the service.
Report on Directors’ remuneration
The policy defines the types of services falling under each category and sets out the
criteria which need to be met and the internal approval mechanisms required to be
completed prior to any engagement. An analysis of all services provided by the external
auditors is reviewed by the Audit Committee on a quarterly basis.
1. Remuneration Committee
1.1 Role of the Remuneration Committee and terms of reference
The Remuneration Committee (the ‘‘Committee’’) is responsible for recommendations to
the Board regarding:
The Audit Committee is aware that the non-audit fees incurred with Deloitte & Touche
LLP were considerably in excess of the audit fees in previous years. The principal reason
for this was that the Group received services from Deloitte & Touche LLP in respect of
the CRM systems development project, which was completed in 2006. The Audit
Committee reviews regularly the non-audit work provided by Deloitte & Touche LLP, and
has noted that, in relation to CRM, it would have had a disruptive effect on the final
s The design and implementation of incentive compensation arrangements including
share-based schemes;
s Remuneration packages for Executive Directors of the Company, including basic salary,
performance-based bonus and long-term incentives, pensions and other benefits; and
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s The Company’s policy on remuneration for Board Directors and other Senior
Executives of the Group who report directly to the CEO. In the latter case, decisions
shall be the subject of recommendation to the Committee by the CEO.
All LTIP programmes are now measured over three years using the performance
measures described above for the LTIP.
The Committee also recognises that the interactions between different areas of the
business in creating long-term shareholder value are complex. Rather than Senior
Executives being incentivised primarily through measures relevant to their own business
area, their remuneration emphasises a critical set of Group-wide goals in order to
maximise the benefits of teamwork and collaboration across the Group.
The Executive Directors of the Company are employed on twelve-month rolling contracts.
4. Elements of Executive Director remuneration
4.1 Remuneration Mix
The Executive Directors’ and Senior Executives’ total direct compensation consists of
salary, annual bonus, long-term incentives, pensions and other benefits. This reward
structure is regularly reviewed by the Committee to ensure that it continues to support
the Group’s objectives.
Overview of current remuneration elements for executives, including Executive Directors
Element
Objective
Performance conditions
Basic salary
(see section 4.2)
Reflects the market
value of the position, as
well as the skills and
experience of the
incumbent
Annual bonus
(see section 4.3)
Rewards achievement of
short-term objectives set
during the year
LTIP
(see section 4.4)
Rewards the
achievement of long-
term objectives
Reviewed annually on the basis of
external market benchmarking and/or
reference to internal positioning
Cash award is subject to achievement
of team and individual objectives. For
Executive Directors, award is wholly
dependent on group-level objectives
(Earnings, cash and subscriber
growth).
30% of the award is subject to
achievement of relative TSR
performance vs. the FTSE 100 over
three years. 70% of the award is
subject to achievement of operating
targets for EPS, FCF and DTH
subscriber growth.
Pension and
other benefits
(see sections
6 and 7)
...........................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................
Set below market
norms, to reflect higher
proportion of
performance pay.
Not applicable
Performance-related elements of pay represent a higher proportion of remuneration than
market norms. This, combined with the fact that BSkyB’s pension arrangements for
Executive Directors are considerably less generous than those found at comparable
companies, means that a large amount of pay is at risk. Pay is very competitive if
BSkyB’s stretching targets are delivered, but if these targets are not met, the
‘guaranteed’ elements of pay are below market norms.
The Committee sets the performance targets applicable to incentive compensation
arrangements. As part of this process, it seeks to ensure that such packages provide
employees with appropriate incentives to perform, reflect their positions and roles within
the Group, and that the employees are, in a fair and reasonable manner, rewarded for
their individual contributions to the success of the Group. Payments or benefits offered to
employees in excess of £250,000 which do not form part of an employee’s expected
remuneration or benefits require the approval of the Committee.
The Committee met four times during the year.
The full terms of reference for the Committee are available on the Company’s website.
1.2 Membership of the Committee
The Committee comprised the following independent Non-Executive Directors throughout
the year ended 30 June 2007:
s David Evans
s Nicholas Ferguson (Chairman)
s Jacques Nasser
During the year, the Committee sought the advice of James Murdoch, the CEO, on
matters relating to the Executive Directors and Senior Executives who report to him and
advice from the Director of People and Organisational Development; the Committee was
supported by the Company Secretary, and the finance function. The CEO was not present
when matters affecting his remuneration were considered. The Chairman, Rupert
Murdoch, did not attend any Committee meetings during the year.
2. Advisors
The Committee has engaged the services of both a lead adviser Patterson Associates LLP.
and a support adviser New Bridge Street Consultants LLP. The lead adviser advises the
Committee and the Company on overall direction and acts as the primary lead for advice.
The support adviser advises on share based awards, performance monitoring,
remuneration data and accounting including IFRS and US GAAP for any existing or new
incentives and remuneration schemes and provides analytical support. The support
adviser works in conjunction with the lead adviser.
3. Remuneration policy
The Committee’s reward policy reflects its aim to align Executive Directors’ remuneration
with shareholders’ interests and to engage and retain world-class executive talent for the
benefit of the Group. The main principles of the policy are that:
s Total rewards should be set at appropriate levels to reflect the competitive market in
which the Group operates.
s The majority of the total reward should be linked to the achievement of demanding
performance targets.
s Appropriate benchmarks are used when reviewing the salaries of the Executive
Directors and Senior Executives. The Company uses a subset of the FTSE 100 as
its benchmark.
In formulating its remuneration policy, the Committee is keen to understand
shareholders’ views on executive remuneration. From time to time, the Company
holds consultation meetings with a range of institutional investors, concerning aspects
of the Committee’s policy, and has taken their advice into account in arriving at
remuneration decisions.
The Committee believes that performance share awards continue to be the best long-
term incentive vehicle for Executive Directors and Senior Executives. The Committee also
believes that the Group’s historically strong operational performance has led investors to
expect continued excellence in operational delivery. Accordingly, 70% of the Long-Term
Incentive Plan (‘‘LTIP’’) vests based on operational performance, while 30% vests based
on Total Shareholder Return (‘‘TSR’’) relative to the constituents of the FTSE 100. The
operational performance conditions chosen include earnings per share (‘‘EPS’’), free cash
flow per share (‘‘FCF’’) and Direct to Home (‘‘DTH’’) subscriber growth.
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The proportions of fixed and variable pay vary with performance outcomes. However, for
target performance, approximately three-quarters of Executive Directors’ remuneration is
performance-related in the year ended 30 June 2007, as shown by the chart below:
For performance in the year ended 30 June 2007, which exceeded target by a
substantial margin, the CEO and CFO were awarded the following bonus payments:
Remuneration mix
FTSE Comparator
Group Median Practice
Base salary
Benefits
Target bonus
Expected value of LTIP awards
James Murdoch
Jeremy Darroch
Notes to chart:
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
90%
100%
% of package
s
s
FTSE Comparator Group is the ten companies above and ten companies below BSkyB
in the FTSE 100, ranked by market capitalisation on 31 May 2007.
Comparator pay data was taken from the most recently available Annual Reports at
31 May 2007.
s Annual bonus valuation assumes on-target performance.
s
LTIP valuation assumes annualised expected value, where expected value is face value
at the time of grant, discounted to reflect expected vesting for target performance.
4.2 Basic salary
The basic salary for each Executive Director and Senior Executive is determined by the
Committee taking into account the recommendations of the CEO (other than in respect of
his own salary) and information provided from external sources relative to the industry
sectors in which the Group operates. Salaries for the CEO and CFO are periodically
benchmarked against equivalent roles in comparable companies.
The increase in the CEO’s salary from 2006 to 2007 was 15%, while the CFO’s salary
was increased by 5%, reflecting the Committee’s view of the appropriate base salary for
roles of this complexity in a rapidly evolving business environment, taking into account a
range of market benchmarks as described above.
4.3 Annual bonus
Executive Directors and Senior Executives participate in a bonus scheme under which
awards are made to participants at the discretion of the Committee. For the Executive
Directors the level of bonus paid depends purely on Group-wide operational performance
measures, specifically: operating profit, FCF and DTH Subscriber Growth. These measures
were chosen to reflect the tensions inherent in balancing growth, investment and returns
to shareholders: an improvement in one measure may come at the expense of
improvement in another.
Bonus
amount (£)
As a % of
salary
200%
CEO
160%
CFO
...........................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................
1,900,000
840,000
For the year 1 July 2007 to 30 June 2008, the operational measures that will govern
bonus payouts will again be: operating profit, FCF, and DTH Subscriber growth.
Although bonus awards are primarily driven by performance relative to the stated
targets, the Committee retain the discretion to adjust payouts, as an exception, if they
feel that an important aspect of performance has not been reflected.
4.4 LTIP
The Company operates an LTIP for Executive Directors and Senior Executives, under
which awards may be made to any employee or full-time Executive Director of the Group
at the discretion of the Committee. Awards under the scheme are made as a nil priced
option. Awards are not transferable or pensionable and are made over a number of
shares in the Company, determined by the Committee. LTIP awards are satisfied using
shares purchased in the market.
Design of LTIP plan
The LTIP has a structure tailored to the needs of the Company in which grants are made
every year, but vesting occurs biennially, designed to reduce Executives’ reliance on
annual vesting of LTIP awards. In the first year, an Executive is granted an award of
shares that vests at the end of the three year performance cycle, subject to performance
conditions. In the second year, a further discretionary award of up to 100% of the year
one award can be made. This award vests at the same time as the first award. While
second year grants are linked to the previous year and therefore capped, the size of first
year grants is determined by the Committee on the basis of a range of factors including
internal and external market benchmarks. The grant is made in terms of a number of
shares (as opposed to a monetary value) and therefore values in relation to salary may
vary with share price movements.
Performance conditions for LTIP plan
The awards vest, in full or in part, dependent on points gained for satisfying
performance targets. Performance targets are calibrated to ensure the achievement of
Sky’s stretching long-term goals, and the cumulative total points achieved governs
vesting. The extent to which performance targets have been met is reviewed by the
Committee regularly, and at the date of vesting of each award.
Awards Vesting in August 2007
The Awards made in 2004 and 2005 are due to vest on 11 August 2007 subject to the
following performance criteria and targets being met at the time of vesting:
i) Operational performance
70% of the award is based on operational measures:
s EPS Growth
s Free Cash Flow per share
s Growth in DTH subscriber numbers.
For the CEO, the maximum bonus that may be awarded is 200% of salary, and for
on-target performance, he would receive 130% of salary, while for the CFO, these
percentages are 160% and 110% respectively.
Points are awarded for performance according to each of these measures, and the total
number of points awarded governs the extent of vesting of the operational portion, as
described below.
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Report on Directors’ remuneration
continued
For the awards vesting in 2007, the points available for operational performance were
as follows:
EPS growth
Free cash flow per share
Performance
achieved
Points
awarded
Performance
achieved
(% of target)
Points
awarded
DTH subscriber growth
Performance
achieved
(% of target)
Points
awarded
RPI + 7% pa
RPI + 6% pa
RPI + 5% pa
RPI + 4% pa
RPI + 3% pa
Less than
0
RPI + 3% pa
...........................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................
100%
95%
90%
85%
75%
100%
95%
90%
85%
75%
Less than 75%
Less than 75%
8
6
4
2
1
8
6
4
2
1
8
6
4
2
1
0
0
The points from all three measures are added together, and the operational portion of
the LTIP grant vests according to the following schedule:
Total points awarded
Resulting vesting
(% of
operational
portion of
LTIP award)
(% of overall
LTIP award)
70%
21 – 24
56%
17 – 20
42%
13 – 16
28%
9 – 12
14%
5 – 8
0%
0 – 4
...........................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................
100%
80%
60%
40%
20%
0%
During the three year period ended 30 June 2007, the Company exceeded the DTH
subscriber growth and free cash flow per share targets by an average of 109% and
106% respectively. In addition, the EPS growth of the Company over the three year
period exceeded the maximum RPI target of RPI + 7% p.a. by 142%. Accordingly,
maximum points were achieved on each of these measures. Therefore 100% of the
operational portion of the LTIP vested (which is 70% of the overall LTIP award).
ii) TSR Performance
30% of the award vests dependent on TSR performance over the three year performance
period, relative to the constituents of the FTSE 100 at the time of grant. If the Company’s
TSR performance is below median, the TSR element of the award lapses with no vesting.
For median performance, one third of the TSR portion of the award vests. For
performance in the upper quartile, the whole TSR portion of the award vests.
For performance between median and upper quartile, vesting is on a straight-line basis,
as shown in the chart below:
TSR vesting schedule
Payout
(% of grant)
30
10
i
n
a
d
e
M
e
l
i
t
r
a
u
Q
r
e
p
p
U
Below
Median
50
55
60
65
70
75
80
Final TSR rank (%)
TSR
Performance
Payout
Below Median
50%
55%
60%
65%
70%
75%
100%
0%
10%
14%
18%
22%
26%
30%
30%
British Sky Broadcasting Group plc
Annual Report 2007
46
TSR calculations are conducted independently by New Bridge Street Consultants LLP,
employing a methodology which averages share prices over three months prior to grants
and the three months prior to the end of the three year performance period.
Despite the strong operational performance of the Company during the three year period
ending 10 August 2007, the TSR performance to date has been below median and
accordingly none of the TSR portion of the LTIP awards made in 2004 and 2005 are
expected to vest.
Awards Vesting in August 2009
Awards were made in August 2006 to Executive Directors as detailed in the audited table
in section 13 LTIP of this report. These awards reflected market benchmarks and the
Committee’s desire to ensure incentive compensation for Executive Directors was tied to
an appropriate mix of long-term, stretching performance goals.
For the TSR portion of the award, the performance condition operates in exactly the
same way as that described above for the awards vesting this year.
For the operational portion of the award, the same performance measures apply as in
previous years. However, the Committee has made some minor alterations to the way
points and consequent vesting are calculated.
First it is now possible to achieve up to ten points for each performance measure if
targets are exceeded, while eight points are achieved for stretching target performance
(whereas previously, eight points was the maximum possible, for stretching target
performance or above).
For a maximum award for the EPS portion of the LTIP, the EPS growth targets are based
on growth above RPI. Details of targets for the FCF and DTH measures are withheld for
commercial reasons.
Second the vesting of the LTIP award based on the total points achieved is now
calculated on a straight-line basis, rather than steps.
5. Other share plans
5.1 Management Long Term Incentive Plan (‘‘Management LTIP’’)
The Company now operates a Management LTIP, which has replaced options granted
under the Executive Share Option Scheme. It is intended that selected employees will
participate in the Management LTIP, but this will not include any Executive Directors or
Senior Executives who participate in the LTIP. Awards under this scheme are made at the
discretion of the CEO. The Management LTIP mirrors the LTIP for Senior Executives and
Executive Directors, with the same performance conditions. Awards that are exercised
under the Management LTIP can only be satisfied by the delivery of shares purchased in
the market.
5.2 Executive Share Option Schemes (‘‘Executive Schemes’’)
The Company has in place Approved and Unapproved Executive Share Option Schemes
under Her Majesty’s Revenue & Customs (‘‘HMRC’’) guidelines.
Executive Directors and Senior Executives who participate in the LTIP do not participate
in the Executive Schemes. No options have been issued since 2004 and the Company
currently has no intention of making grants under the Executive Scheme in the
foreseeable future.
5.3 Sharesave Scheme
The Sharesave Scheme is open to all UK and Irish employees, including Executive
Directors. Options are normally exercisable after either three, five or seven years from
the date of grant. The price at which options are offered is not less than 80% of the
middle-market price on the dealing day immediately preceding the date of invitation. It is
the policy of the Group to make an invitation to employees to participate in the scheme
following the announcement of the year end results.
6. Pensions
The Group provides pensions to eligible employees through the BSkyB Pension Plan
(‘‘Pension Plan’’), which is a defined contribution plan. Employees contribute a minimum
of 4% of pensionable salary into the Pension Plan each year and the Group matches this
with a contribution of 8% of pensionable salary.
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7. Other benefits
Executive Directors are entitled to use of a company car, life assurance equal to two
times base salary, increased to four times base salary when they become members of
the Pension Plan, and private medical insurance.
8. Service agreements
Policy
The Committee introduced a policy that Executive Directors’ service agreements will
contain a maximum notice period of one year. The Committee will also consider, where
appropriate to do so, reducing remuneration to a departing Director. However, the
Committee will consider such issues on a case by case basis and will consider the terms
of employment of a departing Director. A large proportion of each Executive Director’s
total direct remuneration is linked to performance and therefore will not be payable to
the extent that the relevant targets are not met.
James Murdoch
James Murdoch has a service agreement with the Company which commenced on
27 November 2003 and shall continue unless, or until, terminated by either party giving
to the other not less than twelve months’ notice in writing. James Murdoch’s
remuneration consists of a base salary of £950,000 per annum. James Murdoch will be
paid a bonus amount depending upon the performance criteria adopted by the
Committee for each financial year during the continuance of his service agreement with
the Company.
James Murdoch is also entitled to other benefits, namely pension benefits, company car,
life assurance equal to four times base salary, medical insurance, an entitlement to
participate in the LTIP, and was formerly entitled to a relocation allowance (‘‘Expense
Allowance’’) of £200,000 per annum which ended on 27 November 2006.
James Murdoch has a non-compete clause in his service agreement specifying that he
shall not be able to work for any business or prospective business carried on within
the UK, which wholly or partially competes with the Group’s businesses at the date
of termination of his agreement. Such restriction will now run for a period of
twelve months.
On termination of the agreement, James Murdoch will be entitled to one year’s salary,
pension and life assurance benefits from the date of termination, and will also be
entitled to a pro-rata bonus up to the date of termination. James Murdoch would be
entitled to a bonus in full if he was able to terminate his employment for cause.
Jeremy Darroch
Jeremy Darroch has a service contract with the Company that commenced on 16 August
2004 and shall continue unless, or until, terminated by either party giving to the other
not less than twelve months’ notice in writing. Jeremy Darroch’s remuneration consists of
a base salary of £525,000 per annum. Jeremy Darroch will be paid a bonus amount
depending upon the performance criteria adopted by the Committee for each financial
year during the continuance of his service agreement with the Company.
During the year the Committee on behalf of the Board of Directors reviewed the fees
paid to the Non-Executive Directors of the Company. It was noted that the fees paid to
non-executive directors as a whole had increased significantly since 2003 with an
increase of 45% across the FTSE100. In order for the Board to attract and retain Non-
Executive Directors of the highest calibre it was noted that the fees paid to the
Company’s Non-Executive Directors would need to increase significantly to remain market
competitive. The Committee also recommended to the Board that the current policy of
adjusting fees by the higher of RPI or 5% was too rigid and that this should be reviewed
on an annual basis and benchmarked against market data. The Committee recommended
and the Board agreed that basic Non-Executive Directors fees for the financial year
ending 30 June 2008 should increase to £50,000. Furthermore the Non-Executive
Directors will be paid an additional £10,000 (2007: £5,000) per annum each for
membership of the Audit Committee, the Remuneration Committee and the Corporate
Governance and Nominations Committee. The Chairman and the Chairmen of the Audit
Committee, the Remuneration Committee and the Corporate Governance and
Nominations Committee each receive an additional £25,000 per annum (2007: £10,000).
The Deputy Chairman will receive an additional fee of £10,000 per annum (2007: nil).
Finally the Senior Independent Director will receive an additional fee of £15,000 per
annum (2007: £10,000). Each Non-Executive Director is engaged by the Company for an
initial term of three years. Re-appointment for a further term is not automatic, but may
be mutually agreed.
10. Performance graph
The following graph shows the Company’s performance measured by TSR to 30 June
2007. This graph shows the growth in the value of a hypothetical £100 holding in the
Company’s ordinary shares over five years, relative to three indices, which are considered
to be the most relevant broad equity market indices for this purpose. The graph is
included to meet a legislative requirement and is not directly relevant to the performance
criteria approved by shareholders for the Company’s long-term incentive plans.
Breakdown of shareholder return from 1 July 2002 to 30 June 2007
BSkyB
FTSE 100
FTSE 350 Media
NYSE TMT
200
180
160
140
120
£ 100
80
60
40
20
0
Jun-02
Source: Thomson Financial
Jun-03
Jun-04
Jun-05
Jun-06
Jun-07
Jeremy Darroch is also entitled to other benefits, namely pension benefits, company car,
life assurance equal to four times base salary, medical insurance and an entitlement to
participate in the LTIP.
11. Share interests
The interests of the Directors in the ordinary share capital of the Company during the
year were:
Jeremy Darroch has a non-compete clause in his service agreement specifying that he
shall not be able to work for any business or prospective business carried on within the
UK, which wholly or partially competes with the Group’s businesses at the date of
termination of his agreement. Such restriction will be for a period of twelve months.
On termination of the agreement, Jeremy Darroch will be entitled to one year’s salary,
pension and life assurance benefits from the date of termination and a pro-rata bonus
up to the date of termination. Jeremy Darroch would be entitled to a bonus in full if he
was able to terminate his employment for cause.
Name of Director
At
30 June
2007
At
30 June
2006
16,000*
David Evans
10,000
Nicholas Ferguson
2,055
Andrew Higginson
100,000
Lord Rothschild
486
Lord Wilson of Dinton
...........................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................
16,000*
10,000
2,104
100,000
486
Jeremy Darroch is a Non-Executive Director of Marks & Spencer Group plc and retained
fees for this appointment of £65,333 for the year ended 30 June 2007.
This table is audited.
* Held in the form of 4,000 ADSs (‘‘American Depositary Share’’), one ADS is equivalent
9. Non-Executive Directors
The basic fees payable to the Non-Executive Directors and the Chairman set by the Board
of Directors for the financial year ended 30 June 2008 are £50,000 (2007: £44,700).
to four ordinary shares.
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Report on Directors’ remuneration
continued
Lord Rothschild is also deemed to be interested in 2 million ordinary shares registered in the name of Bank of New York Nominees, as a result of being a director of RIT Capital
Partners plc; and in 18,750 ordinary shares as a result of being a trustee of two charitable foundations of which Lord Rothschild is not a beneficiary.
Except as disclosed in this report, no other Director held any interest in the share capital, including options, of the Company, or of any subsidiary of the Company, during the year.
All interests at the date shown are beneficial and there have been no changes between 1 July 2007 and 26 July 2007. At 30 June 2007, the Employee Share Ownership Plan
(‘‘ESOP’’) was interested in 8,609,139 ordinary shares in which the Executive Directors who are employees are deemed to be interested by virtue of Section 324 of the Companies Act
1985 (see note 24 of the consolidated financial statements). At 26 July 2007, the ESOP was interested in 8,185,777 ordinary shares.
At 26 July 2007, 39.14% of the Company’s shares are held by News UK Nominees Limited, a company incorporated under the laws of England and Wales which is an indirect wholly
owned subsidiary of News Corporation. According to News Corporation’s Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the period ended 31 March 2007 filed with the SEC on 9 May 2007, as a
result of Rupert Murdoch’s ability to appoint certain members of the Board of Directors of the corporate trustee of the Murdoch Family Trust, which beneficially owns 1.6% of News
Corporation’s Class A Common Stock and 30.1% of its Class B Common Stock, Rupert Murdoch may be deemed to be a beneficial owner of the shares beneficially owned by the
Murdoch Family Trust. Rupert Murdoch, however, disclaims any beneficial ownership of those shares. Also, Rupert Murdoch beneficially owns an additional 1.1% of News
Corporation’s Class A Common Stock and 1.1% of its Class B Common Stock. Thus, Rupert Murdoch may be deemed to beneficially own in the aggregate 2.7% of News Corporation’s
Class A Common Stock and 31.2% of its Class B Common Stock.
During the year ended 30 June 2007, the share price traded within the range of 517.5p to 663.5p per share. The middle-market closing price on the last working day of the
financial year was 640p.
12. Directors’ Remuneration
The emoluments of the Directors for the year are shown below:
Salary and
fees
£
Bonus
scheme(iii)
£
Benefits
£
Total
emoluments
before
pension 2007
£
Total
emoluments
including
pension 2007
£
Total
emoluments
including
pension 2006
£
Total
emoluments
including
pension 2005
£
Pensions
£
950,000
525,000
1,900,000
840,000
67,474
17,103
2,917,474
1,382,103
75,650
41,649
2,993,124
1,423,752
2,749,285
1,324,958
2,226,377
1,127,217
54,700
44,700
44,700
49,700
59,700
49,700
59,700
49,700
49,700
59,700
49,700
59,700
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
54,700
44,700
44,700
49,700
59,700
49,700
59,700
49,700
49,700
59,700
49,700
59,700
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
54,700
44,700
44,700
49,700
59,700
49,700
59,700
49,700
49,700
59,700
49,700
59,700
52,600
42,600
42,600
47,600
51,805
47,600
57,600
53,395
47,600
57,600
47,600
57,600
45,400
40,600
40,150
45,600
45,600
38,000
50,600
50,700
45,600
50,600
45,400
50,600
Executive
James Murdoch
Jeremy Darroch
Non-Executive
Rupert Murdoch
Chase Carey
David DeVoe
David Evans
Nick Ferguson
Andy Higginson
Allan Leighton
Jacques Nasser
Gail Rebuck
Lord Rothschild
Arthur Siskind
Lord Wilson of Dinton
Former Directors
Lord St John of Fawsley(i)
—
50,400
Martin Stewart(ii)
2,317,127
—
..................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................
6,269,971
Total emoluments
..................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................
42,600
—
15,244
—
15,244
—
15,244
—
4,946,221
4,723,043
5,063,520
2,740,000
2,121,644
117,299
84,577
—
—
—
—
This table is audited.
Notes:
(i) Lord St John of Fawsley resigned as a Director of the Company on 3 November 2006.
(ii) Martin Stewart resigned as a Director of the Company on 4 August 2004.
(iii) The amounts shown above are those which have been approved by the Committee for the year ended 30 June 2007.
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13. LTIP
Details of outstanding awards to Executive Directors under the LTIP are shown below:
Name of Director
Number of shares under award
At
30 June
2006
Granted
during the
year
Exercised
during the
year
Lapsed
during the
year
At
30 June
2007
Exercise
price
Market
price at
date of
exercise
Date of
award
Date from
which
exercisable
Expiry
date
James Murdoch
11.08.08
11.08.08
03.08.10
..................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................
16.08.08
Jeremy Darroch
16.08.08
03.08.10
..................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................
16.08.07
16.08.07
03.08.09
16.08.04
08.11.05
03.08.06
11.08.04
08.11.05
03.08.06
11.08.07
11.08.07
03.08.09
250,000
212,500
290,000
—
—
290,000
250,000
212,500
—
450,000
382,500
550,000
450,000
382,500
—
—
—
550,000
n/a
n/a
n/a
n/a
n/a
n/a
n/a
n/a
n/a
n/a
n/a
n/a
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
This table is audited.
Notes: The performance conditions attaching to these awards are set out in section 4.4 (LTIP)
The Company’s middle market closing price on 3 August 2006 was 542.5p.
14. Sharesave Scheme options
Details of all outstanding options held under the Sharesave Scheme are shown below:
Name of Director
Number of shares under options
Exercised
during the
year
Granted
during the
year
At 30 June
2006
At 30 June
2007
Exercise price
Date from
which
exercisable
Expiry date
01.08.10
—
Jeremy Darroch
..................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................
01.02.10
£3.86
4,281
4,281
—
This table is audited.
Options under the Company’s Sharesave Scheme are not subject to performance conditions.
Signed on behalf of the Board
Nicholas Ferguson
Remuneration Committee Chairman
26 July 2007
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Consolidated financial statements
............................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................
Statement of Directors’ responsibility
The Directors are responsible for preparing the Annual Report, Report on Directors’
remuneration and the financial statements in accordance with applicable law
and regulations.
Company law requires the Directors to prepare consolidated financial statements for each
financial year. The Directors are required by the IAS Regulation to prepare the group
financial statements under IFRSs as adopted by the European Union and have also
elected to prepare financial statements for the Company in accordance with IFRSs as
adopted by the European Union. The financial statements are also required by law to be
properly prepared in accordance with the Companies Act 1985 and Article 4 of the
IAS Regulation.
International Accounting Standard 1 ‘‘Presentation of Financial Statements’’ (‘‘IAS 1’’)
requires that financial statements present fairly, for each financial year, the Company’s
financial position, financial performance and cash flows. This requires the faithful
representation of the effects of transactions, other events and conditions in accordance
with the definitions and recognition criteria for assets, liabilities, income and expense set
out in the International Accounting Standards Board’s ‘‘Framework for the preparation
and presentation of financial statements’’. In virtually all circumstances, a fair
presentation will be achieved by compliance with all applicable IFRSs. However, Directors
are also required to:
s properly select and apply accounting policies;
s present information, including accounting policies, in a manner that provides relevant,
reliable, comparable and understandable information; and
s provide additional disclosures when compliance with the specific requirements in
IFRSs are insufficient to enable users to understand the impact of particular
transactions, other events and conditions on the entity’s financial position and
financial performance.
The Directors are responsible for keeping proper accounting records that disclose with
reasonable accuracy at any time the financial position of the Company and enable them
to ensure that the financial statements comply with the Companies Act 1985. They are
also responsible for safeguarding the assets of the Company and hence for taking
reasonable steps for the prevention and detection of fraud and other irregularities.
The Directors are responsible for the maintenance and integrity of the corporate and
financial information included on the Company’s website. Legislation in the UK governing
the preparation and dissemination of financial statements may differ from legislation in
other jurisdictions.
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The report set out below is provided in compliance with International Standards on Auditing (UK and Ireland). Deloitte & Touche LLP has also issued reports in accordance with
auditing standards of the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board in the US, which will be included in the Annual Report on Form 20-F to be filed with the SEC. Those reports
are unqualified and include opinions on the financial statements and on the effectiveness of internal control over financial reporting and management’s assessment of the
effectiveness of internal control over financial reporting as at 30 June 2007. Management’s report on internal control over financial reporting is set out on page 42 to 43.
Auditors’ report
United Kingdom
Independent auditors’ report to the members of British Sky Broadcasting Group plc
We have audited the group and individual company financial statements (the ‘‘financial
statements’’) of British Sky Broadcasting Group plc for the year ended 30 June 2007
which comprise the consolidated and individual Company Income Statements, the
consolidated and individual Company Statements of Recognised Income and Expense, the
consolidated and individual Company Balance Sheets, the consolidated and individual
Company Cash Flow Statements, and the related notes 1 to 33. These financial
statements have been prepared under the accounting policies set out therein. We have
also audited the information in the Directors’ Remuneration Report that is described as
having been audited.
This report is made solely to the Company’s members, as a body, in accordance with
section 235 of the Companies Act 1985. Our audit work has been undertaken so that we
might state to the Company’s members those matters we are required to state to them
in an auditors’ report and for no other purpose. To the fullest extent permitted by law,
we do not accept or assume responsibility to anyone other than the Company and the
Company’s members as a body, for our audit work, for this report, or for the opinions
we have formed.
Respective responsibilities of Directors and Auditors
The Directors’ responsibilities for preparing the Annual Report, the Directors’
Remuneration Report and the financial statements in accordance with applicable law and
International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRSs) as adopted by the European Union are
set out in the Statement of Directors’ Responsibilities.
Our responsibility is to audit the financial statements and part of the Directors’
Remuneration Report described as having been audited in accordance with relevant
United Kingdom legal and regulatory requirements and International Standards on
Auditing (UK and Ireland).
We report to you our opinion as to whether the financial statements give a true and fair
view, and whether the financial statements and the part of the Directors’ Remuneration
Report described as having been audited have been properly prepared in accordance
with the Companies Act 1985 and Article 4 of the IAS Regulation. We report to you
whether in our opinion the Directors’ Report is consistent with the financial statements.
We also report to you if the Company has not kept proper accounting records, if we
have not received all the information and explanations we require for our audit, or if
information specified by law regarding Directors’ remuneration and other transactions is
not disclosed.
We review whether the Corporate Governance Statement reflects the Company’s
compliance with the nine provisions of the 2003 FRC Combined Code specified for our
review by the Listing Rules of the Financial Services Authority, and we report if it does
not. We are not required to consider whether the Boards’ statements on internal control
cover all risks and controls, or form an opinion on the effectiveness of the Company’s
corporate governance procedures or its risk and control procedures.
Basis of audit opinion
We conducted our audit in accordance with International Standards on Auditing (UK and
Ireland) issued by the Auditing Practices Board. An audit includes examination, on a test
basis, of evidence relevant to the amounts and disclosures in the financial statements
and the part of the Directors’ Remuneration Report described as having been audited. It
also includes an assessment of the significant estimates and judgements made by the
Directors in the preparation of the financial statements, and of whether the accounting
policies are appropriate to the Company’s circumstances, consistently applied and
adequately disclosed.
We planned and performed our audit so as to obtain all the information and
explanations which we considered necessary in order to provide us with sufficient
evidence to give reasonable assurance that the financial statements and the part of the
Directors’ Remuneration Report described as having been audited are free from material
misstatement, whether caused by fraud or other irregularity or error. In forming our
opinion we also evaluated the overall adequacy of the presentation of information in the
financial statements and the part of the Directors’ Remuneration Report as having
been audited.
Opinion
In our opinion:
s the Group financial statements give a true and fair view, in accordance with IFRSs as
adopted by the European Union, of the state of the Group’s and the individual
Company’s affairs as at 30 June 2007 and of the Group’s and the individual
Company’s profit for the year then ended;
s the financial statements and part of the Directors’ Remuneration Report described as
having been audited have been properly prepared in accordance with the Companies
Act 1985 and Article 4 of the IAS Regulation; and
s the information given in the Directors’ Report is consistent with the
financial statements.
Separate opinion in relation to IFRS
As explained in note 1 to the financial statements, the Group and Company, in addition
to complying with their legal obligation to comply with IFRSs as adopted by the
European Union, have also complied with the IFRSs as issued by the International
Accounting Standards Board. Accordingly, in our opinion the financial statements give a
true and fair view, in accordance with IFRSs, of the state of the Group’s and Company’s
affairs as at 30 June 2007 and of the Group’s and the Company’s profit for the year
then ended.
IFRSs vary in significant respects from accounting principles generally accepted in the
United States of America. Information relating to the nature and effect of such differences
is presented in note 31 to the consolidated financial statements.
Deloitte & Touche LLP
Chartered Accountants and Registered Auditors
London
We read the Directors’ Report and the other information contained in the Annual Report
including the unaudited part of the Directors’ Remuneration Report and we consider the
implications for our report if we become aware of any apparent misstatements or
material inconsistencies with the financial statements.
26 July 2007
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Consolidated Income Statement for the year ended 30 June 2007
Notes
2007
£m
2006
£m
2005
£m
3,842
Revenue
(3,020)
Operating expense
822
Operating profit
..................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................
14
Share of results of joint ventures and associates
29
Investment income
(87)
Finance costs
9
Profit on disposal of joint venture
787
Profit before tax
..................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................
(209)
Taxation
578
Profit for the year
..................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................
Earnings per share from profit for the year (in pence)
30.2p
Basic
30.2p
Diluted
..................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................
12
52
(143)
—
798
12
46
(149)
—
724
4,551
(3,736)
815
4,148
(3,271)
877
14
4
4
5
6
28.4p
28.2p
30.2p
30.1p
(247)
551
(225)
499
2
3
9
9
8
The accompanying notes are an integral part of this consolidated income statement.
Consolidated Statement of Recognised Income and Expense for the year ended 30 June 2007
Notes
2007
£m
2006
£m
2005
£m
578
Profit for the year
..................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................
Net (losses) gains recognised directly in equity
Loss on available-for-sale investments
Cash flow hedges
Tax on cash flow hedges
—
(22)
6
(16)
..................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................
Amounts reclassified and reported in the income statement
Cash flow hedges
Tax on cash flow hedges
4
(1)
3
..................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................
(13)
Net losses recognised directly in equity
..................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................
565
Total recognised income and expense for the year
..................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................
—
(160)
48
(112)
(151)
(70)
21
(200)
106
(32)
74
109
(33)
76
(124)
(38)
499
375
513
551
15
The accompanying notes are an integral part of this consolidated statement of recognised income and expense.
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Consolidated Balance Sheet as at 30 June 2007
Notes
2007
£m
2006
£m
11
12
13
14
15
16
741
261
670
34
797
54
2,557
Non-current assets
Goodwill
Intangible assets
Property, plant and equipment
Investments in joint ventures and associates
Available-for-sale investments
Deferred tax assets
637
218
519
28
2
100
1,504
..................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................
Current assets
Inventories
Trade and other receivables
Short-term deposits
Cash and cash equivalents
Derivative financial assets
324
489
647
816
7
2,283
..................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................
3,787
Total assets
..................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................
Current liabilities
Borrowings
Trade and other payables
Current tax liabilities
Provisions
Derivative financial liabilities
163
1,247
82
6
49
1,547
..................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................
Non-current liabilities
Borrowings
Other payables
Provisions
Derivative financial liabilities
1,825
66
19
209
2,119
..................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................
3,666
Total liabilities
..................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................
121
Shareholders’ equity
..................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................
3,787
Total liabilities and shareholders’ equity
..................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................
16
1,295
144
8
36
1,499
384
524
15
435
5
1,363
2,014
84
18
258
2,374
17
18
22
22
22
21
21
20
22
3,873
3,920
3,920
21
19
20
22
47
24
The accompanying notes are an integral part of this consolidated balance sheet.
These consolidated financial statements have been approved by the Board of Directors on 26 July 2007 and were signed on its behalf by:
James Murdoch
Chief Executive Officer
Jeremy Darroch
Chief Financial Officer
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Consolidated Cash Flow Statement for the year ended 30 June 2007
Notes
2007
£m
2006
£m
2005
£m
25
1,007
46
(128)
925
1,004
43
(172)
875
Cash flows from operating activities
989
Cash generated from operations
28
Interest received
(103)
Taxation paid
914
Net cash from operating activities
..................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................
Cash flows from investing activities
12
Dividends received from joint ventures and associates
4
Net funding (to) from joint ventures and associates
14
Proceeds from the sale of a joint venture
1
Proceeds from the sale of equity investments
(149)
Purchase of property, plant and equipment
(92)
Purchase of intangible assets
—
Purchase of available-for-sale investments
—
Purchase of subsidiaries (net of cash and cash equivalents purchased)
(60)
Decrease (increase) in short-term deposits
(270)
Net cash used in investing activities
..................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................
Cash flows from financing activities
—
Proceeds from borrowings
—
Repayment of borrowings
4
Proceeds from disposal of shares in Employee Share Ownership Plan (‘‘ESOP’’)
(14)
Purchase of own shares for ESOP
(416)
Purchase of own shares for cancellation
(91)
Interest paid
(138)
Dividends paid to shareholders
(655)
Net cash (used in) from financing activities
..................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................
1
Effect of foreign exchange rate movements
(10)
Net (decrease) increase in cash and cash equivalents
..................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................
513
Cash and cash equivalents at the beginning of the year
503
Cash and cash equivalents at the end of the year
..................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................
9
(3)
—
—
(292)
(64)
(947)
(104)
632
(769)
7
(2)
—
—
(169)
(43)
—
(209)
(453)
(869)
1,014
—
13
(17)
(408)
(105)
(191)
306
295
(192)
37
(76)
(214)
(154)
(233)
(537)
—
(381)
816
435
503
816
1
313
The accompanying notes are an integral part of this consolidated cash flow statement.
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Notes to the consolidated financial statements
1. Accounting policies
British Sky Broadcasting Group plc (the ‘‘Company’’) is a limited liability company
incorporated in England and Wales, and domiciled in the United Kingdom (‘‘UK’’). The
consolidated financial statements include the Company and its subsidiaries (together, the
‘‘Group’’) and its interests in associates and jointly-controlled entities.
a) Statement of compliance
The consolidated financial statements have been prepared in accordance with
International Financial Reporting Standards (‘‘IFRS’’) as adopted for use in the European
Union (‘‘EU’’), the Companies Act 1985 and Article 4 of the International Accounting
Standard (‘‘IAS’’) Regulations. In addition, the Group also complied with IFRS as issued by
the International Accounting Standards Board (‘‘IASB’’). IFRS differs in certain material
respects from United States Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (‘‘US GAAP’’) — see
note 31.
The following IFRSs were adopted from the 1 July 2004, the date of transition to IFRS
(the ‘‘Transition Date’’), which is earlier than required under the IFRS transitional
provisions: IAS 32 ‘‘Financial Instruments: Disclosure and Presentation’’, IAS 39 ‘‘Financial
Instruments: Recognition and Measurement’’, IFRS 2 ‘‘Share-based Payment’’ and IFRS 5
‘‘Non-current Assets Held for Sale and Discontinued Operations’’.
b) Basis of preparation
The consolidated financial statements have been prepared on a going concern basis and
on an historical cost basis, except for the remeasurement to fair value of financial
instruments as described in the accounting policies below.
The Group maintains a 52 or 53 week fiscal year ending on the Sunday nearest to
30 June in each year. In fiscal year 2007, this date was 1 July 2007, this being a 52 week
year (fiscal year 2006: 2 July 2006, 52 week year; fiscal year 2005: 3 July 2005, 53 week
year). For convenience purposes, the Group continues to date its consolidated financial
statements as at 30 June. The Group has classified assets and liabilities as current when
they are expected to be realised in, settled in, or intended for sale or consumption in,
the normal operating cycle of the Group.
c) Basis of consolidation
i. Subsidiaries
Subsidiaries are entities controlled by the Company. Control exists when the Company
has the power, directly or indirectly, to govern the financial and operating policies of an
entity so as to obtain benefits from its activities. Subsidiaries are included in the
consolidated financial statements of the Company from the date control of the subsidiary
commences until the date that control ceases. Intra-group balances, and any unrealised
gains and losses or income and expenses arising from intra-group transactions, are
eliminated in preparing the consolidated financial statements.
ii. Associates and joint ventures
Associates are entities where the Group has significant influence, but not control or joint
control, over the financial and operating policies of the entity. Joint ventures are those
entities which are jointly controlled by the Group under a contractual agreement with
another party or parties.
These consolidated financial statements include the Group’s share of the total recognised
gains and losses of associates and joint ventures using the equity method, from the date
that significant influence or joint control commences to the date that it ceases, based on
present ownership interests and excluding the possible exercise of potential voting rights,
less any impairment losses (see accounting policy j). When the Group’s interest in an
associate or joint venture has been reduced to nil because the Group’s share of losses
exceeds its interest in the associate or joint venture, the Group only provides for
additional losses to the extent that it has incurred legal or constructive obligations to
fund such losses, or where the Group has made payments on behalf of the associate or
joint venture. Where the disposal of an investment in an associate or joint venture is
considered to be highly probable, the investment ceases to be equity accounted and,
instead, is classified as held for sale and stated at the lower of carrying amount and fair
value less costs to sell.
d) Goodwill
Business combinations that have occurred since the Transition Date are accounted for by
applying the purchase method of accounting. Following this method, goodwill is initially
recognised on consolidation, representing the difference between the fair value cost of
the business combination and the fair value of the identifiable assets, liabilities and
contingent liabilities assumed. Where a business combination occurs in several stages, as
a result of successive share purchases, the goodwill associated with each stage is
calculated using fair value information at the date of each additional share purchase.
In respect of business combinations that occurred prior to the Transition Date, goodwill
has been included at its deemed cost, as permitted by IFRS 1 ‘‘First-time Adoption of
International Financial Reporting Standards’’. Deemed cost represents the goodwill’s
carrying value under the Group’s UK Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (‘‘UK
GAAP’’) accounting policies on the Transition Date. On disposal of a subsidiary, associate
or joint venture, the attributable amount of goodwill is included in the determination of
profit or loss on disposal, except for goodwill written off to reserves under UK GAAP
prior to the Transition Date, which is not reinstated and is not included in determining
any subsequent gain or loss on disposal.
Goodwill is stated at cost less any impairment losses and is tested, at least annually, for
impairment, based on the recoverable amounts of the cash generating unit to which the
goodwill has been allocated. Any impairment identified is recognised immediately in the
income statement and is not subsequently reversed. The carrying amount of goodwill in
respect of associates and joint ventures is included in the carrying amount of the
investment in the associate or joint venture.
e) Intangible assets and property, plant and equipment (‘‘PPE’’)
i. Intangible assets
Research expenditure is recognised in operating expense in the income statement as the
expenditure is incurred. Development expenditure (relating to the application of research
knowledge to plan or design new or substantially improved products for sale or use
within the business) is recognised as an intangible asset from the point at which it is
probable that the Group has the intention and ability to generate future economic
benefits from the development expenditure, that the development is technically feasible
and that the subsequent expenditure can be measured reliably. Any other development
expenditure is recognised in operating expense as incurred.
Other intangible assets, which are acquired by the Group separately or through a
business combination, are initially stated at cost or fair value, respectively, less
accumulated amortisation and impairment losses, other than those that are classified as
held for sale, which are stated at the lower of carrying amount and fair value less
costs to sell.
Amortisation of an intangible asset begins when the asset is available for use, and is
charged to the income statement through operating expense on a straight-line basis over
the intangible asset’s estimated useful life, principally being a period between three and
ten years, unless the asset life is judged to be indefinite. If the useful life is indefinite or
the asset is not yet available for use, no amortisation is charged and an impairment test
is carried out at least annually. Other intangible assets are tested for impairment in line
with accounting policy j below.
ii. Property, plant and equipment
Owned PPE is stated at cost, net of accumulated depreciation and any impairment losses,
(see accounting policy j), other than those items that are classified as held for sale,
which are stated at the lower of carrying amount and fair value less costs to sell. When
an item of PPE comprises major components having different useful economic lives, the
components are accounted for as separate items of PPE.
Assets held under finance leases, which confer rights and obligations similar to those
attached to owned assets, are treated as PPE (see accounting policy o).
The cost of PPE, less estimated residual value, is depreciated in operating expense on a
straight-line basis over its estimated useful life. Land, and assets that are not yet
available for use, are not depreciated. Principal useful economic lives used for this
purpose are:
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Notes to the consolidated financial statements
continued
1. Accounting policies (continued)
Freehold buildings
Equipment, furniture and fixtures
Assets under finance leases and
leasehold improvements
25 years
3 to 15 years
Lesser of lease term and the useful economic
life of the asset
Borrowing costs are recognised in finance costs in the period in which they are incurred
regardless of how the borrowings have been applied.
f) Derivative financial instruments and hedging activities
The Group uses a number of derivative financial instruments to hedge its exposure to
fluctuations in interest and foreign exchange rates.
Derivatives are held at fair value from the date that a derivative contract is entered into.
Fair value is defined as the amount for which an asset could be exchanged, or a liability
settled, between knowledgeable, willing parties in an arm’s length transaction. The fair
value of derivative financial instruments is estimated with reference to the contracted
value and the appropriate market value prevailing at the balance sheet date. Certain
derivatives held by the Group which relate to highly probable forecast transactions
(‘‘hedged items’’), which meet qualifying criteria under IAS 39, are designated as cash
flow hedges or fair value hedges, and are subject to cash flow hedge accounting or fair
value hedge accounting respectively. In certain circumstances, only the intrinsic value of a
derivative has been designated as a cash flow hedge, with the remaining fair value not
designated as a cash flow hedge. Certain other derivatives held by the Group do not
meet the qualifying criteria for recognition for accounting purposes as hedges, despite
this being their economic function. Changes in the fair values of these derivatives are
recognised immediately in the income statement. The Group does not hold or issue
derivatives for speculative purposes.
Derivatives that qualify for cash flow hedge accounting
Changes in the fair values of derivatives that are designated as cash flow hedges (‘‘cash
flow hedging instruments’’) are initially recognised in the hedging reserve. In
circumstances where the derivative used is a currency option, only changes in the
intrinsic value of the option are designated under the cash flow hedging relationship,
with all other movements being recorded immediately in the income statement. Amounts
accumulated in the hedging reserve are subsequently recognised in the income
statement in the periods in which the related hedged items are recognised in the
income statement.
At inception, the effectiveness of the Group’s cash flow hedges is assessed through a
comparison of the principal terms of the hedging instrument and the underlying hedged
item. The ongoing effectiveness of the Group’s cash flow hedges is assessed using the
dollar-offset approach, with the expected cash flows of hedging instruments being
compared to the expected cash flows of the hedged items. This assessment is used to
demonstrate that each hedge relationship is expected to be highly effective on inception,
has been highly effective in the period and is expected to continue to be highly effective
in future periods. The measurement of hedge ineffectiveness for the Group’s hedging
instruments is calculated using the hypothetical derivative method, with the fair values of
the hedging instruments being compared to those of the hypothetical derivative that
would result in the designated cash flow hedge achieving perfect hedge effectiveness.
The excess of the cumulative change in the fair value of the actual hedging instrument
compared to that of the hypothetical derivative is deemed to be hedge ineffectiveness,
which is recognised in the income statement.
When a cash flow hedging instrument expires, is terminated or is exercised, or if a
hedge no longer meets the qualifying criteria for hedge accounting, any cumulative gain
or loss existing in the hedging reserve at that time remains in the hedging reserve and
is recognised when the forecast transaction is ultimately recognised in the income
statement, provided that the underlying transaction is still expected to occur. When a
forecast transaction is no longer expected to occur, the cumulative gain or loss that was
reported in the hedging reserve is immediately recognised in the income statement and
all future changes in the fair value of the cash flow hedging instruments are immediately
recognised in the income statement.
Derivatives that qualify for fair value hedge accounting
The Group has designated certain derivatives as fair value hedges as defined under
IAS 39. Any initial fair value associated with the derivative and subsequent movements in
fair value are amortised over the life of the designated hedged items using the effective
interest method. Any changes in the fair value of the derivatives are immediately
recognised in the income statement. The carrying amount of the underlying hedged
items are adjusted for any gain or loss in the fair value of the hedged risks, the gain or
loss is recognised in the income statement, offsetting the gain or loss on the derivative.
Embedded derivatives
Derivatives embedded in other financial instruments or other host contracts are treated
as separate derivatives when their risks and characteristics are not closely related to
those of the host contracts and the host contracts are not carried at fair value, with
unrealised gains or losses reported in the income statement. Embedded derivatives are
carried on the balance sheet at fair value from the inception of the host contract.
Changes in fair value are recognised within the income statement during the period in
which they arise.
g) Inventories
i. Acquired and commissioned television programme inventories
Programme inventories are stated at the lower of cost and net realisable value (‘‘NRV’’),
including, where applicable, estimated subscriber escalation payments, and net of the
accumulated expense charged to the income statement to date.
Programming rights are included as inventories when the legally enforceable licence
period commences and all of the following conditions have been met: (a) the cost of
each programme is known or reasonably determinable; (b) the programme material has
been accepted by the Group in accordance with the conditions of the rights, and (c) the
programme is available for its first showing. Prior to being included in inventories, the
programming rights are classified as television programme rights not yet available for
transmission and not recorded on the Group’s balance sheet and are instead disclosed as
contractual commitments (see note 26). Payments made upon receipt of commissioned
and acquired programming, but in advance of the legal right to broadcast the
programmes, are treated as prepayments.
The cost of television programme inventories are recognised in the operating expense
line of the income statement, primarily as described below:
Sports — 100% of the cost is recognised in the income statement on the first broadcast
or, where the rights are for multiple seasons or competitions, such rights are principally
recognised on a straight-line basis across the seasons or competitions.
News — 100% of the cost is recognised in the income statement on first broadcast.
General entertainment — The cost is recognised in the income statement based on the
expected value of each planned broadcast.
Movies — The cost is recognised in the income statement on a straight-line basis over
the period of broadcast rights.
Where programme rights are surplus to the Group’s requirements, and no gain is
anticipated through a disposal of the rights, or where the programming will not be
broadcast for any other reason, a write-down to the income statement is made. Any
reversals of inventory write-downs are recognised as reductions in operating expense.
ii. Set-top boxes, routers and related equipment
Set-top boxes (including Sky+ boxes and HD boxes), routers and related equipment are
valued at the lower of cost and NRV, the latter of which reflects the value that the
business expects to realise from the set-top boxes and related equipment in the hands
of the customer, and are recognised through the operating expense line of the income
statement. Any subsidy is expensed on enablement, which is the process of activating the
viewing card during installation, so as to enable a viewer to view encrypted broadcast
services, and effectively represents the completion of the installation process for new
subscribers. The amount recognised in the income statement is determined on a
weighted average cost basis, in accordance with IAS 2 ‘‘Inventory’’.
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iii. Raw materials, consumables and goods held for resale
Raw materials, consumables and goods held for resale are valued at the lower of cost
and NRV. The cost of raw materials, consumables and goods held for resale is
recognised through the operating expense line of the income statement on a FIFO basis.
i) Transponder rental prepayments
Payments made in respect of future satellite broadcast capacity have been recorded as
prepaid transponder costs. These payments are recognised in the income statement on a
straight-line basis over the term of the agreement.
h) Financial assets and liabilities
Financial assets and liabilities are initially recognised at fair value plus any directly
attributable transaction costs. At each balance sheet date, the Group assesses whether
there is any objective evidence that any financial asset is impaired. Financial assets and
liabilities are recognised on the Group’s balance sheet when the Group becomes a party
to the contractual provisions of the financial asset or liability. Financial assets are
derecognised from the balance sheet when the Group’s contractual rights to the cash
flows expire or the Group transfers substantially all the risks and rewards of the financial
asset. Financial liabilities are derecognised from the Group’s balance sheet when the
obligation specified in the contract is discharged, cancelled or expires.
i. Available-for-sale investments
Equity investments intended to be held for an indefinite period of time are classified as
available-for-sale investments. They are carried at fair value, where this can be reliably
measured, with movements in fair value recognised directly in the available-for-sale
reserve. Where the fair value cannot be reliably measured, the investment is carried at
cost. Any impairment losses in available-for-sale investments are recognised in the
income statement and are not reversible through the income statement.
Available-for-sale investments are included within non-current assets unless management
has the intention of holding the investment for less than twelve months from the balance
sheet date, in which case they are included in current assets. On disposal, the difference
between the carrying amount and the sum of the consideration received and any
cumulative gain or loss that had previously been recognised directly in reserves is
recognised in the income statement.
ii. Trade and other receivables
Trade and other receivables are non-derivative financial assets with fixed or determinable
payments and, where no stated interest rate is applicable, are measured at the original
invoice amount, if the effect of discounting is immaterial. Where discounting is material,
trade and other receivables are measured at amortised cost using the effective interest
method. An allowance account is maintained to reduce the carrying value of trade and
other receivables for impairment losses identified from objective evidence, with
movements in the allowance account, either from increased impairment losses or
reversals of impairment losses, being recognised in the income statement.
iii. Cash and cash equivalents
Cash and cash equivalents include cash in hand, bank accounts, deposits receivable on
demand and deposits with maturity dates of three months or less from the date of
inception. Bank overdrafts that are repayable on demand and which form an integral
part of the Group’s cash management are also included as a component of cash and
cash equivalents where offset conditions are met.
iv. Short-term deposits
This includes short-term deposits and commercial paper which have maturity dates of
more than three months from inception. These deposits are initially recognised at fair
value, and then carried at amortised cost through the income statement less any
allowance for impairment losses.
v. Trade and other payables
Trade and other payables are non-derivative financial liabilities and are measured at
amortised cost using the effective interest method. Trade and other payables with no
stated interest rate are measured at the original invoice amount if the effect of
discounting is immaterial.
vi. Borrowings
Borrowings are recorded as the proceeds received, net of direct issue costs. Finance
charges, including any premium payable on settlement or redemption and direct issue
costs, are accounted for on an accruals basis in the income statement using the effective
interest method and are added to the carrying amount of the underlying instrument to
which they relate, to the extent that they are not settled in the period in which they arise.
j) Impairment
At each balance sheet date, in accordance with IAS 36 ‘‘Impairment of Assets’’, the
Group reviews the carrying amounts of all its assets excluding inventories (see
accounting policy g), non-current assets classified as held for sale, financial assets (see
accounting policy h) and deferred taxation (see accounting policy p) to determine
whether there is any indication that any of those assets have suffered an impairment loss.
An impairment, other than an impairment of an investment in a joint venture or
associate, is recognised in the income statement whenever the carrying amount of an
asset or its cash generating unit exceeds its recoverable amount. An impairment of an
investment in a joint venture or associate is recognised within the share of profit from
joint ventures and associates. The recoverable amount is the greater of net selling price,
defined as the fair value less costs to sell, and value in use. In assessing value in use,
the estimated future cash flows are discounted to their present value using a pre-tax
discount rate that reflects current market assessments of the time value of money and
risks specific to the asset. Where it is not possible to estimate the recoverable amount of
an individual asset, the Group estimates the recoverable amount of the cash generating
unit to which the asset belongs. Impairment losses recognised in respect of cash
generating units are allocated first to reduce the carrying amount of any goodwill
allocated to those units, and then to reduce the carrying amount of other assets in the
unit on a pro-rata basis.
An impairment loss for an individual asset or cash generating unit shall be reversed if
there has been a change in estimates used to determine the recoverable amount since
the last impairment loss was recognised and is only reversed to the extent that the
asset’s carrying amount does not exceed the carrying amount that would have been
determined, net of depreciation or amortisation, if no impairment loss had been
recognised. Any impairment loss in respect of goodwill is irreversible.
k) Provisions
Provisions are recognised when the Group has a probable, present legal or constructive
obligation to make a transfer of economic benefits as a result of past events where a
reliable estimate is available. The amounts recognised represent the Group’s best
estimate of the transfer of benefits that will be required to settle the obligation as of the
balance sheet date. Provisions are discounted if the effect of the time value of money is
material using a market rate adjusted for risks specific to the liability.
l) ESOP reserve
Where the Company or its subsidiaries purchase the Company’s own equity shares, the
cost of those shares, including any attributable transaction costs, is presented within the
ESOP reserve as a deduction in shareholders’ equity in the consolidated financial
statements.
m) Revenue recognition
Revenue, which excludes value added tax and transactions between Group companies,
represents the gross inflow of economic benefit from Sky’s operating activities. The
Group’s main sources of revenue are recognised as follows:
— Retail subscription revenue, including subscriptions for Sky TV, Sky Broadband and Sky
Talk services, is recognised as the goods or services are provided, net of any discount
given. Pay-per-view revenue is recognised when the event or movie is viewed.
— Wholesale revenue is recognised as the services are provided to the cable retailers
and is based on the number of subscribers taking the Sky channels, as reported to
the Group by the cable retailers, and the applicable rate card.
— Advertising sales revenue is recognised when the advertising is broadcast. Revenue
generated from airtime sales, where Sky acts as an agent on behalf of third parties, is
recognised on a net commission basis.
— Sky Bet revenue is recognised in accordance with IAS 39. Sky Bet revenue represents
income in the period for betting and gaming activities, defined as amounts staked by
customers less betting payouts.
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Notes to the consolidated financial statements
continued
1. Accounting policies (continued)
— Installation, hardware and service revenue is recognised in the income statement
when the goods and services are delivered.
— Other revenue principally includes income from Sky Active, Sky Card, Sky Mobile TV,
technical platform services and Easynet Enterprise. Other revenue is recognised, net of
any discount given, when the relevant goods or service are provided.
Revenue is measured at the fair value of the consideration received or receivable. When
the Group sells a set-top box, installation or service and a subscription in one bundled
transaction, the Group allocates the total arrangement consideration to the different
individual elements based on their relative fair values. Management determines the fair
value of individual elements based on vendor specific or third party evidence. The
amount of revenue the Group recognises for delivered elements is limited to the cash
received.
n) Employee benefits
Wages, salaries, social security contributions, bonuses payable and non-monetary benefits
for current employees are recognised in the income statement as the employees’
services are rendered.
The Group provides pensions to eligible employees through defined contribution
schemes. The amount charged to the income statement in the year represents the cost
of contributions payable by the Group to the schemes in exchange for employee services
rendered in that year. The assets of the schemes are held independently of the Group.
Termination benefits are recognised as a liability when, and only when, the Group has a
demonstrable commitment to terminate the employment of an employee or group of
employees before the normal retirement date or as the result of an offer to encourage
voluntary redundancy.
The Group issues equity-settled and cash-settled share-based payments to certain
employees which must be measured at fair value and recognised as an expense in the
income statement, with a corresponding increase in equity in the case of equity-settled
payments, and liabilities in the case of cash-settled awards. The fair values of equity-
settled payments are measured at the dates of grant using option-pricing models, taking
into account the terms and conditions upon which the awards are granted. Cash-settled
share-based payments are measured at their fair value as at the balance sheet date. The
fair value is recognised over the period during which employees become unconditionally
entitled to the awards, subject to the Group’s estimate of the number of awards which
will lapse, either due to employees leaving the Group prior to vesting or due to
non-market based performance conditions not being met. Where an award has
market-based performance conditions, the fair value of the award is adjusted for the
probability of achieving these via the option pricing model. The total amount recognised
in the income statement as an expense is adjusted to reflect the actual number of
awards that vest, except where forfeiture is due to the failure to meet market-based
performance measures.
In accordance with the transitional provisions in IFRS 1, and IFRS 2, the recognition and
measurement principles in IFRS 2 have only been applied to options and awards granted
after 7 November 2002 that had not vested by 1 January 2005.
o) Leases
Leases are classified as finance leases whenever the terms of the lease transfer
substantially all the risks and rewards incidental to ownership of the asset to the lessee.
All other leases are classified as operating leases.
When the Group is lessor, sublease income from operating leases is recognised on a
straight-line basis over the term of the lease.
When the Group is lessee, assets held under finance leases are recognised as assets of
the Group at their fair value on the date of acquisition, or, if lower, at the present value
of the minimum lease payments. The corresponding liability to the lessor is included in
the balance sheet as a finance lease obligation. Lease payments are apportioned between
finance charges and reductions of the lease obligation so as to achieve a constant rate of
interest on the remaining balance of the liability.
British Sky Broadcasting Group plc
Annual Report 2007
58
The lease expense arising from operating leases is charged to the income statement on
a straight line basis over the term of the lease. Benefits received and receivable as
incentives to enter into operating leases are recorded on a straight line basis over the
lease term.
p) Taxation, including deferred taxation
The Group’s liability for current tax is based on taxable profit for the year, and is
calculated using tax rates that have been enacted or substantively enacted at the balance
sheet date.
Deferred tax assets and liabilities are recognised using the balance sheet liability method,
providing for temporary differences between the carrying amounts of assets and liabilities
in the balance sheet and the corresponding tax bases used in the computation of taxable
profit. Temporary differences arising from goodwill and the initial recognition of assets or
liabilities that affect neither accounting profit nor taxable profit are not provided for.
Deferred tax liabilities are recognised for taxable temporary differences arising on
investments in subsidiaries and associates, and interests in joint ventures, except where
the Group is able to control the reversal of the temporary difference and it is probable
that the temporary difference will not reverse in the foreseeable future. The amount of
deferred tax provided is based on the expected manner of realisation or settlement of
the carrying amount of assets and liabilities, using tax rates that have been enacted or
substantially enacted at the balance sheet date.
The carrying amount of deferred tax assets is reviewed at each balance sheet date and
adjusted to reflect an amount that is probable to be realised based on the weight of all
available evidence. Deferred tax is calculated at the rates that are expected to apply in
the period when the liability is settled or the asset is realised. Deferred tax assets and
liabilities are not discounted. Deferred tax is charged or credited in the income
statement, except where it relates to items charged or credited directly to equity, in
which case the deferred tax is also included within equity. Deferred tax assets and
liabilities are offset when there is a legally enforceable right to set off current tax assets
against current tax liabilities and when they relate to income taxes levied by the same
taxation authority and the Group intends to settle its current tax assets and liabilities on
a net basis.
q) Distributions to equity shareholders
Dividends are recognised in the retained earnings reserve in the year in which they
are declared.
The cost of repurchasing the Group’s own equity shares for cancellation (‘‘share buy-
backs’’) are recorded in retained earnings. In addition, the nominal cost of shares
repurchased is deducted from share capital and a matching credit is recorded in the
capital redemption reserve.
r) Earnings per share
Basic earnings per share represents the profit for the year, divided by the weighted
average number of ordinary shares in issue during the year, excluding the weighted
average number of ordinary shares purchased by the Group and held in the Group’s
ESOP during the year to satisfy employee share awards.
Diluted earnings per share represents the profit for the year, divided by the weighted
average number of ordinary shares in issue during the year, excluding the weighted
average number of ordinary shares purchased by the Group and held in the Group’s
ESOP Trust during the year to satisfy employee share awards, plus the weighted average
number of dilutive shares resulting from share options.
s) Foreign currency translation
The Group’s presentational currency is pounds sterling. Trading activities denominated in
foreign currencies are recorded in pounds sterling at the applicable monthly exchange
rates. Monetary assets, liabilities and commitments denominated in foreign currencies at
the balance sheet date are reported at the rates of exchange at that date. Non-monetary
assets and liabilities denominated in foreign currencies are translated to pounds sterling
at the exchange rate prevailing at the date of the initial transaction. Gains and losses
from the retranslation of assets and liabilities are included net in profit for the year,
except for exchange differences arising on non-monetary assets and liabilities where the
changes in fair value are recognised directly in equity.
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The assets and liabilities of the Group’s foreign operations are translated at exchange
rates prevailing on the balance sheet date. Income and expense items are translated at
the applicable monthly average exchange rates. Any exchange differences arising are
classified as equity and transferred to other reserves.
t) Reportable segments
A reportable segment, as defined by IAS 14 ‘‘Segment Reporting’’, is a distinguishable
business or geographical component of the Group, that provides products or services,
that are subject to risks and rewards that are different from those of other segments.
The Group considers its primary reporting format to be business segments. The Group
considers that it has only one reportable segment, being the Broadcast segment. As the
revenue, results, assets and cash flows of the Broadcast segment are substantially the
same to those of the consolidated Group, no separate analysis has been provided.
u) Accounting standards, interpretations and amendments to existing standards that are
not yet effective
The Group has not yet adopted certain new standards, amendments and interpretations
to existing standards, which have been published but are only effective for accounting
periods beginning on or after 1 July 2007, or later periods. These new standards are
listed below:
— IFRS 7 ‘‘Financial Instruments: Disclosures’’ (effective from 1 July 2007)
— Amendment to IAS 1 ‘‘Presentation of Financial Statements — Capital Disclosures’’
(effective from 1 July 2007)
— Revised guide on Implementing IFRS 4 ‘‘Insurance Contracts’’ (effective from
1 July 2007)
— IFRIC 10 ‘‘Interim Financial Reporting and Impairment’’ (effective from 1 July 2007)
— IFRIC 12 ‘‘Service Concession Arrangements’’ (effective from 1 July 2008)
— IFRIC 13 ‘‘Customer Loyalty Programmes’’ (effective from 1 July 2008)
— IFRIC 14 ‘‘IAS 19 – The Limit on a Defined Benefit Asset, Minimum Funding
Requirements and their Interaction’’ (effective from 1 July 2008)
— Amendment to IAS 23 ‘‘Borrowing Costs’’ (effective from 1 July 2009)
— IFRS 8 ‘‘Operating Segments’’ (effective from 1 July 2009).
The Directors are currently evaluating the impact of the adoption of these standards,
amendments and interpretations in future periods.
v) Critical accounting policies and the use of judgement
Certain accounting policies are considered to be critical to the Group. An accounting
policy is considered to be critical if its selection or application materially affects the
Group’s financial position or results. The Directors are required to use their judgement in
order to select and apply the Group’s critical accounting policies. Below is a summary of
the Group’s critical accounting policies and details of the key areas of judgement that are
exercised in their application.
(i) Goodwill (see note 11)
— Judgement is required in determining the fair value of identifiable assets, liabilities
and contingent assets assumed in a business combination. Calculating the fair values
involves the use of significant estimates and assumptions, including expectations about
future cash flows, discount rates and the lives of assets following purchase.
— Judgement is also required in evaluating whether any impairment loss has arisen
against the carrying amount of goodwill. This may require calculation of the
recoverable amount of cash generating units to which the goodwill is associated. Such
a calculation may involve estimates of the net present value of future forecast cash
flows and selecting an appropriate discount rate. Alternatively, it may involve a
calculation of the fair value less costs to sell of the applicable cash generating unit.
(ii) Revenue (see note 2)
— Selecting the appropriate timing for, and amount of, revenue to be recognised
requires judgement. This may involve estimating the fair value of consideration before
it is received. When the Group sells a set-top box, installation or service and a
subscription in one bundled transaction, we allocate the total consideration from the
arrangement to each element based on their relative fair values. The fair value of
each individual element is determined using vendor specific or third party evidence on
a periodic basis. The amount of revenue the Group recognises for delivered elements
is limited to the cash received.
— Judgement is also required in evaluating the likelihood of collection of customer debt
after revenue has been recognised. This evaluation requires estimates to be made,
including the level of provision to be made for amounts with uncertain recovery
profiles. Provisions are based on historical trends in the percentage of debts which
are not recovered, or on more detailed reviews of individually significant balances.
(iii) Intangible assets and property, plant and equipment (see notes 12 and 13)
— The assessment of the useful economic lives of these assets requires judgement.
Depreciation is charged to the income statement based on the useful economic life
selected. This assessment requires estimation of the period over which the Group will
benefit from the assets.
— Determining whether the carrying amount of these assets has any indication of
impairment also requires judgement. If an indication of impairment is identified,
further judgement is required to assess whether the carrying amount can be
supported by the net present value of future cash flows forecast to be derived from
the asset. This forecast involves cash flow projections and selecting the appropriate
discount rate.
— Assessing whether assets meet the required criteria for initial capitalisation requires
judgement. This requires a determination of whether the assets will result in future
benefits to the Group. In particular, internally generated intangible assets must be
assessed during the development phase to identify whether the Group has the ability
and intention to complete the development successfully.
(iv) Programming inventory (see note 17)
— The key area of accounting for programming inventory requiring judgement is the
assessment of the appropriate profile over which to recognise amortisation in the
income statement. This assessment requires the Group to form an expectation of the
number of times a programme will be broadcast and the value associated with each
broadcast.
— For general entertainment programming, in order to perform this assessment of
amortisation profile, we consider the expected number of viewers a programme is
likely to achieve on repeat broadcast, the alternative programming available to the
programming scheduler, the potential marketing benefits relating to the scheduling of
certain programmes and the Group’s assessment of its competitors’ scheduling
intentions when determining the amount of programme expense to recognise for each
broadcast. Acquired movie rights are amortised on a straight-line basis over the
period of the transmission rights. Where contracts for sports rights provide for
multiple seasons or competitions, they are amortised on a straight-line basis across
the season or competition as our estimate of the benefits received from these rights is
determined to be most appropriately aligned with a straight-line amortisation profile.
(v) Deferred tax (see note 16)
— The key area of judgement in respect of deferred tax accounting is the assessment of
the expected timing and manner of realisation or settlement of the carrying amounts
of assets and liabilities held at the balance sheet date. In particular, assessment is
required of whether it is probable that there will be suitable taxable profits against
which the deferred tax can be utilised.
(vi) Available-for-sale investments (see note 15)
— The key areas of judgement in respect of available-for-sale investments are the
assessment of whether there is objective evidence that a loss event has occurred after
initial recognition of an available-for-sale investment, and whether such a loss event
has a reliably measurable impact on the estimated future cash flows of the
investment. At each balance sheet date, management consider whether there is
objective evidence that a loss event has occurred and whether it has had an impact
on the estimated future cash flows of the available-for-sale investment. If a loss event
has occurred, management would then consider whether an impairment loss has
occurred and the quantum of that loss. As at 30 June 2007, the Group’s available-for-
sale investments included a material investment in ITV plc (‘‘ITV’’). The factors
management considered in determining whether an impairment loss in ITV had
occurred included observable data about the estimated future cash flows of ITV based
on ITV’s publicly available financial reporting and announcements, publicly available
information from financial commentators about ITV and the market in which it
operates, the historical performance of ITV’s share price, and the regulatory
environment affecting ITV and the Group.
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Notes to the consolidated financial statements
continued
2. Revenue
2007
£m
2006
£m
2005
£m
Retail subscription
Wholesale subscription
Advertising
Sky Bet
Installation, hardware and service
Other
2,974
219
329
32
128
160
3,842
..................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................
3,157
224
342
37
131
257
4,148
3,406
208
352
47
212
326
4,551
Revenue arises from goods and services provided to the UK, with the exception of £289 million (2006: £222 million; 2005: £171 million) which arises from services provided to other
European countries. To provide a more relevant presentation, management has chosen to re-analyse the revenue categories from those previously reported. Other revenue now
principally includes income from Sky Active, Sky Card, Sky Mobile TV, technical platform services and Easynet Enterprise.
3. Operating expense
2007
£m
2006
£m
2005
£m
Programming(i)
Transmission and related functions
Marketing
Subscriber management
Administration(ii),(iii)
1,635
171
527
392
295
3,020
..................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................
1,599
234
622
468
348
3,271
1,539
402
734
618
443
3,736
(i)
In the year ended 30 June 2007, the Group recognised a £65 million credit due to the Group, arising from certain contractual rights under one of the Group’s channel
distribution agreements. This item was previously disclosed as a contingent asset in the Group’s June 2006 consolidated financial statements.
(ii) In the year ended 30 June 2005, the Group recognised £13 million from the liquidators of ITV Digital as a full and final settlement in respect of amounts owed to the Group.
(iii) In the year ended 30 June 2007, the Group recognised a £16 million expense relating to the legal costs incurred to date on the Group’s claim against EDS (the information and
technology solutions provider).
4. Investment income and finance costs
2007
£m
2006
£m
2005
£m
Investment income
Cash, cash equivalents and short-term deposits
Dividends receivable from available-for-sale investments
29
—
29
..................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................
52
—
52
33
13
46
2007
£m
2006
£m
2005
£m
Finance costs
— Interest payable and similar charges
£600 million Revolving Credit Facility (‘‘RCF’’)
£1 billion RCF
Guaranteed Notes (see note 21)
Finance lease interest
(4)
(2)
(84)
(1)
(91)
..................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................
— Other finance income (expense)
Remeasurement of borrowings and borrowings-related derivative financial instruments (not qualifying for hedge accounting)
Remeasurement of programming-related derivative financial instruments (not qualifying for hedge accounting)
5
(1)
4
..................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................
(87)
..................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................
—
(12)
(135)
(8)
(155)
—
(2)
(123)
(4)
(129)
(10)
(4)
(14)
—
6
6
(143)
(149)
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5. Profit on disposal of joint venture
The Group realised no profit or loss on disposal of joint ventures during the years ended 30 June 2007 and 30 June 2006 (see note 14). In the year ended 30 June 2005, the Group
sold its 49.5% investment in Granada Sky Broadcasting for £14 million in cash, realising a profit on disposal of £9 million.
6. Profit before taxation
Profit before taxation is stated after charging (crediting):
2007
£m
2006
£m
2005
£m
1,276
Cost of inventories recognised as an expense
47
Depreciation of property, plant and equipment
45
Amortisation of intangible assets
2
Loss on disposal of property, plant and equipment
24
Rentals on operating leases and similar arrangements
(1)
Sub-lease rentals received on operating leases
..................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................
1,281
89
51
—
25
(1)
1,387
120
72
—
32
(1)
Consolidated non-current assets outside the UK were £20 million (2006: £18 million).
Foreign exchange
Foreign exchange gains recognised in the income statement during the year amounted to £2 million (2006: £6 million; 2005: £17 million).
Audit fees
An analysis of auditors remuneration is as follows:
2007
£m
2006
£m
2005
£m
Fees payable to the Company’s auditors for the audit of the Company’s annual accounts
Fees payable to the Company’s auditors for other services:
1
The audit of the Company’s subsidiaries pursuant to legislation
—
Other services pursuant to legislation
2
Total audit fees
..................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................
7
Information technology services
7
Total non-audit fees
..................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................
9
..................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................
1
—
2
1
1
3
4
4
1
1
6
4
1
1
1
The Audit Committee was satisfied throughout the year that the objectivity and independence of Deloitte & Touche LLP was not in any way impaired by either the nature of the
non-audit related services undertaken during the year, the level of non-audit fees charged, or any other facts or circumstances.
This information is presented in accordance with UK Companies Act requirements. For US reporting purposes (following guidance included in Item 16C of Form 20-F), amounts paid
to auditors are analysed as follows: audit fees £2 million (2006: £1 million; 2005: £1 million), audit-related fees £1 million (2006: £1 million; 2005 £1 million), and all other fees £1
million (2006: £4 million; 2005: £7 million). All other fees relate to services provided in respect of customer management systems development.
7. Employee benefits and key management compensation
a) Group employee benefits
2007
£m
2006
£m
2005
£m
Wages and salaries
Social security costs
Costs of employee share option schemes(i)
Contributions to the Group’s pension schemes(ii)
327
32
25
14
398
..................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................
451
48
35
20
554
362
38
23
16
439
(i) £33 million relates to equity-settled share-based payments (2006: £23 million; 2005: £25 million) and £2 million relates to cash-settled share-based payments (2006: nil;
2005: nil). At 30 June 2007, the total expense relating to non-vested awards not yet recognised was £39 million which is expected to be recognised over a weighted average
period of 1.1 years. At 30 June 2007, £2 million was recognised as liabilities arising from share-based payment transactions (2006: nil), none of which related to awards for
which the counterparty’s right to cash had vested by the end of the year.
(ii) The Group operates defined contribution pension schemes. The pension charge for the year represents the cost of contributions payable by the Group to the schemes during the
year. The Group’s amount payable to the schemes at 30 June 2007 was £2 million (2006: £2 million).
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Notes to the consolidated financial statements
continued
7. Employee benefits and key management compensation (continued)
The average monthly number of full-time equivalent persons (including temporary employees) employed by the Group during the year was as follows:
2007
Number
2006
Number
2005
Number
Channels and services
Customer service, sales and marketing
Transmission and technology
Management and administration
2,357
5,472
1,201
928
9,958
..................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................
2,472
7,591
1,560
1,464
13,087
2,403
6,486
1,267
1,060
11,216
There are approximately 445 temporary staff included within the average number of full-time equivalent people employed by the Group. To provide a more relevant presentation,
management has chosen to re-analyse the categories through which the average number of full-time equivalent persons employed by the Group is disclosed, from those previously
reported.
b) Key management compensation (see note 29d)
Short-term employee benefits
Share-based payments
2007
£m
2006
£m
5
3
8
4
2
5
2005
£m
4
1
..................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................
Post-employment benefits were less than £1 million (2006: less than £1 million; 2005: less than £1 million). Details of key management compensation is provided within the Report
on Directors’ remuneration.
8. Taxation
a) Taxation recognised in the income statement
2007
£m
2006
£m
2005
£m
Current tax expense
163
Current year
(8)
Adjustment in respect of prior years
155
Total current tax charge
..................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................
Deferred tax expense
71
Origination and reversal of temporary differences
(17)
Adjustment in respect of prior years
54
Total deferred tax charge
..................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................
209
Taxation
..................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................
204
(15)
189
147
(6)
141
106
—
106
22
14
36
225
247
Taxation relates to a £240 million UK corporation tax charge (2006: £247 million; 2005: £209 million) and a £15 million tax credit in respect of Luxembourg trading losses.
b) Deferred tax recognised directly in equity
2007
£m
2006
£m
2005
£m
Deferred tax (credit) charge relating to share-based payments
Deferred tax charge (credit) relating to cash flow hedges
3
(5)
(2)
..................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................
(2)
(16)
(18)
(5)
12
7
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c) Reconciliation of effective tax rate
The tax expense for the year is higher (2006: higher; 2005: lower) than the expense that would have been charged using the standard rate of corporation tax in the UK (30%)
applied to profit before tax. The applicable enacted or substantially enacted rate of UK corporation tax for the year was 30% (2006 and 2005: 30%). The differences are
explained below:
2007
£m
2006
£m
2005
£m
787
Profit before tax
236
Profit before tax multiplied by standard rate of corporation tax in the UK of 30% (2006 and 2005: 30%)
..................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................
Effects of:
7
Non-deductible expense
(9)
Tax exempt revenue
(25)
Over-provision in respect of prior years
209
Taxation
..................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................
19
(11)
—
225
16
(2)
(6)
247
724
217
798
239
9. Earnings per share
The weighted average number of shares for the year was:
2007
Millions of
shares
2006
Millions of
shares
2005
Millions of
shares
1,917
Ordinary shares
(4)
ESOP trust ordinary shares
1,913
Basic shares
..................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................
4
Dilutive ordinary shares from share options
1,917
Diluted shares
..................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................
1,830
(3)
1,827
1,759
(4)
1,755
5
1,832
12
1,767
The calculation of diluted earnings per share excludes 17 million share options (2006: 37 million; 2005: 37 million), which could potentially dilute earnings per share in the future.
These options do not currently have a dilutive effect as the exercise price of the options exceeds the average market price of ordinary shares during the year.
Basic and diluted earnings per share are calculated by dividing profit for the year into the weighted average number of shares for the year. In order to provide a measure of
underlying performance, management have chosen to present an adjusted profit for the year which excludes items that may distort comparability. Such items arise from events or
transactions that fall within the ordinary activities of the Group but which management believes should be separately identified to help explain underlying performance.
2007
£m
2006
£m
2005
£m
Reconciliation of profit for the year to adjusted profit for the year
578
Profit for the year
(13)
Payment from ITV Digital liquidators
(9)
Profit on disposal of joint venture
(4)
Remeasurement of all derivative financial instruments (not qualifying for hedge accounting)
—
Amount receivable from channel distribution agreement (see note 3)
—
Legal costs relating to claim against EDS (see note 3)
5
Tax effect of above items
(17)
Increase in estimate of recoverable tax assets in respect of prior years
540
Adjusted profit for the year
..................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................
499
—
—
(6)
(65)
16
17
—
461
551
—
—
14
—
—
(4)
—
561
2007
pence
2006
pence
2005
pence
Earnings per share from profit for the year
Basic
Diluted
Adjusted earnings per share from profit for the year
28.2p
Basic
28.2p
Diluted
..................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................
30.2p
30.1p
30.7p
30.6p
28.4p
28.2p
26.3p
26.1p
30.2p
30.2p
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Notes to the consolidated financial statements
continued
10. Dividends
2007
£m
2006
£m
2005
£m
Dividends declared and paid during the year
2004 Final dividend paid: 3.25p per ordinary share
2005 Interim dividend paid: 4.00p per ordinary share
2005 Final dividend paid: 5.00p per ordinary share
2006 Interim dividend paid: 5.50p per ordinary share
2006 Final dividend paid: 6.70p per ordinary share
2007 Interim dividend paid: 6.60p per ordinary share
63
77
—
—
—
—
140
..................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................
—
—
92
99
—
—
191
—
—
—
—
117
116
233
The 2007 final dividend proposed is 8.9p per ordinary share being £155 million. The dividend was proposed after the balance date and is therefore not recognised as a liability as at
30 June 2007.
Dividends are paid between Group companies out of profits available for distribution subject to, inter alia, the provisions of the companies’ articles of association and the Companies
Act 1985 (as amended). There are restrictions over the distribution of any profits which are not generated from external cash receipts as defined in Technical Release 7/03, issued by
the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales. All dividends were paid out of profits available for distribution. The ESOP has waived its rights to dividends.
11. Goodwill
Total
£m
Carrying value
At 1 July 2005
417
Purchase of Easynet Group Limited (‘‘Easynet’’)
216
Other purchases
4
637
At 30 June 2006
..................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................
77
Purchase of 365 Media Group Plc (‘‘365 Media’’) (see note 28)
27
Other purchases
741
At 30 June 2007
..................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................
Goodwill has principally arisen from the Group’s purchases of the Sports Internet Group (‘‘SIG’’), British Interactive Broadcasting (‘‘BiB’’), Easynet and 365 Media. Impairment reviews
were performed on these goodwill balances at 30 June 2007, which did not indicate impairment.
The initial accounting for goodwill purchased in the Easynet acquisition is no longer provisional. In completing the initial accounting, a further £14 million of goodwill has been
recognised compared to the amount provisionally disclosed, as a result of additional information regarding the amount of corporation tax liability associated with the purchase. This
increase in goodwill has been recorded as if it existed from the original acquisition date of 6 January 2006. The amount of goodwill deductible for tax purposes is nil (2006: nil).
Goodwill, allocated by cash generating unit, is analysed as follows:
2007
£m
2006
£m
Interactive(i)
Betting and gaming(ii)
Broadcast(iii)
Easynet Enterprise(iv)
Multiple units without significant goodwill
302
112
186
30
7
637
..................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................
302
149
253
30
7
741
The provisional goodwill arising from the purchase of 365 Media in the current year has been primarily allocated between two existing cash generating units, Broadcast and Betting
and gaming, because the activities of 365 Media have been subsumed into these cash generating units.
Recoverable amounts for the cash generating units were calculated on the basis of value in use, using cash flows calculated for the next five years as forecast by management.
A growth rate of 3% was applied in order to extrapolate cash flow projections beyond this five year period, based on future industry expectations. The cash flows were discounted
using a pre-tax discount rate of 8.6% (2006: 8.5%).
i) Interactive
The Interactive unit includes goodwill arising from the purchase of BiB. The key assumptions on which forecast five year cash flows were based included the number of interactive
application providers on the interactive platform, the number of unique users of interactive services, the average spend per unique user, contractual rate cards, the number of
customer connections to interactive services, and the level of conditional access and access control charges to broadcasters and interactive application providers on the Sky digital
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platform. The values assigned to each of these assumptions were determined based on historical data and trends within the unit, and on contractual rate cards, where these
were available.
ii) Betting and gaming
The Betting and gaming unit includes goodwill arising from the purchase of SIG and 365 Media’s betting business. The key assumptions on which forecast five year cash flows were
based include the number of weekly unique users, the number of bets placed per user per week, the average stake per user per week and the average spend per active user per
week. The values assigned to each of these assumptions were determined based on an extrapolation of historical trends within the unit, and external information on expected future
trends in betting and gaming.
iii) Broadcast
The Broadcast unit includes goodwill arising from the purchase of Easynet’s UK broadband network assets, Easynet’s UK residential business and 365 Media’s content business.
The recoverable amount for the Broadcast cash generating unit was calculated on the basis of the value in use of the broadcast unit. The key assumptions on which forecast
five year cash flows of the Broadcast unit were based include the number of gross DTH subscriber additions, the rate of DTH churn, the average revenue per subscriber, acquisition
costs per subscriber and anticipated changes in the product mix and marketing mix of the broadcast business. The values assigned to each of these assumptions were determined
based on the extrapolation of historical trends within the Group, and external information on expected future trends in the UK and Ireland entertainment and
communications industry.
iv) Easynet Enterprise
The Easynet Enterprise unit includes goodwill arising from the purchase of Easynet’s enterprise broadband business in the UK and other European countries. The key assumptions on which
forecast five year cash flows were based include the number of Easynet Enterprise customers, the average revenue per customer and the operating margin generated per customer. The
values assigned to each of these assumptions were determined based on an extrapolation of historical trends within the unit, and external information on expected future trends in the
enterprise broadband industry.
12. Intangible assets
Internally
generated
intangible assets
£m
Other
intangible
assets
£m
Internally
generated
intangible
assets not yet
available for use
£m
Other intangible
assets not yet
available for use
£m
Total
£m
23
—
5
—
6
34
6
—
—
—
(6)
—
181
29
24
(22)
115
327
136
—
9
—
(115)
30
Cost
346
At 1 July 2005
29
Additions from business combinations
38
Other additions
(22)
Disposals
—
Transfers
391
At 30 June 2006
..................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................
24
Additions from business combinations (see note 28)
91
Other additions
(51)
Disposals
455
At 30 June 2007
..................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................
Amortisation
144
At 1 July 2005
51
Amortisation for the year
(22)
Disposals
173
At 30 June 2006
..................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................
72
Amortisation for the year
(51)
Disposals
194
At 30 June 2007
..................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................
Carrying amounts
202
At 1 July 2005
218
At 30 June 2006
261
At 30 June 2007
..................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................
The Group’s intangible assets include internal and external spend on software associated with our customer management systems, software licences, capitalised development costs,
copyright licences, customer lists and relationships, patents and brands acquired in business combinations.
130
49
(22)
157
24
41
(51)
341
63
(51)
169
136
30
52
51
170
172
—
28
—
62
—
22
—
52
14
2
—
16
9
—
25
9
18
37
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
6
—
—
The estimated future amortisation charge on finite-lived intangible assets for each of the next five years is set out below. It is likely that future amortisation will vary from the figures
below as the estimate does not include the impact of any future investments, disposals or capital expenditure.
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Notes to the consolidated financial statements
continued
12. Intangible assets (continued)
2008
2009
2010
2011
2012
4
Estimated amortisation charge
..................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................
88
19
47
86
For intangible assets acquired in business combinations in the year, the average amortisation period is nine years.
13. Property, plant and equipment
Land and
freehold
buildings(i)(ii)
£m
Leasehold
improvements
£m
Equipment,
furniture and
fittings
£m
Assets not yet
available for
use
£m
Total
£m
42
12
1
(2)
—
53
70
—
—
(3)
48
115
431
67
163
(125)
55
591
123
—
30
—
(103)
50
Cost
At 1 July 2005
666
Additions from business combinations
79
Other additions
194
Disposals
(130)
Transfers
—
809
At 30 June 2006
..................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................
1
Additions from business combinations (see note 28)
270
Other additions
(113)
Disposals
—
Transfers
967
At 30 June 2007
..................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................
Depreciation
331
At 1 July 2005
89
Depreciation
(130)
Disposals
290
At 30 June 2006
..................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................
120
Depreciation
(113)
Disposals
297
At 30 June 2007
..................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................
Carrying amounts
335
At 1 July 2005
519
At 30 June 2006
670
At 30 June 2007
..................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................
1
232
(93)
30
761
—
5
(1)
(14)
105
287
81
(125)
243
—
6
(19)
24
64
—
27
—
(40)
37
111
(93)
261
13
3
(3)
13
31
5
(2)
34
4
(19)
19
123
50
37
144
348
500
57
102
88
5
(1)
17
11
19
45
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
(i) The amounts shown include assets held under finance leases with a net book value of £5 million (2006: £5 million). The cost of these assets was £8 million (2006: £8 million)
and the accumulated depreciation was £3 million (2006: £3 million). Depreciation charged during the year on such assets was nil (2006: £1 million; 2005: nil).
(ii) Depreciation was not charged on £27 million of land (2006: £25 million).
14. Investments in joint ventures and associates
A list of the Group’s significant investments in joint ventures and associates, including the name, country of incorporation and proportion of ownership interest is given in note 30 to
the consolidated financial statements.
The movement in joint ventures and associates during the year was as follows:
2007
£m
2006
£m
Share of net assets:
At 1 July
Movement in net assets
2
— Funding, net of repayments
(7)
— Dividends received
12
— Share of profits
(1)
Transfers to subsidiaries
(1)
Movement in other payables
28
At 30 June
..................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................
3
(9)
12
—
—
34
28
23
The Group’s share of any capital commitments and contingent liabilities of associates and joint ventures is shown in note 26.
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a) Investments in joint ventures
Representing the Group’s share of each joint venture:
2007
£m
2006
£m
2
Non-current assets
51
Current assets
(28)
Current liabilities
(3)
Non-current liabilities
22
Shareholders’ equity
..................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................
70
Revenue
(56)
Expense
Taxation
(2)
12
Share of profit from joint ventures
..................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................
b) Investments in associates
Representing a 100% share of each associate:
4
59
(28)
(1)
34
74
(60)
(2)
12
2007
£m
2006
£m
1
Total assets
(1)
Total liabilities
—
Shareholder’s equity
..................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................
2
Revenue
—
Profit
..................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................
—
—
—
—
—
The Group had no associates at 30 June 2007 following the purchase of the remaining 80% of Aura Sports Limited in August 2006.
15. Available-for-sale investments
2007
£m
2006
£m
—
Investment in ITV at cost
—
Unrealised loss on ITV investment
—
Fair value of ITV investment
..................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................
2
Other investments at cost
2
..................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................
946
(151)
795
2
797
On 17 November 2006, the Group acquired 696 million shares in ITV, representing 17.9% of the issued capital of ITV, for a total consideration of £946 million including fees and
taxes. The investment in ITV is carried at fair value, with movements in the fair value recognised directly in the available-for-sale reserve. The fair value of ITV is determined with
reference to its equity share price at the balance sheet date. At 30 June 2007, ITV’s equity share price was £1.14, generating an unrealised loss of £151 million. Based on
management’s assessment of the sector in which ITV operates, there is no indication that the unrealised loss is permanent and it is expected to reverse in subsequent periods. If the
Group were to dispose of ITV before 17 November 2007 at a loss, which it currently does not intend to do, an unrecognised deferred tax asset would arise. Any such disposal after
this date, assuming certain other factors remain consistent with those existing at the balance sheet date, would be exempt from tax under the provisions of the Substantial
Shareholding Exemption (SSE). As such, the SSE provisions would prevent any capital loss arising for tax purposes.
The Group holds certain unquoted equity investments that are carried at cost less impairment. The fair value of these investments is not considered to differ significantly from the
carrying value.
16. Deferred tax
i) Recognised deferred tax assets
Fixed asset
temporary
differences
£m
Tax losses
£m
Short-term
temporary
differences
£m
Share-based
payments
temporary
differences
£m
Financial
instrument
temporary
differences
£m
Total
£m
105
14
At 1 July 2005
(106)
(71)
Charge to income
18
—
Credit to equity
83
83
Business combinations
100
26
At 30 June 2006
..................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................
(36)
(32)
(Charge) credit to income
(7)
—
Credit (charge) to equity
(3)
(3)
Business combinations (see note 28)
54
(9)
At 30 June 2007
..................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................
68
(35)
—
—
33
(18)
—
—
15
1
(12)
—
11
6
—
16
—
22
9
—
2
—
11
12
5
—
28
8
—
—
—
8
1
—
—
9
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Notes to the consolidated financial statements
continued
17. Inventories
2007
£m
2006
£m
Television programme rights
Set-top boxes and related equipment
Other inventories
277
41
6
324
...........................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................
290
84
10
384
At 30 June 2007, at least 89% (2006: 86%) of the television programme rights and
100% (2006: 100%) of other inventories is expected to be recognised in the income
statement within 12 months.
18. Trade and other receivables
2007
£m
2006
£m
267
Gross trade receivables
(60)
Less: provision for impairment of receivables
207
Net trade receivables
...........................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................
7
Amounts receivable from joint ventures and associates
1
Amounts receivable from other related parties
156
Prepayments
107
Accrued income
11
Other
489
...........................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................
8
1
175
91
45
524
304
(100)
204
Included within prepayments is £27 million (2006: £73 million) which is due in more
than one year.
The current year charge to the income statement in respect of provisions for impairment
of trade receivables was £40 million (2006: £13 million; 2005: £19 million). The
Directors consider that the carrying amount of trade and other receivables approximates
to their fair values. The Group is exposed to credit risk on its trade and other receivables
however, the Group does not have any significant concentrations of credit risk, with
exposure spread over a large number of counterparties and customers. Trade
receivables principally comprise amounts outstanding from subscribers, advertisers and
other customers.
19. Trade and other payables
2007
£m
2006
£m
Trade payables
Amounts owed to joint ventures and associates
Amounts owed to other related parties
VAT
Accruals
Deferred income
Other
352
5
31
140
428
246
45
1,247
...........................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................
380
3
36
97
468
245
66
1,295
Included within trade payables are £139 million (2006: £151 million) of US dollar-
denominated programme payables. The Directors consider that the carrying amount of
trade and other payables approximates to their fair values. Trade payables principally
comprise amounts outstanding for programming purchases and ongoing costs.
16. Deferred tax (continued)
Deferred tax assets have been recognised at 30 June 2007 and 30 June 2006 on the
basis that, from management’s current forecast of the Group’s entities, it is probable that
there will be suitable taxable profits against which these assets can be utilised. Tax
losses are treated as unrecognised deferred tax assets if it is not considered probable
that suitable future taxable profits will arise. During the year, any tax losses suffered by
UK entities have been relieved against taxable profits in other UK entities in the Group.
The deferred tax asset recognised in respect of tax losses arises principally in
Luxembourg. Based on management’s forecast, there will be suitable future taxable
profits against which this deferred tax asset can be utilised.
Deferred tax assets and liabilities are measured at the tax rates that are expected to
apply in the periods in which they reverse. The rate enacted or substantially enacted for
the relevant periods of reversal ranged from 28% to 30% in the year ended 30 June
2007 (2006: 30%). The change in the range of substantially enacted rates in the year
ended 30 June 2007, caused a decrease in the net deferred tax asset by £2 million
(2006: nil).
Certain deferred tax assets and liabilities have been offset. The following is the analysis
of the deferred tax balances (after offset) for financial reporting purposes:
2007
£m
2006
£m
Deferred tax assets
Deferred tax liabilities
107
(7)
100
...........................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................
66
(12)
54
ii) Unrecognised deferred tax assets
Tax losses arising from trading
Tax losses arising from capital disposals and
provisions against investments
354
475
...........................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................
447
599
2007
£m
152
2006
£m
121
Deferred tax assets have not been recognised in respect of the items above because it is
not probable that future taxable profits will be available against which the Group can
utilise the losses.
At 30 June 2007, a deferred tax asset of £50 million (2006: £32 million) principally
arising from UK losses in the Group, has not been recognised. These losses include
£9 million purchased in business combinations during the year (2006: £18 million).
These losses can only be offset against taxable profits generated in the entities
concerned. There is currently insufficient evidence to support the recognition of a
deferred tax asset relating to these losses.
At 30 June 2007, a deferred tax asset of £102 million (2006: £89 million) has not been
recognised in respect of overseas trading losses on the basis that it is not probable that
these temporary differences will be utilised. These losses include £75 million (2006:
£64 million) with respect to the Group’s German holding companies of KirchPayTV and
£27 million (2006: £25 million) with respect to the Group’s holdings in Easynet’s
European subsidiaries.
At 30 June 2007, a deferred tax asset of £420 million (2006: £330 million) has not been
recognised in respect of potential capital losses related to the Group’s holding of
KirchPayTV, on the basis that utilisation of these temporary differences is not probable.
At 30 June 2007, the Group also has capital losses estimated to be in excess of
£27 million (2006: £24 million) including provisions in a football club and other
investments, which have not been recognised as a deferred tax asset, on the basis that it
is not probable that they will be utilised.
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20. Provisions
At
1 July
2005
£m
Provided
during
the year
£m
Utilised
during
the year
£m
At
1 July
2006
£m
Provided
during
the year
£m
Utilised
during
the year
£m
At
30 June
2007
£m
Current liabilities
Provision for termination benefits(i)
Other provisions(ii)
3
—
5
6
8
6
..................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................
Non-current liabilities
Other provisions(iii)
18
19
..................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................
(11)
(2)
(13)
—
(2)
(2)
11
2
13
—
6
6
3
1
4
(3)
19
—
—
2
(i) At 30 June 2005, the Group had provided £11 million for the expected costs of redundancy and related expenses following an efficiency review. During the year ended
30 June 2006, all of this provision was utilised. During the year ended 30 June 2007, the Group provided a further £3 million for the expected costs of redundancy and related
expenses. This provision is expected to be utilised within one year.
(ii) Included in other provisions are amounts provided for onerous contracts for property leases, maintenance and legal disputes. The timing of the cash flows for onerous property
leases and maintenance are dependent on the terms of the remaining leases. The timing of the cash flows for legal disputes cannot be reasonably determined.
(iii) Included within non-current other provisions are onerous property leases. The timing of the cash flows are dependent on the terms of the leases.
As at 30 June 2007, a provision of nil (2006: £16 million) was recognised as a result of business combinations.
21. Borrowings and non-current other payables
2007
£m
2006
£m
Current borrowings
US$300 million of 7.300% Guaranteed Notes repayable in October 2006(i)
Loan Notes(ii)
Other current borrowings
162
—
1
163
..................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................
Non-current borrowings
US$600 million of 6.875% Guaranteed Notes repayable in February 2009(i)
£100 million of 7.750% Guaranteed Notes repayable in July 2009(i)
US$650 million of 8.200% Guaranteed Notes repayable in July 2009(i)
US$750 million of 5.625% Guaranteed Notes repayable in October 2015(i)
£400 million of 5.750% Guaranteed Notes repayable in October 2017(i)
£300 million of 6.000% Guaranteed Notes repayable in May 2027(i)
US$350 million of 6.500% Guaranteed Notes repayable in October 2035(i)
Other non-current borrowings
Obligations under finance leases(iii)
325
100
351
400
397
—
184
1
67
1,825
..................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................
Non-current other payables
Accruals
Deferred income
15
51
66
..................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................
299
100
324
364
397
295
169
—
66
2,014
—
16
—
16
10
74
84
(i) Guaranteed Notes
At 30 June 2007, the Group had in issue the following publicly-traded Guaranteed Notes:
US$600 million of 6.875% Guaranteed Notes, repayable in February 2009. At the time of issuing these notes, the US dollar proceeds were swapped into pounds sterling
(£367 million) at an average fixed rate of 8.200%, payable semi-annually. In July 2003, the Group entered into an interest rate hedging arrangement in respect of £61 million of this
swapped debt. The effect of this new hedging arrangement was that, from July 2003 until February 2009, the Group pays floating six months London Inter-Bank Offer Rate (‘‘LIBOR’’)
plus a margin of 3.490% on £61 million of its swapped debt. However, at each six monthly reset date, the counterparty to this transaction has the right to cancel the transaction
with immediate effect. In October 2003, the Group entered into a further hedging arrangement in respect of an additional £61 million of this swapped debt, the effect of which was
to reduce the rate payable to 7.950% for the period August 2003 to February 2004. Thereafter, until August 2006, the rate payable is 7.950% plus any margin by which the floating
six monthly LIBOR reset rate exceeds the sum of the previous reset rate plus 0.500%. Thereafter, the rate reverts to a fixed 8.180%. In February 2005, the 7.950% interest rate on
this swap was renegotiated to 8.020% with all other aspects of the swap remaining unchanged.
£100 million of 7.750% Guaranteed Notes, repayable in July 2009. The fixed coupon is payable annually.
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Notes to the consolidated financial statements
continued
(iii) Finance leases
The minimum lease payments under finance leases fall due as follows:
2007
£m
2006
£m
Within one year
Between one and two years
Between two and three years
Between three and four years
Between four and five years
After five years
8
8
8
8
8
201
241
...........................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................
(169)
Future finance charges on finance lease liabilities
72
Present value of finance lease liabilities
...........................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................
8
8
8
8
8
193
233
(162)
71
The main obligations under finance leases are in relation to:
(a) finance arrangements in connection with the broadband network infrastructure.
During the year, repayments of £7 million (2006: £7 million) were made against the
lease. A proportion of these payments have been allocated against the capital
outstanding. The lease bears interest at a rate of 11.1% and expires in March 2040.
(b) finance arrangements in connection with the contact centre in Dunfermline. During
the year, repayments of £1 million (2006: £1 million) were made against the lease. A
proportion of these payments have been allocated against the capital amount
outstanding. The lease bears interest at a rate of 8.5% and expires in September 2020.
(iv) Revolving Credit Facility
In November 2004, the Company entered into a £1 billion RCF. This facility was used to
cancel an existing £600 million RCF and is available for general corporate purposes. The
£1 billion facility has a maturity date of July 2010, and interest accrues at a margin of
between 0.45% and 0.55% above LIBOR, dependent on the Group’s leverage ratio of Net
Debt to earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortisation (‘‘EBITDA’’) (as
defined in the loan agreement).
The RCF contains certain financial covenants which are tested at the end of each six-
monthly accounting period. The key financial covenants are the ratio of Net Debt to
EBITDA (as defined in the loan agreement) and EBITDA to Net Interest Payable (as
defined in the loan agreement). Net Debt to EBITDA must be no more than 3:1 and
EBITDA to Net Interest Payable must be at least 3.5:1.
At 30 June 2007, the ratio of Net Debt to EBITDA (as defined in the loan agreement)
was 1.8:1 (2006: 0.8:1). In the year ended 30 June 2007, the ratio of EBITDA to Net
Interest Payable (as defined in the loan agreement) was 9.8:1 (2006: 11.2:1).
Commitment fees of £2 million (2006: £2 million; 2005: £2 million) were payable for
undrawn amounts available under the RCF, based on a rate equal to 40% of the
applicable margin of 0.50% over LIBOR (30 June 2006: 40% of the applicable margin of
0.45% over LIBOR; 30 June 2005: 40% of the applicable margin of 0.45% over LIBOR).
The following guarantees are in place relating to the Group’s borrowings: (a) British Sky
Broadcasting Limited, Sky Subscribers Services Limited, BSkyB Investments Limited, BSkyB
Finance UK plc and BSkyB Publications Limited have given joint and several guarantees
in relation to the Company’s £1 billion RCF, (b) British Sky Broadcasting Limited, Sky
Subscribers Services Limited, BSkyB Finance UK plc, BSkyB Publications Limited and
BSkyB Investments Limited have given joint and several guarantees in relation to the
US$650 million, US$600 million, £300 million and £100 million Guaranteed Notes issued
by the Company, (c) the Company, British Sky Broadcasting Limited, Sky Subscribers
Services Limited, BSkyB Investments Limited and BSkyB Publications Limited have given
joint and several guarantees in relation to the US$750 million, US$350 million and
£400 million Guaranteed Notes issued by BSkyB Finance UK plc.
21. Borrowings and non-current other payables (continued)
US$650 million of 8.200% Guaranteed Notes, repayable in July 2009. At the time of
issuing these notes, the US dollar proceeds were swapped into pounds sterling
(£413 million) at an average fixed rate of 7.653% payable semi-annually.
In December 2002 the Group entered into further swap arrangements relating to
£63.5 million of this debt. These arrangements were subsequently amended
in March 2003 and July 2004, the effect of which was to fix the interest rate on
£63.5 million at 5.990% until January 2004, after which time it reverted to a floating six
months LIBOR plus a margin of 2.460%, except that should LIBOR be less than 2.750%
for the period January to July 2004, 2.890% for the period July 2004 to January 2005, or
2.990% thereafter, the effective rate shall be deemed to be 7.653%. After July 2004, the
margin over LIBOR increased from 2.460% to 2.840%. In order to increase its exposure
to floating rates, in July 2003, the Group entered into another interest rate hedging
arrangement in respect of a further £63.5 million of the above-mentioned debt. The
effect of this arrangement was that, from July 2003 until July 2009, the Group will pay
floating six months LIBOR plus a margin of 2.8175% on this £63.5 million, except that
should LIBOR be less than 2.750% for the period January to July 2004, or less than
2.990% thereafter, the Group shall revert back to 7.653%. At 30 June 2007, none of the
floor levels had been breached; therefore, the Group continues to pay the relevant
floating rates.
US$750 million of 5.625% Guaranteed Notes, repayable in October 2015, which were
issued in October 2005. At the time of issuing these notes, the Group entered into swap
transactions to convert the dollar proceeds to pounds sterling (£428 million), which carry
interest at an average fixed rate of 5.401% until maturity, payable semi-annually. The
Group entered into further interest rate hedging arrangements in respect of £257 million
of this swapped debt. The effect of these arrangements was that, from October 2005
until October 2015, the Group will pay an average floating rate of six months LIBOR plus
a margin of 0.698% on £257 million of its swapped debt.
£400 million of 5.750% Guaranteed Notes, repayable in October 2017, which were
issued in October 2005. The fixed coupon is payable annually. On 14 June 2006, the
Group entered into an interest rate hedging arrangement in respect of £20 million of
this debt. The effect of this hedging arrangement is that, from October 2006
until October 2009, the Group will pay floating six months LIBOR plus a margin of
0.325% on £20 million of its debt. On the same date, the Group entered into a further
interest rate hedging arrangement in respect of £10 million of this debt, to take effect
from October 2009 and mature in October 2017. Under the terms of this swap the
Group will pay floating six months LIBOR plus a margin of 0.325%. However, at each
annual reset date from October 2009 to October 2017, the counterparty to this
transaction has the right to cancel the transaction with immediate effect. On 21 June 2007,
the Group entered into interest rate hedging arrangements in respect of a further
£50 million of debt whereby, from June 2007, the Group will pay floating six months
LIBOR minus 0.229%.
£300 million of 6.000% Guaranteed Notes, repayable in May 2027, which were issued
in May 2007. The fixed coupon is payable annually.
US$350 million of 6.500% Guaranteed Notes, repayable in October 2035, which were
issued in October 2005. At the time of issuing these notes, the Group entered into swap
transactions to convert the dollar proceeds to pounds sterling (£200 million) at an
average fixed rate of 5.826%, payable semi-annually.
During the year ended 30 June 2007, the Group repaid the US$300 million of 7.300%
Guaranteed Notes on 16 October 2006.
(ii) Loan Notes
The Loan Notes were issued during the current year as part consideration for the
purchase of 365 Media (see note 28), and are repayable at the option of the noteholders
either on 30 June or on 31 December in any year between the first date on which all of
the relevant holdings of Loan Notes had been in issue for more than six months and
31 December 2009. Under the terms of the Loan Notes, the Group pays floating twelve
months LIBOR minus 1.000%. The coupon is payable annually.
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22. Derivatives and other financial instruments
Set out below are the derivative financial instruments entered into by the Group, to manage its interest rate and foreign exchange risks.
2007
Designated
hedging
instruments
£m
2007
Other
instruments
£m
2007
Asset
(liability)
£m
2006
Designated
hedging
instruments
£m
2006
Other
instruments
£m
2006
Asset
(liability)
£m
Current assets
Currency options (collars)
Embedded derivatives
Forward exchange contracts
Cross-currency swaps
—
4
—
—
4
1
—
—
—
1
3
1
2
1
7
..................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................
Current liabilities
Currency options (collars)
Forward exchange contracts
Cross-currency swaps
(10)
(11)
(28)
(49)
..................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................
Non-current liabilities
Interest rate swaps and swaptions
Cross-currency swaps and basis swaps
(9)
(200)
(209)
..................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................
(251)
..................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................
(13)
(23)
—
(36)
(13)
(23)
—
(36)
(10)
(11)
(28)
(49)
(11)
(208)
(219)
(17)
(241)
(258)
—
(200)
(200)
(6)
(33)
(39)
(9)
—
(9)
1
4
—
—
5
—
1
1
—
2
3
—
1
1
5
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
(254)
(244)
(289)
(35)
(7)
Included within the fair value of forward exchange contracts are a number of US dollar-denominated forward exchange contracts which the Group has taken out with counterparty
banks on behalf of three of its joint ventures: The History Channel (UK), Chelsea Digital Media Limited and Nickelodeon UK. On the same dates as these forward contracts were
entered into, the Group entered into equal and opposite forward contracts with the respective joint ventures. As a result, the net fair value of these contracts to the Group was nil
(2006: nil). The gross sterling equivalent face value of these forward contracts at 30 June 2007 was £5 million (2006: £7 million).
Group treasury activity
The Group’s treasury function is responsible for raising finance for the Group’s operations, together with associated liquidity management, and the management of foreign exchange,
interest rate and credit risks. Treasury operations are conducted within a framework of policies and guidelines authorised and reviewed by both the Audit Committee and the Board,
which receive regular updates of treasury activity. Derivative instruments are transacted for risk management purposes only. It is the Group’s policy that all hedging is to cover known
risks and that no speculative trading in financial instruments is undertaken. Regular and frequent reporting to management is required for all transactions and exposures, and the
internal control environment is subject to periodic review, both by the Group’s internal audit team and by its Treasury Committee.
The Group’s principal market risks are exposures to changes in interest rates and foreign exchange rates, which arise both from the Group’s sources of finance and from its
operations. Following evaluation of those market risks, the Group selectively enters into derivative financial instruments to manage these exposures. The principal instruments
currently used are interest rate swaps and options on interest rate swaps (‘‘swaptions’’) to hedge interest rate risks, and cross-currency swaps, forward exchange contracts, currency
options (collars) and similar financial instruments to hedge transactional and translational currency exposures.
Interest rate risk
The Group has financial exposures to both UK and US interest rates, arising primarily from the Group’s long-term bonds and other borrowings. The Group’s hedging policy requires
that between 50% and 75% of borrowings are held at fixed interest rates. This is achieved by issuing fixed rate bonds and then using interest rate swap and swaption agreements
to adjust the balance between fixed and floating rate debt. The Group’s bank debt is at floating rates, and, when drawn, means that the mix of fixed and floating rate debt fluctuates
and is therefore managed to ensure compliance with the Group’s hedging policy. At 30 June 2007, 74% of borrowings are held at fixed rates after hedging (30 June 2006: 75%).
Certain of the swaption agreements can be cancelled prior to the maturity of the bonds to which they apply.
The Group’s US dollar-denominated debt has all been swapped to pounds sterling using a combination of cross-currency and interest rate swap arrangements to convert both the
principal amounts of debt, together with interest rate obligations, from US dollars to pounds sterling, at fixed exchange rates. The counterparties have a minimum long-term rating of
‘‘A’’ or equivalent from Moody’s and Standard & Poor’s. At 30 June 2007, the split of the Group’s aggregate borrowings into their core currencies was US dollar 57% and pounds
sterling 43% (30 June 2006: US dollar 72% and pounds sterling 28%).
The Group has designated a number of cross-currency swap agreements as cash flow hedges of 81% (30 June 2006: 100%) of the Group’s exposure to US dollar interest rates on
elements of the Group’s US dollar denominated Guaranteed Notes. As such, the effective portion of the gain or loss on the swaps designated and qualifying as cash flow hedging
instruments is reported as a component of the hedging reserve, outside of the income statement, and is then reclassified into the income statement in the same period that the
forecast transactions affect the income statement (i.e. when the interest expense is incurred and/or gains or losses relating to the retranslation of US dollar denominated debt
principal are recognised in the income statement). Any hedge ineffectiveness on the swaps is recognised directly in profit or loss. The ongoing effectiveness testing is performed
using the cumulative dollar-offset approach. During the year ended 30 June 2007, there were no instances where the hedge relationship was not highly effective (30 June 2006:
no instances).
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Notes to the consolidated financial statements
continued
22. Derivatives and other financial instruments (continued)
The Group has designated a number of interest rate swap agreements as fair value
hedges of 14% (30 June 2006: nil) of the Group’s debt portfolio. Movements in the fair
value of the hedged items are taken to the income statement and are offset by
movements in the fair value of the hedging instruments, which are also taken to the
income statement. Any hedge ineffectiveness on the swaps is recognised directly in profit
and loss. Ongoing effectiveness testing is performed using the cumulative dollar-offset
approach. During the year ended 30 June 2007, there were no instances where the
hedge relationship was not highly effective (2006: no instances).
Swaption agreements which convert fixed interest rates to floating interest rates and
cross-currency swaps which convert floating rate US dollar interest to floating rate
pounds sterling interest have not been designated as hedging instruments for hedge
accounting purposes and, as such, movements in their value are recorded directly in the
income statement.
The fair value of the Group’s debt-related interest rate and currency derivative portfolio
at 30 June 2007 was a £258 million net liability, with net notional principal amounts
totalling £1,487 million. This compares to a £236 million net liability at 30 June 2006
and net notional principal amounts totalling £1,596 million. The fair value of the Group’s
derivative instruments designated as cash flow hedges at 30 June 2007 was a £208
million net liability (30 June 2006: £227 million net liability). The fair value of the
Group’s derivative instruments designated as fair value hedges at 30 June 2007 was a
£11 million net liability (30 June 2006: nil).
In November 2004, the Group entered into a £1,000 million RCF. At 30 June 2007, the
facility was undrawn (30 June 2006: undrawn). The facility has a maturity date
of July 2010, and interest accrues at a margin of between 0.45% and 0.55% per annum
above LIBOR, dependent on the Group’s leverage ratio of Net Debt to EBITDA (as defined
in the loan agreement). The current applicable margin is 0.50% (30 June 2006 0.45%),
which is based on a net debt to EBITDA ratio of below 2.00:1 but above 1.00:1. Should
the ratio increase above 2.00:1, the margin increases to 0.55%. Should the ratio
decrease to 1.00:1 or below, the margin will decrease to 0.45% above LIBOR. The ratio
of net debt to EBITDA at 30 June 2007 was 1.8:1 (30 June 2006: 0.8:1).
At 30 June 2007, a one percentage point movement in interest rates would result in a
£3 million movement in the Group’s annual net finance cost, defined as annual
investment income less finance costs (2006: £3 million; 2005: £3 million) generated by
interest receivable and payable on bank accounts, bank loan, RCF and interest swap and
swaption agreements.
At 30 June 2007, 30 June 2006 and 30 June 2005, the Group’s annual finance costs
would be unaffected by any change to the Group’s credit rating in either direction.
Foreign exchange risk
The Group’s revenue is substantially denominated in pounds sterling, whilst a proportion
of operating expense is denominated in US dollars. In the current year 7% of operating
expense (£261 million) was denominated in US dollars (2006: 9% (£297 million)). This
expense relates mainly to the Group’s programming contracts with US suppliers.
During the year, the Group managed its currency exposure on US dollar denominated
programming contracts by the purchase of forward exchange contracts and currency
options (collars) for up to five years ahead. All US dollar-denominated forward exchange
contracts and collars entered into by the Group are in respect of firm commitments only
and those instruments maturing over the year following 30 June 2007 represent
approximately 80% (2006: 80%) of US dollar denominated costs falling due in that year.
At 30 June 2007, the Group had outstanding commitments to purchase, in aggregate,
US$634 million (2006: US$626 million) at an average rate of US$1.85 to £1.00 (2006:
US$1.81 to £1.00). In addition, collars were held relating to the purchase of a total of
US$288 million (2006: US$336 million).
The Group has designated a number of forward exchange contracts and collars as cash
flow hedges of up to approximately 80% (2006: 80%) of the Group’s exposure to US
dollar payments on its programming contracts with US movie licensors for a period of
five years, thereafter nil (2006: five years, thereafter nil). As such, the effective portion of
British Sky Broadcasting Group plc
Annual Report 2007
72
the gain or loss on these contracts is reported as a component of the hedging reserve,
outside the income statement, and is transferred to the income statement as the forecast
transactions affect the income statement (i.e. when US dollar-denominated trade
payables are retranslated and related programming inventory is amortised through the
income statement). For currency options (collars), hedge accounting is only applied to
changes in intrinsic value. For forward exchange contracts, hedge accounting is applied
to changes in the full fair value. Any hedge ineffectiveness on the forward exchange
contracts and collars is recognised directly in the income statement. The ongoing
effectiveness testing is performed using the dollar-offset approach. If forecast transactions
are no longer expected to occur, any amounts included in the hedging reserve related to
that forecast transaction would be recognised directly in the income statement. Certain
forward exchange contracts and collars have not been designated as hedges and
movements in their values continue to be recorded directly in the income statement.
The Group’s primary euro exposure arises as a result of revenue generated from
subscribers in Ireland. Approximately 6% of revenue in the year (2006: 5%; 2005: 3%)
was denominated in euros. The Group’s exposure to euro-denominated revenue is offset
to a certain extent by euro-denominated costs, relating mainly to certain transponder
rentals, the net position being a euro surplus (2006: surplus; 2005: surplus).
78 million euros were exchanged for US dollars on currency spot markets during the
year (2006: 58 million euros) and 15 million surplus euros were exchanged for pounds
sterling (2006: 51 million surplus euros). At 30 June 2007, 61 million euros (£41 million)
were retained by the Group (2006: 55 million euros (£37 million)).
It is the Group’s policy that all anticipated foreign currency exposures are substantially
hedged in advance of the fiscal year in which the exposure occurs. The impact on the
Group’s profit for the year of a 10% movement in pounds sterling against all currencies
in which it has significant transactions is estimated to be a £9 million (2006: £1 million;
2005: £8 million) movement in the income statement, with a strengthening of pounds
sterling resulting in a decrease in profit for the year.
Credit risk
The Group is exposed to default risk amounting to invested cash and cash equivalents
and short-term deposits, and the positive fair value of derivatives held. However, as
financial transactions and instruments are only executed with counter parties that are all
‘A’ long-term rating or better and the Group’s policy is to ensure that investments are
spread across a number of counterparties, these risks are deemed to be low.
Liquidity risk
The Group’s financial liabilities are shown in note 21, other than trade and other
payables, shown in note 19, and provisions, shown in note 20.
To ensure continuity of funding, the Group’s policy is to ensure that available funding
matures over a period of years. At 30 June 2007, 43% (2006: 35%) of the Group’s total
available funding (including undrawn amounts on our RCF) was due to mature in more
than five years.
At 30 June 2007, the Group’s RCF was undrawn (30 June 2006: undrawn). The Group’s
undrawn committed bank facilities, subject to covenants, are as follows:
2007
£m
2006
£m
Expiring in more than three years but not more
than four years
Expiring in more than four years but not more than
1,000
five years
...........................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................
1,000
—
—
The Group’s RCF has a maturity date of July 2010.
On 3 April 2007, the Group established a Euro Medium Term Note Programme (the
‘‘Programme’’). The Programme provides the Group with a standardised documentation
platform to allow for senior debt issuance in the Eurobond markets. The maximum
potential issuance under the Programme is £1 billion. On 14 May 2007, under the
Programme the Group issued £300 million aggregate principal amount of Eurobonds
paying 6.000% interest and maturing on 14 May 2027.
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Fair values
Set out below is a comparison by category of the book values and the estimated fair
values of the Group’s financial assets and financial liabilities at 30 June 2007 and
30 June 2006:
23. Share capital
2007
£m
2006
£m
2007
Book
value
£m
2007
Fair
value
£m
2006
Book
value
£m
2006
Fair
value
£m
Financial assets and liabilities held or issued
to finance the Group’s operations
Quoted bond debt
Derivative financial instruments
Loan Notes
Obligations under finance leases and other
(69)
borrowings
2
Available-for-sale investments
647
Short-term deposits
816
Cash and cash equivalents
...........................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................
(1,919)
(251)
—
(1,938)
(289)
(16)
(1,948)
(289)
(16)
(1,919)
(251)
—
(66)
797
15
435
(66)
797
15
435
(69)
2
647
816
The fair value of quoted bond debt is based on year-end mid-market quoted prices. The
fair value of derivative financial instruments is estimated by calculating the differences
between the contracted rates and the appropriate market rates prevailing at the
year-ends. The fair value of obligations under finance leases and other borrowings is
estimated by discounting the future cash flows to net present value. The fair value of
short-term deposits and cash and cash equivalents is equivalent to book value due to the
short-term nature of these instruments.
The differences between book values and fair values reflect unrealised gains or losses
inherent in the financial instruments, based on valuations as at 30 June 2007 and
30 June 2006. The volatile nature of the markets means that values at any subsequent
date could be significantly different from the values reported above.
In addition to the financial assets and liabilities in the above fair value table, the Group
had holdings in the equity share capital of other listed and unlisted entities at
30 June 2007 and 30 June 2006 (see note 15).
The Group also had holdings in joint ventures and associates, which are accounted for
using the equity method (see note 14). As these investments are unlisted, their fair value
cannot be measured reliably.
Additional information
The estimated net amount of existing losses which are included in the hedging reserve
at 30 June 2007 that are expected to be transferred to the income statement within the
next year is £26 million, net of tax (2006: £7 million, net of tax; 2005: £15 million,
net of tax).
During the current year, the Group recognised amounts of less than £1 million in the
income statement due to hedge ineffectiveness (2006: nil).
At 30 June 2007, the carrying value of financial assets that were, upon initial recognition,
designated as financial assets at fair value through profit or loss, was nil (2006:
£148 million).
On 25 November 2005, the Group entered into a stock loan arrangement with a third
party whereby the Group acquired a £100m basket of listed shares (the ‘‘Initial
Purchase’’) and, at the same time, the Group agreed to sell the basket of listed shares at
the same price as the Initial Purchase on 25 November 2006. During the period of share
ownership, Sky was entitled to all rights of ownership associated with the shares. At
30 June 2006, the Group recorded the stock loan arrangement as a short-term deposit
at fair value with changes in fair value taken to the income statement. The arrangement
was terminated on 25 November 2006.
Authorised ordinary shares of 50p
1,500
3,000,000,000 (2006: 3,000,000,000)
...........................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................
Allotted, called-up and fully paid
896
1,752,842,599 (2006: 1,791,077,599)
...........................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................
1,500
876
2007
Number of
ordinary
shares
2006
Number of
ordinary
shares
Allotted and fully paid during the year
1,867,523,599
Beginning of year
(76,446,000)
Shares repurchased and subsequently cancelled
1,791,077,599
End of year
...........................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................
1,791,077,599
(38,235,000)
1,752,842,599
The Company has one class of ordinary shares which carry equal voting rights and no
contractual right to receive payment.
Share option and contingent share award schemes
The Company operates various equity-settled share option schemes (the ‘‘Schemes’’) for
certain employees.
The number of newly issued shares which may be allocated under the Schemes on any
day shall not, when aggregated with the number of newly issued shares which have
been allocated in the previous ten years under the Schemes and any other employee
share scheme adopted by the Company, exceed such number as represents five percent
of the ordinary share capital of the Company in issue immediately prior to that day. In
determining this limit no account shall be taken of any newly issued shares where the
right to acquire the newly issued shares was released, lapsed, cancelled or otherwise
became incapable of exercise. Options and awards which will be satisfied by ESOP shares
do not fall within these headroom limits.
The share awards outstanding can be summarised as follows:
2007
Number of
ordinary
shares
2006
Number of
ordinary
shares
Executive Share Option Scheme options(i)
Sharesave Scheme options(ii)
Management LTIP awards(iii)
LTIP awards(iv)
Key Contributors Plan (‘‘KCP’’) awards(v)
Equity Bonus Plan (‘‘EBP’’) awards(vi)
36,289,000
5,149,576
4,103,306
6,073,333
917,518
235,000
52,767,733
...........................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................
24,909,710
5,795,544
11,306,811
7,965,417
14,237
—
49,991,719
(i) Executive Share Option Scheme options
Included within the total Executive Share Option Scheme options outstanding at
30 June 2007 are 22,955,210 options (2006: 34,094,411) which may be exercised in the
final year before their lapsing date, regardless of meeting performance criteria, provided
that the employee remains in employment with the Group. Where performance criteria
are achieved, the options may be exercised immediately following the end of the vesting
period (being the term over which the performance criteria are required to be met).
The remaining 1,954,500 options (2006: 2,194,589) have no performance criteria
attached, other than the requirement that the employee remains in employment with the
Group. The contractual life of all Executive Share Option Scheme options is ten years.
Grants under the Executive Share Option Scheme were made on an annual basis to
selected employees, with the exercise price of options being equal to the Company’s
share price on the date of grant. For those options with performance conditions, growth
in EPS has to exceed growth in the Retail Prices Index plus 3% per annum in order for
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Notes to the consolidated financial statements
continued
The movement in share awards outstanding is summarised in the following table:
2007
Number of
shares
under
option
2007
Weighted
average
exercise
price
2006
Number of
shares
under
option
2006
Weighted
average
exercise
price
Outstanding at 1 July
£5.64
Granted during the year
£0.80
Exercised during the year
£3.85
Forfeited during the year
£5.90
Expired during the year
£4.85
£4.96
Outstanding at 30 June
...........................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................
52,767,733
13,478,079
(8,343,434)
(7,768,714)
(141,945)
49,991,719
58,446,794
8,390,285
(4,160,336)
(9,906,234)
(2,776)
52,767,733
£4.96
£0.62
£4.47
£4.63
£4.93
£3.93
The weighted average market price of the Group’s shares at the date of exercise for
share options exercised during the year was £5.94 (2006: £5.48). The middle-market
closing price of the Company’s shares at 30 June 2007 was £6.40 (2006: £5.735).
The following table summarises information about share awards outstanding at
30 June 2007:
Range of
Exercise Prices
2007
Number
2007
Weighted
average
remaining
contractual life
2006
Weighted
average
remaining
contractual life
2006
Number
£0.00-£1.00
£2.00-£3.00
£3.00-£4.00
£4.00-£5.00
£5.00-£6.00
£6.00-£7.00
£7.00-£8.00
£8.00-£9.00
£9.00-£10.00
£10.00-£11.00
£11.00-£12.00
£12.00-£13.00
4.5 years
2.2 years
2.7 years
3.2 years
6.8 years
6.0 years
5.4 years
5.4 years
4.4 years
3.9 years
4.1 years
4.0 years
5.4 years
...........................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................
11,329,157
295,355
2,630,543
1,722,925
16,744,201
8,547,034
6,285,648
26,668
4,964,142
21,842
57,860
142,358
52,767,733
19,286,465
277,874
2,305,099
2,888,496
8,976,001
6,789,744
5,154,316
—
4,176,903
—
12,247
124,574
49,991,719
2.2 years
1.2 years
1.7 years
3.2 years
6.2 years
5.0 years
4.4 years
—
3.4 years
—
3.0 years
3.0 years
3.7 years
The exercise prices of options outstanding at 30 June 2007 ranged from nil to £12.98
(2006: nil to £12.98). The weighted average remaining contractual life of the 19,501,864
options which were exercisable at 30 June 2007 (2006: 21,519,271) was 4.5 years
(2006: 5.0 years), and their weighted average exercise price was £7.28 (2006: £7.40).
Information for awards granted during the year
The weighted average fair value of equity-settled share options granted during the year,
as estimated at the date of grant, was £4.02 (2006: £3.27; 2005: £2.37). This was
calculated using the Black-Scholes share option pricing model, except for awards which
have market-based performance conditions, where a Monte-Carlo simulation model was
used, and for grants of nil-priced options, which were treated as the award of a
free share.
The Monte-Carlo simulation model reflected the historical volatilities of the Company’s
share price and those of all other companies to which the Company’s performance
would be compared, over a period equal to the vesting period of the options. The fair
value of nil-priced options granted during the year was measured on the basis of the
market-price of the Company’s shares on the date of grant, discounted for expected
dividends which would not be received over the vesting period of the options.
23. Share capital (continued)
awards to vest. Options vest on an accelerated basis over a period of up to four years
from the date of grant.
(ii) Sharesave Scheme options
All Sharesave Scheme options outstanding at 30 June 2007 and 30 June 2006 have no
performance criteria attached, other than the requirement that the employee remains in
employment with the Group. Options granted under the Sharesave scheme must be
exercised within six months of the relevant award vesting date.
The Sharesave Scheme is open to all employees. Options are normally exercisable after
either three, five or seven years from the date of grant. The price at which options are
offered is not less than 80% of the middle-market price on the dealing day immediately
preceding the date of invitation. It is the policy of the Group to make an invitation to
employees to participate in the scheme following the announcement of the end of
year results.
(iii) Management LTIP awards
All Management LTIP awards outstanding at 30 June 2007 and 30 June 2006 vest only if
performance conditions are met. Awards granted under the Management LTIP must be
exercised within one year of the relevant award vesting date.
The Company grants awards to selected employees under the Management LTIP. Awards
under this scheme mirror the LTIP, with the same performance conditions. Awards
exercised under the Management LTIP can only be satisfied by the issue of market-
purchased shares.
(iv) LTIP awards
All LTIP awards outstanding at 30 June 2007 and 30 June 2006 vest only if performance
conditions are met. Awards granted under the LTIP must be exercised within one year of
the relevant award vesting date.
The Company operates the LTIP for Executive Directors and Senior Executives. Awards
under the scheme are granted in the form of a nil-priced option, and are satisfied using
market-purchased shares. The awards vest in full or in part dependent on the
satisfaction of specified performance targets. 30% of the award vests dependent on TSR
performance over a three year performance period, relative to the constituents of the
FTSE 100 at the time of grant, and the remaining 70% vests dependent on performance
against operational targets.
(v) KCP awards
All KCP awards outstanding at 30 June 2007 and 30 June 2006 vest only if performance
conditions are met. The contractual life of all KCP awards is ten years.
Designated managers participated in the KCP, which was a replica scheme of the LTIP,
with the same performance conditions. Awards exercised under the KCP can only be
satisfied by the issue of shares purchased in the market.
(vi) EBP awards
All EBP awards outstanding at 30 June 2006 vested only if performance conditions were
met. The contractual life of these awards was ten years.
The EBP operated for Executive Directors and Senior Executives. Awards under the plan
were made in the form of a contingent right to acquire the Company’s shares, for nil
consideration, which are acquired in the market, and were subject to performance
achieved in the financial year of award.
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Weighted average fair value assumptions
The following weighted average assumptions were used in these option pricing models:
2007
2006
2005
£4.93
Share price
£3.57
Exercise price
41.5%
Expected volatility
3.5 years
Expected life
1.0%
Expected dividends
4.8%
Risk-free interest rate
..................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................
£5.51
£0.62
23.8%
3.0 years
2.2%
4.8%
£5.13
£0.80
25.9%
2.0 years
1.8%
4.3%
Expected volatility was determined by calculating the historical volatility of the Company’s share price, over a period equal to the expected life of the options. Expected life was based
on the contractual life of the options and adjusted, based on management’s best estimate, for the effects of exercise restrictions and behavioural considerations.
24. Reconciliation of shareholders’ equity
Share
capital
£m
Share
premium
£m
ESOP
reserve
£m
Hedging
reserve
£m
Available-
for-sale
reserve
£m
Other
reserves
£m
Retained
earnings
£m
Total
shareholders’
equity
£m
934
(38)
—
—
—
—
—
896
1,437
—
—
—
—
—
—
1,437
187
At 1 July 2005
(408)
Purchase of own equity shares for cancellation
(54)
Recognition and transfer of cash flow hedges
18
Tax on items taken directly to equity
18
Share-based payment
551
Profit for the year
(191)
Dividends
121
At 30 June 2006
..................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................
(214)
Purchase of own equity shares for cancellation
39
Recognition and transfer of cash flow hedges
(7)
Tax on items taken directly to equity
(151)
Revaluation of available-for-sale investments
Share-based payment
(7)
499
Profit for the year
(233)
Dividends
47
At 30 June 2007
..................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................
(2,411)
(408)
—
2
11
551
(191)
(2,446)
(214)
—
5
—
22
499
(233)
(2,367)
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
1,437
—
—
—
(151)
—
—
—
(151)
(20)
—
—
—
—
—
—
876
—
39
(12)
—
—
—
—
(25)
(14)
—
(54)
16
—
—
—
(52)
—
—
—
—
(29)
—
—
(54)
(32)
—
—
—
7
—
—
(25)
20
—
—
—
—
—
—
331
273
38
—
—
—
—
—
311
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
To provide a more concise presentation of shareholders’ equity, management has chosen to re-analyse the reserves reported, consolidating the capital redemption reserve, merger
reserve, foreign currency translation reserve and special reserve into a single column described as ‘other reserves’.
Share premium and special reserve
On 10 December 2003, the High Court approved a reduction in the Company’s share premium account of £1,120 million, as approved by the Company’s shareholders at the AGM
held on 14 November 2003. This amount was equal to the Company-only profit and loss account reserve deficit at 30 June 2003. As part of the application, the Company’s balance
sheet at 30 September 2003 was required to be presented. At that date, the deficit on the Company-only profit and loss account reserve had reduced by £14 million since
30 June 2003, to £1,106 million. As a condition of the reduction, the reduction in the share premium account of £1,120 million was permitted to be offset against the profit and loss
account reserve by the amount of the deficit at 30 September 2003. The excess of £14 million was credited to a special reserve, and, under the terms of the reduction, will remain
undistributable until all the creditors of the Company and its guarantors (as at 10 December 2003) are paid.
Purchase of own equity shares for cancellation and capital redemption reserve
On 12 November 2004, the Company’s shareholders approved a resolution at the AGM for the Company to purchase up to 97 million ordinary shares. On 4 November 2005, the
Company’s shareholders approved a resolution at the AGM for the Company to further purchase up to 92 million ordinary shares (the ‘‘2005 resolution’’). During the year ended
30 June 2006, the Company purchased, and subsequently cancelled, 76 million ordinary shares at an average price of £5.30 per share, with a nominal value of £38 million, for a
consideration of £408 million including stamp duty and commission of £3 million. During the year ended 30 June 2007, the Company purchased, and subsequently cancelled, a
further 38 million ordinary shares at an average price of £5.55, with a nominal value of £20 million, for a consideration of £214 million including stamp duty and commission of
£2 million. The nominal value of the shares cancelled has been credited to other reserves.
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Notes to the consolidated financial statements
continued
24. Reconciliation of shareholders’ equity (continued)
The following table provides information about purchases of equity shares by the company, including purchases by the Group’s ESOP, during the fiscal year.
Period
Total number of
shares purchased(i)
Average price
paid per share
Total number of shares
purchased as part of
the 2005 resolution
Maximum number
of shares that may
yet be purchased
as part of
the 2005 resolution
July
August
September
October
November
December
January
February
March
April
May
June
Total for the year ended 30 June 2007
..................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................
2,902,173
14,417,300
20,345,527
570,000
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
38,235,000
2,902,173
14,417,300
20,345,527
570,000
2,400,000
—
—
—
2,400,000
—
4,700,000
3,000,000
50,735,000
35,332,827
20,915,527
570,000
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
£5.63
£5.51
£5.58
£5.42
£5.61
—
—
—
£5.55
—
£6.29
£6.50
(i) All share purchases were open market transactions and are included in the month of settlement.
ESOP reserve
The cost of the Company’s ordinary shares held by the Group’s ESOP is treated as a deduction in arriving at total shareholders’ equity. The movement in the ESOP reserve was as
follows:
Number of
ordinary
shares
Average
price paid
per share
£m
32
At 1 July 2005
(24)
Share options exercised during the year
17
Shares purchased by the ESOP during the year
25
At 30 June 2006
..................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................
(47)
Share options exercised during the year
76
Shares purchased by the ESOP during the year
54
At 30 June 2007
..................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................
5,609,212
(4,160,336)
3,000,000
4,448,876
(8,343,434)
12,500,000
8,605,442
£5.78
£5.83
£5.67
£5.66
£5.62
£6.07
£6.29
Hedging reserve
Changes in the fair values of derivatives that are designated as cash flow hedges are initially recognised in the hedging reserve, and subsequently recognised in the income
statement when the related hedged items are recognised in the income statement. In addition, deferred taxation relating to these derivatives is also initially recognised in the
hedging reserve prior to transfer to the income statement.
Available-for-sale reserve
Available-for-sale investments are carried at fair value where this can be reliably measured, with movements in the fair value recognised directly in the available-for-sale reserve.
Other reserves
The Group’s other reserves include a capital redemption reserve, a merger reserve, a foreign currency translation reserve, and a special reserve. The capital redemption reserve was
£95 million as at 30 June 2007 (2006: £75 million). The merger reserve was £222 million as at 30 June 2007 (2006: £222 million). The special reserve was £14 million as at
30 June 2007 (2006: £14 million). The foreign currency translation reserve was less than £1 million as at 30 June 2007 (2006: less than £1 million).
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25. Notes to the Consolidated Cash Flow Statement
a) Reconciliation of profit before taxation to cash generated from operations
2007
£m
2006
£m
2005
£m
Profit before taxation
Depreciation of property, plant and equipment
Amortisation of intangible assets
Loss on disposal of property, plant and equipment
Profit on disposal of joint venture
Net finance costs
Share of results of joint ventures and associates
787
47
45
2
(9)
58
(14)
916
..................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................
34
(Increase) decrease in trade and other receivables
28
(Increase) decrease in inventories
(67)
Increase (decrease) in trade and other payables
12
Increase (decrease) in provisions
66
Decrease in derivative financial instruments
989
Cash generated from operations
..................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................
798
89
51
—
—
91
(12)
1,017
724
120
72
—
—
103
(12)
1,007
(102)
31
55
(13)
16
1,004
(47)
(59)
101
1
4
1,007
b) Major non-cash movements
Corporate reorganisation
On 13 April 2005, the High Court approved a reduction in the share capital of BSkyB Investments Limited, a 100% owned subsidiary. This formed part of a corporate reorganisation,
allowing the Company access to significant additional distributable reserves.
26. Contracted commitments, contingencies and guarantees
a) Future minimum expenditure contracted for but not recognised in the financial statements
Year
ending
30 June
2008
£m
Year
ending
30 June
2009
£m
Year
ending
30 June
2010
£m
Year
ending
30 June
2011
£m
Year
ending
30 June
2012
£m
After
5 years
£m
Total at
30 June
2007
£m
Total at
30 June
2006
£m
Television programme rights(i)
Set-top boxes and related equipment
Third party payments(ii)
Transponder capacity(iii)
Property, plant and equipment
Intangible asset
Other
3,260
91
30
420
24
1
31
3,857
..................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................
919
181
35
64
16
4
41
1,260
2,638
187
118
331
16
4
58
3,352
871
6
35
56
—
—
15
983
90
—
9
32
—
—
—
131
710
—
33
37
—
—
2
782
17
—
1
112
—
—
—
130
31
—
5
30
—
—
—
66
For the avoidance of doubt, any foreign currency commitments are translated to pounds sterling at the rate prevailing 30 June 2007.
(i) At 30 June 2007, the Group had minimum television programming rights commitments of £2,638 million (2006: £3,260 million), of which £527 million (2006: £667 million)
related to commitments payable in US dollars for periods of up to six years (2006: six years).
Assuming that movie subscriber numbers remain unchanged from current levels, an additional £284 million (US$569 million) of commitments (2006: £363 million,
(US$671 million)) would also be payable in US dollars, relating to price escalator clauses. The pound sterling television programme rights commitments include similar price
escalation clauses that would result in additional commitments of £10 million (2006: £2 million) if subscriber numbers were to remain at current levels.
(ii) The third party payment commitments are in respect of distribution agreements for the television channels owned and broadcast by third parties, retailed by the Group to retail
and commercial subscribers (‘‘Sky Distributed Channels’’) and are for periods up to seven years (2006: five years). The extent of the commitment is largely dependent upon the
number of retail subscribers to the relevant Sky Distributed Channels, and in certain cases, upon inflationary increases. If both the retail subscriber levels to these channels and
the rate payable for each Sky Distributed Channel were to remain at current levels subject to inflationary increases, the additional commitment would be £968 million (2006:
£491 million).
(iii) Transponder capacity commitments are in respect of the Astra and Eurobird satellites that the Group uses for digital transmissions to both retail subscribers and cable operators.
The commitments are for periods of up to thirteen years (2006: fourteen years). Three additional transponder agreements were entered into in the year ended 30 June 2006 to
provide capacity to facilitate the launch of the Group’s HD services. No further agreements were entered into in the year ended 30 June 2007.
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Notes to the consolidated financial statements
continued
26. Contracted commitments, contingencies and guarantees (continued)
b) Contingent assets
The Group has served a claim for a material amount against EDS (an information and technology solutions provider) which provided services to the Group as part of the Group’s
investment in customer management systems software and infrastructure. The amount which may be recovered by the Group will not be finally determined until resolution of
the claim.
c) Contingent liabilities and guarantees
In April 2007, Virgin Media Communications Limited, Virgin Media Television Limited and Virgin Media Limited issued proceedings in the High Court in England and Wales against
British Sky Broadcasting Group plc and British Sky Broadcasting Limited, alleging that the Group has infringed Article 82 EC and the Chapter II prohibition by pursuing an
anticompetitive strategy designed to weaken Virgin Media group, which allegedly entailed (i) a constructive refusal to supply the Group’s basic pay television channels to Virgin Media
group for supply via Virgin Media group’s cable network in the UK; (ii) a refusal to pay fair prices for the right to carry Virgin Media group’s television channels as part of the
Group’s retail channel offering; and (iii) the Group’s purchase of a significant shareholding in ITV (which purchase was, it is alleged, designed principally to damage Virgin Media
group’s ability to compete in the supply of pay television services, by preventing Virgin Media group from obtaining access to attractive programming content). Virgin Media group
seeks from the Court a declaration that the Group occupies a dominant market position in specified pay TV retail and purchasing markets in the UK and that the Group has, by its
conduct as alleged, abused its dominant position(s) contrary to Article 82 EC and the Chapter II prohibition on these relevant markets. Virgin Media group also seeks mandatory
injunctions requiring the Group to transact with Virgin Media group on fair and/or non-discriminatory terms for the supply of the Group’s basic pay television channels to Virgin
Media and for the licensing of Virgin Media group’s television channels, for on-supply to the Group’s subscribers. Virgin Media group also seeks damages to compensate it for its
alleged losses arising from the Group’s alleged conduct.
The Group intends to defend the proceedings vigorously and submitted its defence to the High Court on 2 July 2007 denying Virgin Media group’s allegations that it had infringed
Article 82 EC or Chapter II prohibition. It is, at this stage, too early to estimate the likely outcome of the proceedings.
The Company and certain of its subsidiaries have undertaken, in the normal course of business, to provide support to several of the Group’s investments in both limited and
unlimited companies and partnerships, to meet their liabilities as they fall due. Several of these undertakings contain maximum financial limits. These undertakings have been given
for at least one year from the date of the signing of the UK statutory accounts of the related entity. A payment under these undertakings would be required in the event of an
investment being unable to pay its liabilities. The Company has provided parental company guarantees of £14 million (2006: £14 million) to creditors of Hestview Limited and £10
million (2006: nil) to creditors of UK Online Limited.
The Company and certain of its subsidiaries have agreed to provide additional funding to several of its investments in limited and unlimited companies and partnerships, in
accordance with funding agreements. Payment of this additional funding would be required if requested by the investees in accordance with the funding agreements. The maximum
potential amount of future payments which may be required to be made by the Company and certain of its subsidiaries to its investments, in both limited and unlimited companies
and partnerships under the undertakings and additional funding agreements, is £4 million (2006: £4 million).
The Group has guarantees in place relating to the Group’s borrowings, see note 21 – Borrowings and non-current other payables.
27. Operating lease commitments
The minimum lease rentals to be paid under non-cancellable operating leases at 30 June are as follows:
2007
£m
2006
£m
Within one year
Between one and two years
Between two and three years
Between three and four years
Between four and five years
After five years
28
22
18
14
13
49
144
..................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................
32
27
27
22
19
79
206
The majority of operating leases relate to property. The rents payable under these leases are subject to renegotiation at the various intervals specified in the leases.
The minimum sub-lease rentals to be received under non-cancellable operating sub-leases at 30 June are as follows:
2007
£m
2006
£m
Within one year
Between one and two years
Between two and three years
Between three and four years
Between four and five years
After five years
2
2
1
1
1
4
11
..................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................
3
3
3
2
2
3
16
Sub-lease rentals primarily relate to property leases.
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28. Purchase of subsidiaries
On 23 January 2007, the Group took control of 365 Media. The Group purchased 100% of the issued share capital for consideration of £105 million, satisfied by £89 million of cash
and £16 million of issued Loan Notes. 365 Media is the parent company of a group of companies involved in the provision of sports content and betting websites in the UK. The
purchase of 365 Media gives the Group an opportunity to expand its online sports content business and generate cost synergies through the integration of 365 Media’s betting
platform with Sky Bet. This transaction has been accounted for under the purchase method.
Net book
value
£m
Fair value
adjustments
£m
Recognised
values
£m
Net assets of 365 Media purchased
Goodwill
Intangible assets
Property, plant and equipment
Deferred tax liabilities
Trade and other receivables
Cash and cash equivalents
Borrowings
Trade and other payables
—
24
1
(3)
11
7
(1)
(11)
28
..................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................
77
Provisional goodwill
105
Total consideration
..................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................
Satisfied by:
Ordinary shares purchased for cash (including the purchase of certain outstanding 365 Media share options)
Ordinary shares purchased by the issue of Loan Notes (including the purchase of certain outstanding 365 Media share options)
Directly attributable costs
87
16
2
105
..................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................
Net cash outflow arising on the purchase of 365 Media
Cash paid
Cash and cash equivalents purchased
89
(7)
82
..................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................
9
3
1
—
11
7
(1)
(11)
19
(9)
21
—
(3)
—
—
—
—
9
For the period between the date of purchase and 30 June 2007, 365 Media contributed £10 million to the Group’s revenue, £2 million loss to the Group’s profit before tax and a
reduction of 0.1 pence in earnings per share. Had the Group taken control of 365 Media on the first day of the financial year, Group revenue for the year would have been
£4,566 million (2006: £4,174 million), Group profit for the year would have been £491 million (2006: £550 million) and Group basic earnings per share would have been 28.0 pence
(2006: 30.1 pence). Goodwill includes the value that the Group is expecting to generate from the cost synergies of integrating the betting platform and sports content feeds, and the
workforce in place. Goodwill has been determined provisionally because the Group cannot be certain that all assets, liabilities and contingent liabilities have been identified. Initial
accounting for the goodwill will be complete within 12 months of the purchase date.
In the year ended 30 June 2007, the Group also made the following immaterial acquisitions: You Me TV Limited, News Optimus Limited, Wisden Cricketer Publisher (Holding) Limited
and Aura Sports Limited.
29. Transactions with related parties and major shareholders
a) Entities with joint control or significant influence
The Group conducts business transactions with companies that are part of the News Corporation group (‘‘News Corporation’’), a major shareholder:
2007
£m
2006
£m
2005
£m
Supply of services by the Group
18
Purchases of goods or services by the Group
(163)
Amounts owed by related parties to the Group
1
(34)
Amounts owed to related parties by the Group
..................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................
21
(175)
1
(31)
18
(195)
1
(36)
Services supplied to News Corporation
During the year, the Group supplied programming, telephony, airtime, transmission, marketing and consultancy services to News Corporation.
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Notes to the consolidated financial statements
continued
29. Transactions with related parties and major shareholders (continued)
Purchases of goods and services from News Corporation
During the year, the Group purchased programming, digital equipment, smart cards and
encryption services, set-top box technologies, telephony, advertising, IT services and
rental premises from News Corporation companies.
On 18 December 2006, the Group purchased the freehold interest in a commercial
property from News International Limited for cash consideration of £5 million. The
purchase will facilitate and support the Group’s property development plans.
In March and April 2003, News Corporation Finance Trust II, in which News Corporation,
directly or indirectly, owns all of the beneficial interests in the assets of the trust, issued
and sold 0.75% Beneficial Unsecured Exchangeable Securities (‘‘BUCS’’), in a private
placement to certain institutions. Each BUCS is exchangeable on or after 2 April 2004 for
the value of reference shares, which initially consist of 77.09 ordinary shares of the
Company for each US$1,000 original liquidation preference of BUCS. The BUCS may also
be tendered for redemption on 15 March 2010, 15 March 2013 or 15 March 2018 for
payment of the adjusted liquidation preference, which may be paid, at the election of the
trust, in cash, ordinary shares of the Company, preferred American Depositary Shares of
News Corporation representing the preferred limited voting ordinary shares of News
Corporation, or a combination thereof. News Corporation and News America have agreed
to indemnify the Group and the Group’s directors, officers, agents and employees against
certain liabilities arising out of or in connection with the BUCS.
In November 1996, News Corporation, through subsidiaries, issued Exchangeable Trust
Originated Preferred Securities (‘‘Exchangeable TOPrS’’), in a private placement to certain
institutions. The Exchangeable TOPrS are exchangeable for certain other securities of
subsidiaries of News Corporation, including warrants entitling the holders to purchase
the Company’s ordinary shares, or American Depositary Shares representing the
Company’s ordinary shares, from News America. The aggregate number of the
Company’s ordinary shares subject to such warrants is 7,052,127. Upon the exercise of a
warrant, News America has the right to elect to pay the holder in cash, in ordinary
shares or American Depositary Shares, or any combination thereof. The warrants are
redeemable at the option of News America, on or after 12 November 2001, and expire
on 12 November 2016. News Corporation and News America have agreed to indemnify
the Group and the Group’s directors, officers, agents and employees against certain
liabilities arising out of or in connection with the Exchangeable TOPrS.
News Corporation has entered into an agreement with the Group pursuant to which it
has been agreed that, for so long as News Corporation directly or indirectly holds an
interest of 30% or more in the Group, News Corporation will not engage in the business
of satellite broadcasting in the UK or Ireland.
Purchase of subsidiary from News Corporation
On 22 November 2006, the Group acquired the entire issued share capital of News
Optimus for cash consideration of £4 million resulting in goodwill of £4 million. Prior to
that date, News Optimus was a wholly-owned subsidiary of News International Limited,
which is, in turn, a wholly-owned subsidiary of News International Holdings Limited. The
ultimate parent company of News International Holdings Limited is News Corporation.
b) Joint ventures and associates
Revenue is primarily generated from the provision of transponder capacity, marketing,
airtime sales and support services. Purchases represent fees payable for channel carriage.
Amounts owed by joint ventures and associates include £17 million (2006: £16 million)
relating to loan funding. These loans bear interest at rates of between three month
LIBOR plus 0.45% and six month LIBOR plus 1.5%. The maximum amount of loan
funding outstanding in total from joint ventures and associates during the year was
£17 million (2006: £17 million).
The Group took out a number of forward exchange contracts with counterparty banks
during the period on behalf of three joint ventures: The History Channel (UK), Chelsea
Digital Media Limited and Nickelodeon UK. On the same dates as these forward contracts
were entered into, the Group entered into equal and opposite contracts with the joint
ventures in respect of these forward contracts.
The Group was not exposed to any net gains or losses on these forward contracts. The
face value of forward exchange contracts that had not matured as at 30 June 2007 was
£5 million (2006: £7 million).
During the year, US$13 million (2006: US$13 million; 2005: US$3 million) was paid to
the joint ventures upon maturity of forward exchange contracts and US$1 million
(2006: nil; 2005: nil) was received from joint ventures upon maturity of forward
exchange contracts.
During the year, £7 million (2006: £7 million; 2005: £2 million) was received from the
joint ventures upon maturity of forward exchange contracts.
On 30 June 2006, the Group increased its shareholding in MyKindaPlace Limited (‘‘MKP’’)
from 49% to 100%. Prior to that date, the directors of MKP had included a close family
member of two Directors of the Company.
c) Other transactions with related parties
A close family member of two Directors of the Company has a controlling interest in
Shine Limited (‘‘Shine’’), in which the Group also has a 3% equity shareholding. During
the year, the Group invested a further £1 million in Shine in order to acquire further
equity shares in the company. Following this investment, the Group’s equity shareholding
has remained at 3%. During the year, the Group incurred programming and production
costs for television of £3 million (2006: £10 million; 2005: £4 million) from Shine.
At 30 June 2007, and 30 June 2006 there were no outstanding amounts due to or
from Shine.
A close family member of two Directors of the Company runs Freud Entertainment
Limited, which has provided external support to the press and publicity activities of the
Group during the year amounting to £1 million (2006: £1 million; 2005: £1 million). At
30 June 2007 and 30 June 2006, there were no outstanding amounts due to or from
Freud Entertainment Limited.
In addition to the foregoing, the Group has engaged in a number of transactions, with
companies of which some of the Company’s Directors are also directors.
d) Key management
The Group has a related party relationship with the Directors of the Group. At
30 June 2007, there were 14 (2006: 15; 2005: 15) members of key management all of
whom were Directors of the Company. Key management compensation is disclosed in
note 7b.
2007
£m
2006
£m
2005
£m
Supply of services by the Group
Purchases of goods or services by the Group
Amounts owed by joint ventures and
associates to the Group
Amounts owed to joint ventures and
(3)
associates by the Group
...........................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................
15
(49)
14
(46)
20
(54)
(3)
(5)
21
25
23
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30. Group investments
The significant investments of the Company which principally affect the consolidated results and total assets of the Group are as follows:
Country of incorporation/
operation
Description and proportion
of shares held (%)
Principal activity
Name
Subsidiaries:
Direct holdings of the Company
British Sky Broadcasting Limited
Sky Holdings Limited
BSkyB Finance UK plc
Subsidiaries:
Indirect holdings of the Company
Sky Subscribers Services Limited
Sky Television Limited
England and Wales
13,376,982 ordinary shares of £1 each (100%)
Sports Internet Group Limited
England and Wales
38,432,302 ordinary shares of £0.05 each (100%)
Holding company
British Interactive Broadcasting Holdings Limited
England and Wales
651,960 ordinary shares of £1 each (100%)
The transmission of interactive services
England and Wales
10,000,002 ordinary shares of £1 each (100%)(i)
Operation of a pay television broadcasting
service in the UK and Ireland
Holding company
BSkyB Investments Limited
England and Wales
100 ordinary shares of £1 each (100%)
England and Wales
100 ordinary shares of £1 each (100%)
England and Wales
50,000 ordinary shares of £1 each (100%)
Finance company
Holding company
Holding company
England and Wales
3 ordinary shares of £1 each (100%)
Sky In-Home Service Limited
England and Wales
1,576,000 ordinary shares of £1 each (100%)
Hestview Limited
Sky Interactive Limited
Sky Ventures Limited
England and Wales
108 ordinary shares of £1 each (100%)
England and Wales
3 ordinary shares of £1 each (100%)
England and Wales
912 ordinary shares of £1 each (100%)
The provision of ancillary functions
supporting the pay television broadcasting
operations of the Group
The supply, installation and maintenance of
satellite television receiving equipment
Licensed bookmakers
The provision of interactive television
services
Holding company
British Sky Broadcasting SA
Luxembourg
12,500 ordinary shares of £12 each (100%)
Satellite transponder leasing company
Sky New Media Ventures Limited
England and Wales
12,500 ordinary shares of £1 each (100%)
Holding company
Easynet Group Limited
365 Media Group Plc(vi)
England and Wales
121,308,490 ordinary shares of £0.04 each (100%)
England and Wales
151,970,072 ordinary shares of £0.01 each (100%)
Provision of Broadband networking
services in the UK and Europe
Holding company
BSkyB Publications Limited
England and Wales
2 ordinary shares of £1 each (100%)
The supply of magazines
Sky Broadband SA
Luxembourg
310 ordinary shares of £100 each (100%)
Provision of broadband services
Joint ventures and associates
Nickelodeon UK
England and Wales
104 B Shares of £0.01 each (40%)
The History Channel (UK)
England and Wales
50,000 A Shares of £1 each (50%)
Paramount UK(ii),(iii)
England and Wales
Partnership interest (25%)
Australian News Channel Pty Limited
Australia
1 Ordinary Share of AUS$1 (33.33%)
MUTV Limited(iv)
England and Wales
800 B Shares of £1 each (33.33%)
National Geographic Channel(v)
England and Wales
Partnership interest (50%)
Attheraces Holdings Limited(iii)
England and Wales
Chelsea Digital Media Limited
England and Wales
1,500 Ordinary Shares of £1 each (47.50%), 20
Recoupment Shares of £0.01 each
42,648 B Shares of £0.01 each (35%) and 7m
redeemable preference shares of £1 each
The transmission of children’s television
channels
The transmission of history and biography
television programming
The transmission of general entertainment
comedy channels
The transmission of a news channel
The transmission, production and
marketing of the Manchester United
football channel
The transmission of natural history and
adventure channels
The transmission of a horse racing channel
and related on-line activities
The transmission, production and
marketing of the Chelsea Football Club
football channel and website
Investments
ITV
England and Wales
696,046,825 ordinary shares of £0.10 each (17.9%)
The transmission of free-to-air channels
Notes
(i) 50.00001% directly held by British Sky Broadcasting Group plc and 49.99999% held indirectly by BSkyB Investments Limited.
(ii) The registered address of Paramount UK is 180 Oxford Street, London, W1D 1DS.
(iii) These entities accounting reference date is 31 December.
(iv) MUTV Limited accounting reference date is 30 September.
(v) The registered address of National Geographic Channel is Grant Way, Isleworth, Middlesex, TW7 5QD.
(vi) Subsequent to the purchase of 365 Media by the Group, the company changed its accounting reference date from 31 December to 30 June.
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Notes to the consolidated financial statements
continued
31. Summary of differences between IFRS and US GAAP
(i) Differences giving rise to accounting adjustments
The Group’s accounts are prepared in accordance with IFRS, which differs in certain
respects from US GAAP.
The following is a summary of the significant adjustments to operating income, net
income, shareholders’ equity and certain other balance sheet items required when
reconciling such amounts recorded in the accounts to the corresponding amounts in
accordance with US GAAP.
Year ended
30 June
2007
£m
Year ended
30 June
2006
£m
Year ended
30 June
2005
£m
(Except per share data)
815
877
822
Operating income:
Operating profit under IFRS
Adjustments:
Employee stock-based
compensation(2)
Derivative accounting(3)
Capitalised interest(4)
551
499
1
(2)
(3)
873
(7)
(6)
(4)
798
20
—
(2)
840
Operating income under US GAAP
...........................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................
Net income:
Profit for the year under IFRS
Adjustments:
Goodwill(1)
Employee stock-based
compensation(2)
Derivative accounting(3)
Capitalised interest(4)
Pre-consolidation results(5)
Deferred taxation(6)
20
(2)
11
—
(7)
577
Net income under US GAAP
...........................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................
Basic earnings per share under
US GAAP(8)
30.2p
...........................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................
Diluted earnings per share under
US GAAP(8)
30.1p
...........................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................
(7)
(11)
(3)
—
1
479
1
(8)
4
(2)
5
551
27.3p
27.1p
30.2p
30.1p
(23)
578
—
—
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30 June
2007
£m
As at
30 June
2006
£m
47
121
Shareholders’ equity:
Capital and reserves under IFRS
Adjustments:
Goodwill(1)
Employee stock-based compensation(2)
Capitalised interest(4)
Deferred taxation(6)
614
(52)
21
(14)
616
616
7
24
(9)
759
Shareholders’ equity under US GAAP
...........................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................
Total assets:
Under IFRS
Adjustments:
Goodwill(1)
Capitalised interest(4)
Deferred taxation(6)
Debt issue costs(7)
602
24
(9)
15
4,419
Under US GAAP
...........................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................
Total liabilities:
Under IFRS
Adjustments:
614
21
(14)
19
4,560
3,787
3,666
3,920
3,873
Current tax liabilities(1)
Employee stock-based compensation(2)
Debt issue costs(7)
(14)
(7)
15
3,660
Under US GAAP
...........................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................
—
52
19
3,944
Notes
(1) Goodwill
Under IFRS, for those business combinations that occurred prior to the IFRS Transition
Date, goodwill has been included at its deemed cost, as permitted by IFRS 1. Deemed
cost represents the carrying value of the goodwill under the Group’s UK GAAP accounting
policies on the IFRS Transition Date. Goodwill is stated at cost less any impairment losses
and is tested at least annually for impairment.
Under US GAAP, the Group adopted SFAS No. 142 ‘‘Goodwill and Other Intangible
Assets’’ (‘‘SFAS No. 142’’) from 1 July 2002. As is the case under IFRS, SFAS No. 142
does not presume that goodwill is a wasting asset that should be amortised on a
straight-line basis over its estimated useful life; instead, it must be tested for impairment
on an annual basis and whenever indicators of impairment arise. Upon adoption of SFAS
No. 142, the Group ceased the amortisation of goodwill with a net carrying value of
£1,084 million.
For US GAAP reporting purposes, the latest annual impairment test was completed
during the current year. The fair value measurements were compared to the carrying
amounts of each reporting unit and it was determined that goodwill was not impaired.
Subsidiaries
Sky Television Limited
Goodwill of £492 million arising on the acquisition of Sky Television Limited on
3 November 1990 was being amortised under US GAAP on a straight-line basis over 40
years. From 1 July 2002, no further amortisation has been recorded under US GAAP
following the adoption of SFAS No. 142. The goodwill balance under US GAAP at that
date was £309 million. Prior to the adoption of IFRS, under UK GAAP, the goodwill
arising on the acquisition of Sky Television Limited was eliminated against reserves.
Goodwill written off to reserves under UK GAAP is not reinstated on transition to IFRS, as
required by IFRS 1, leading to an increase in total assets under US GAAP compared to
IFRS of £309 million.
British Interactive Broadcasting (‘‘BiB’’)
The Group completed the acquisition of a 67.5% interest in BiB during fiscal 2001.
Under IFRS, the goodwill arising on the acquisition has been included at its deemed cost
of £302 million, representing its carrying value under UK GAAP at the IFRS Transition
Date. Under US GAAP, the goodwill arising on acquisition was £664 million. No
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amortisation has been charged from 1 July 2002 following the adoption of SFAS No. 142.
The goodwill balance under US GAAP at that date was £560 million.
During fiscal 2003, under US GAAP, the Group recognised a deferred tax asset of
£24 million in respect of BiB tax losses carried forward. The tax benefits of BiB’s tax
losses carried forward that were not recognised at the acquisition date of £21 million
were applied to reduce goodwill relating to the acquisition. This reduced the goodwill
balance under US GAAP to £539 million, resulting in a goodwill balance which is
currently £237 million higher than that under IFRS.
Sports Internet Group (‘‘SIG’’)
The Group completed the acquisition of SIG on 12 July 2000. Under IFRS, the goodwill
arising on the acquisition has been included at its deemed cost at the IFRS Transition
Date of £112 million. Under US GAAP, goodwill of £272 million was being amortised on
a straight-line basis over seven years. From 1 July 2002, no further amortisation has
been recorded following the adoption of SFAS No. 142. The goodwill balance under US
GAAP at that date was £189 million.
During fiscal 2003, under US GAAP, the Group recorded an impairment charge of
£5 million against goodwill which arose on the acquisition of BSkyB Sports Holdings
Limited (formerly Opta Index Limited), a subsidiary of SIG. This reduced the goodwill
balance under US GAAP to £184 million, resulting in a goodwill balance which is
currently £72 million higher than that under IFRS.
Easynet Group Limited
The Group finalised the initial accounting for the purchase of Easynet Group Limited
during the year. In the Group’s 2006 Annual Report, under both IFRS and US GAAP,
goodwill was provisionally determined at £202 million. Following the completion of the
assessment of the recoverability of unprovided tax contingencies existing at the purchase
date, the Group has now increased goodwill and current tax liabilities by £14 million.
Under IFRS, comparative information presented for the periods before the purchase price
allocation is complete should be adjusted as if the purchase accounting had been
completed on the purchase date. Under US GAAP, the previously published financial
information is not adjusted as a result of finalising the purchase price allocation. Instead,
the effects of the change are accounted for prospectively, resulting in goodwill and
current tax liability balances being £14 million lower than under IFRS as at 30 June 2006.
In addition, there is £3 million of goodwill under IFRS, which has a carrying value of nil
under US GAAP, which has arisen on certain other acquisitions. Additionally, goodwill on
certain acquisitions is £2 million lower under US GAAP than under IFRS, arising when
investments previously accounted for using other than the equity method became
qualified for consolidation.
Joint ventures
On 1 November 2004, the Group sold its 49.5% investment in GSB, realising a profit on
disposal under IFRS of £9 million. This was included as an item below operating profit.
Prior to the adoption of IFRS, under UK GAAP, the goodwill arising on the acquisition of
an additional 9.5% interest in GSB in March 1998 was eliminated against reserves.
Goodwill written off to reserves under UK GAAP is not included in determining any
subsequent gain or loss on disposal under IFRS, as required by IFRS 1. Under US GAAP,
the carrying value of the goodwill at the time of the disposal was £23 million, which
resulted in a loss on disposal of £14 million.
Under US GAAP, £1 million of goodwill has arisen on the purchase of certain other joint
ventures and associates. No amortisation charge is being recognised. Under IFRS, the
deemed cost of this goodwill at the IFRS Transition Date was nil.
(2) Employee stock-based compensation
Under IFRS, the Group recognises an expense for all equity-settled share options and
awards based on fair values, measured at the date of grant using appropriate option-
pricing models, taking into account the terms and conditions upon which the awards are
granted. The expense is recognised over the period during which employees become
unconditionally entitled to the awards, adjusted for the Group’s estimate of the number
of awards which will lapse, either due to employees leaving the Group prior to vesting
or due to non-market based performance conditions not being met. It is the Group’s
current intention to use market-purchased shares to satisfy the future exercise of
share awards.
Under US GAAP, prior to 1 July 2005, the Group accounted for the cost of options and
awards in accordance with APB Opinion No. 25 ‘‘Accounting for Stock Issued to
Employees’’ (‘‘APB No. 25’’). For performance-related options deemed to be variable
plans under APB No. 25, compensation expense was measured as the difference
between the quoted market price and the exercise price at the date when the number of
shares that would vest and the exercise price was known (‘‘the measurement date’’); the
cost was recognised over the period the employee performed the related services. Since
the ultimate compensation was unknown until the performance conditions were satisfied,
estimates of compensation expense were recorded before the measurement date based
on the quoted market price of the common shares at the intervening dates, in situations
where it was probable that the performance conditions would be attained. Options that
vested conditional only on continued employment over the life of the options were
deemed to be fixed plans under APB No. 25, with the excess of the market price over
the exercise price on the date of grant being charged against income over the vesting
period of the options.
Under US GAAP, following the adoption of SFAS No. 123 (revised 2004) ‘‘Share-Based
Payment’’ (‘‘SFAS No. 123R’’), from 1 July 2005, the accounting for share options and
awards has changed. SFAS No. 123R requires the recognition of an expense for all share
options and awards granted to employees, based on the fair value at the grant date of
those awards, as estimated using appropriate option-pricing models. The Group has
elected to follow the alternative transition method described in FASB Staff Position
FAS No. 123R-3 in accounting for the tax effects of share options and awards.
Under IFRS, in accordance with the transition provisions in IFRS 1 and IFRS 2, an
expense has only been recognised in respect of options and awards granted after
7 November 2002, that had not vested by 1 January 2005. Under US GAAP, the Group
adopted SFAS No. 123R using the modified prospective application transition method and
was therefore required to recognise an expense in respect of the portion of any requisite
vesting period which had not been completed for all options and awards at 1 July 2005,
regardless of the original date of grant of those awards. Furthermore, under IFRS, the
Group is required to recognise compensation cost for awards with graded vesting on an
accelerated basis, as though each separately vesting portion of the award is a separate
award. Under US GAAP, the Group is required to recognise compensation cost under
SFAS No. 123R using the attribution method that was used under SFAS No. 123
‘‘Accounting for Stock-based Compensation’’ (‘‘SFAS No. 123’’). Under SFAS No. 123, the
Group recognised compensation cost for such awards using a straight-line method, and
is therefore required to continue to follow that same recognition method for the
unvested portion of these awards after adopting SFAS No. 123R. The extra US GAAP
charge for the year in respect of these differences amounts to £2 million (2006:
£1 million), as the charge recognised was greater than that recognised during the year
under IFRS. The total tax benefit recognised under US GAAP relating to stock-based
compensation was £11 million (2006: £8 million) and the tax benefit recognised in
respect of options exercised during the year was £4 million (2006: £3 million), of which
£2 million (2006: nil) was recorded to additional paid-in capital, relating to excess
tax benefits.
Certain of the Company’s equity-settled share option and award schemes contain
inflation-indexed earnings growth performance conditions. Under IFRS, these are
accounted for under the equity method, resulting in the recognition of an expense based
on fair values measured at the date of grant. Under US GAAP, SFAS No. 123R requires
that awards with inflation-indexed performance conditions be accounted for under the
liability method. The liability method requires a liability to be recorded in the balance
sheet in respect of those awards, whereas no liability is required under the equity
method. In addition, in calculating the expense for these share options and awards
under the liability method the fair value of each award must be remeasured at each
reporting date until vesting, rather than using the grant date fair value as required by
the equity method. The effect of these adjustments was to increase liabilities by
£62 million and increase expenses during the year by £8 million, compared to that
recorded under IFRS.
As the Group adopted SFAS No. 123R using the modified prospective application
transition method, prior periods have not been restated. The effect of adopting SFAS No.
123R was to reduce income before taxation for the year ended 30 June 2006 by
£10 million, compared to that which would have arisen if share options and awards had
been accounted for in accordance with APB No. 25, to reduce net income for the year by
£5 million, and to reduce basic and diluted earnings per share by 0.3 pence. Had
compensation expense for share options been determined in accordance with SFAS No.
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Notes to the consolidated financial statements
continued
ineffectiveness arising, as hedge accounting is deemed to have been achieved from
their inception.
31. Summary of differences between IFRS and US GAAP (continued)
123 for periods prior to 1 July 2005, the Group’s net income and earnings per share
would have been reduced to the pro-forma amounts shown below:
The estimated net amount of existing losses which are included in OCI at 30 June 2007
that is expected to be reclassified into earnings within the next twelve months is
£29 million, net of tax (2006: £11 million).
Year ended
30 June
2005
£m
577
5
(1)
During the current year, under US GAAP, the Group recognised a loss in the income
statement of £5 million due to hedge ineffectiveness (2006: £6 million).
(4) Capitalised interest
Under IFRS, the capitalisation of interest is not required, and the Group expenses interest
charges to the income statement in the period in which they are incurred. Under US
GAAP, interest charges on funds invested in the construction of major capital assets
are required to be capitalised and amortised over the estimated useful life of the
assets concerned.
Cumulative capitalised interest on assets under construction (net of amortisation) at
30 June 2007 amounted to £21 million (2006: £24 million). During the year, interest of
£1 million (2006: £7 million; 2005: £13 million) was capitalised in respect of assets
under construction, and amortisation of £4 million (2006: £3 million; 2005: £2 million)
was charged in respect of capitalised interest on assets in use.
(5) Pre-consolidation results
On 21 October 2005, the Group made a recommended cash offer for the entire issued
and to be issued share capital of Easynet. On 6 January 2006, the offer was declared
unconditional in all respects, and this is considered to be the acquisition date. Under
IFRS, the Group’s ownership interest in Easynet shares up until the date of acquisition
was treated as an available-for-sale investment.
Under US GAAP, the Group has applied the requirements of Accounting Principles Board
Opinion No. 18 ‘‘The equity method of accounting for investments in common stock’’,
which require that when an investment previously accounted for using other than the
equity method becomes qualified for consolidation, an investor’s retained earnings and
results of operations should be adjusted retrospectively to adopt the equity method for
its ownership interest in previous periods. Accordingly, under US GAAP, the Group’s
share of Easynet’s net loss for the period to 6 January 2006 of £2 million has been
included within net income.
(6) Deferred taxation
Under IFRS, IAS 12 ‘‘Income taxes’’ (‘‘IAS 12’’) requires that deferred tax assets and
liabilities are recognised using the balance sheet liability method, providing for temporary
differences between the carrying value of assets and liabilities and their corresponding
tax bases. A deferred tax asset is only recognised to the extent that it is probable that
future taxable profits will be available against which the asset can be utilised. The
carrying amount of deferred tax assets is reviewed at each balance sheet date and
reduced to the extent that it is no longer probable that sufficient taxable profits will be
available to allow all or part of the asset to be recovered.
Under US GAAP, SFAS No. 109 ‘‘Accounting for Income Taxes’’ (‘‘SFAS No. 109’’) requires
that deferred income taxes reflect the net tax effects of temporary differences (differences
between the carrying value of assets and liabilities and their corresponding tax bases). A
valuation allowance is recorded when it is more likely than not that some or all of a
deferred tax asset will not be realised.
The net deferred tax asset recognised under IFRS and US GAAP primarily differs in
respect of deferred tax on IFRS to US GAAP adjustments.
The standard rate of corporation tax is changing from 30% to 28% in the UK with effect
from 1 April 2008. This change has been substantially enacted but not legally enacted.
Although the Finance Bill has been passed, Royal Assent has not been given. This means
that the rate change is effective for IFRS purposes, but not for US GAAP.
Net income under US GAAP:
As reported
Add: APB No. 25 stock-based employee compensation expense
included in reported net income
Related tax effects
Deduct: Total stock-based employee compensation expense
Related tax effects
Pro-forma
determined under fair value based method for all awards
(31)
9
559
...........................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................
Earnings per share under US GAAP:
30.2p
29.3p
30.1p
29.2p
...........................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................
Basic — as reported
Basic — pro-forma
Diluted — as reported
Diluted — pro-forma
Under IFRS, employer’s National Insurance is accrued over the vesting period of the
share options. Under US GAAP, EITF 00-16 ‘‘Recognition and Measurement of Employer
Payroll Taxes on Employee Stock-Based Compensation’’ requires the accrual for National
Insurance to be recognised on the date of the event triggering the measurement and
payment of tax to the tax authority (i.e. the exercise date of the share options). The
additional US GAAP credit arising for the year amounts to £3 million (2006: £2 million;
2005: £1 million), as the National Insurance paid was less than that accrued during the
year under IFRS. The cumulative balance sheet effect of this adjustment at 30 June 2007
was a decrease in the accrual under IFRS for employer’s National Insurance of
£10 million (2006: £7 million).
(3) Derivative accounting
Under both IFRS and US GAAP, the Group is required to recognise its derivative financial
instruments on the balance sheet at fair value from inception of the contract, with
changes in fair value being recognised in the income statement. The fair value of
derivative instruments is determined based on discounted present value techniques or
valuations prepared by banks.
Under IFRS, where derivatives are designated as part of a cash flow hedging relationship
for accounting purposes, the portion of the gain or loss on hedging instrument (i.e. the
change in its fair value) that is determined to be effective is initially recognised through
equity in a hedging reserve up until the point at which the associated creditor is
recognised on the balance sheet. From this point onwards, all movements are taken to
the income statement until the derivative financial instrument reaches maturity. The
amount stored in the hedging reserve at the point that the creditor is recognised on the
balance sheet is amortised over the stock amortisation period.
Under US GAAP, the movements in the fair value of derivative financial instruments
which relate to forward points are stored in other comprehensive income (‘‘OCI’’) over
the entire life of the instrument and will net to zero on maturity. Movements relating to
spot rates are also stored in OCI until the creditor is recognised on the balance sheet.
From this point onwards, all movements relating to spot rates are taken to the income
statement until the derivative financial instrument reaches maturity. The amount stored
in OCI is amortised on a pro-rata basis over the stock amortisation period and the time
during which the creditor is on the balance sheet.
Under US GAAP, a number of the Group’s cross-currency swaps which convert fixed US
dollar interest payments into fixed sterling interest payments were not designated as
cash flow hedges until after their inception. Accordingly, the fair value of these swaps at
the date of designation results in hedge ineffectiveness, which is recorded directly in the
income statement. Under IFRS, as permitted by the IFRS 1 transition rules, there is no
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A further difference arises in relation to the recognition of deferred tax assets in respect of employee stock-based compensation expense. Under IFRS, the deferred tax asset is based
on the compensation expense recognised in the income statement, but is adjusted to reflect the Group’s estimate of the actual future tax deduction which will arise, based on the
Group’s share price at the balance sheet date. Under US GAAP, the deferred tax asset is also based on the compensation expense recognised in the income statement, however, no
consideration is given to the ultimate tax deduction to be received prior to the exercise date. Therefore, under US GAAP, the effects of subsequent movements in share price are not
reflected in accounting for the deferred tax asset, until the related compensation cost is recognised for tax purposes.
Under IFRS, at 30 June 2007, there is a deferred tax asset of £54 million (2006: £100 million).
The net deferred tax asset under US GAAP comprises the following:
2007
Gross
asset
£m
2007
Valuation
allowance(iv)
£m
2007
Net
asset (liability)
£m
2006
Gross
(liability)
£m
asset
2006
Valuation
allowance(iv)
£m
2006
Net
asset (liability)
£m
Fixed asset temporary differences
Tax losses(i)
Fixed asset investments and capital disposals(ii)
Short-term temporary differences
Share-based payment temporary differences
Financial instrument temporary differences(iii)
26
33
—
(2)
12
22
91
..................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................
(19)
(121)
(354)
—
—
—
(494)
(19)
(152)
(447)
—
—
—
(618)
45
154
354
(2)
12
22
585
10
167
447
—
23
11
658
(9)
15
—
—
23
11
40
(i) At 30 June 2007, there is a valuation allowance of £102 million (2006: £89 million) against a deferred tax asset in respect of overseas trading losses, including £75 million (2006:
£64 million) with respect to the Group’s German holding companies of KirchPayTV and £27 million (2006: £25 million) with respect to the Group’s holdings in Easynet’s European
subsidiaries, on the basis that these temporary differences are not more likely than not to be realised. There is also a valuation allowance of £50 million (2006: £32 million)
against a deferred tax asset arising from UK losses in the Group. These losses can be offset only against taxable profits generated in the entities concerned. There is currently
insufficient evidence to support recognition of a deferred tax asset relating to these losses. The losses are available to be carried forward indefinitely under current law. Under US
GAAP, the subsequent recognition of tax benefits relating to £77 million (2006: £57 million) of the deferred tax asset arising from losses in the Group will be allocated to reduce
goodwill, then intangible assets arising on previously acquired entities.
(ii)At 30 June 2007, there is a valuation allowance of £420 million (2006: £330 million) against a deferred tax asset in respect of potential capital losses related to the Group’s
holding of KirchPayTV on the basis that these temporary differences are not more likely than not to be realised. There is also a valuation allowance of £27 million (2006:
£24 million) against a deferred tax asset in respect of realised and unrealised capital losses in respect of football club and other investments, on the basis that it is more likely
than not that they will not be realised. The UK losses are available to be carried forward indefinitely under current law.
(iii)During the current year, the deferred tax asset relating to financial instruments decreased by £15 million (2006: increased by £14 million) through OCI.
(iv) The current period charge to the income statement in respect of these valuation allowances was nil (2006: £3 million; 2005: credit of £3 million).
The US GAAP tax charge, which relates to UK corporation tax and Luxembourg trading losses, comprises:
2007
%
2006
%
2005
%
30.0
UK corporation tax rate
(0.2)
Permanent differences
0.5
Loss on disposals of investments, net
(0.1)
Joint venture profits
0.2
Valuation allowance
(3.1)
Charges (credits) relating to prior periods
(0.1)
Other
27.2
US GAAP income tax charge
..................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................
30.0
1.7
—
(0.2)
0.4
(0.8)
(0.6)
30.5
30.0
1.3
—
(0.2)
—
0.6
0.2
31.9
(7) Debt issue costs
Under IFRS, borrowings are recorded at the proceeds received, net of direct issue costs.
Under US GAAP, the Group has applied the requirements of Accounting Principles Board Opinion No. 21 ‘‘Interest on Receivables and Payables’’, which require that direct issue costs
should be reported in the balance sheet as deferred charges, within assets.
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Notes to the consolidated financial statements
continued
31. Summary of differences between IFRS and US GAAP (continued)
(8) Per share data
The equivalent earnings per American Depositary Share (‘‘ADS’’) outstanding are
as follows:
2007
2006
2005
120.8p
Basic earnings per ADS under US GAAP
120.4p
Diluted earnings per ADS under US GAAP
...........................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................
120.8p
120.4p
109.2p
108.4p
Each ADS represents four ordinary shares.
(9) Consolidated Balance Sheets
Under IFRS, deferred tax assets are classified within ‘‘non-current assets’’, as required by
IAS 1. Under US GAAP, deferred tax assets are classified within ‘‘other current assets’’ or
‘‘other non-current assets’’.
Under IFRS, a merger reserve is included as part of capital and reserves, relating to the
amount by which the fair value of the BSkyB shares issued on acquisition of SIG and the
remaining 19.9% of BiB exceeded their nominal value (for further details see note 24).
Under US GAAP, this amount is recorded within additional-paid-in-capital.
Under IFRS, a special reserve and a capital redemption reserve is included as part of
capital and reserves (for further details see note 24). Under US GAAP, the balances held
in these special reserves are recorded within additional-paid-in-capital.
Under US GAAP, the ESOP reserve represents all shares held in treasury by the Group.
(10) Shareholders’ equity under US GAAP
Beginning of the year
Dividends
Purchase of own shares for cancellation
Share-based payments (net of tax)
Shares (repurchased) disposed of by the Group
2007
£m
759
(233)
(214)
(30)
(29)
2006
£m
818
(191)
(408)
14
7
2005
£m
812
(140)
(416)
(2)
(2)
Comprehensive income:
577
Profit for the financial year
(11)
Cash flow hedges (net of tax)
—
Loss on available-for-sale investments
566
Total comprehensive income
...........................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................
818
End of the year
...........................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................
479
35
(151)
363
551
(32)
—
519
616
759
(ii) Additional US GAAP Disclosures
(a) Accounting standards revised but not adopted
SFAS No. 155 ‘‘Accounting for Certain Hybrid Financial Instruments’’
In February 2006, the Financial Accounting Standards Board (‘‘FASB’’) issued SFAS No.
155 ‘‘Accounting for Certain Hybrid Financial Instruments’’ (‘‘SFAS No. 155’’). This
standard simplifies the accounting for certain hybrid financial instruments, eliminates
certain interim guidance relating to securitised financial assets, and eliminates certain
restrictions on qualifying special-purpose entities. The standard is effective for all
financial instruments acquired or issued in any fiscal year beginning after
15 September 2006, and will therefore be adopted by the Group from 1 July 2007. The
adoption of SFAS No. 155 is not expected to have a material impact on the Group results
of operations or its financial position.
SFAS No. 156 ‘‘Accounting for Servicing of Financial Assets’’
In March 2006, the FASB issued SFAS No. 156 ‘‘Accounting for Servicing of Financial
Assets’’ (‘‘SFAS No. 156’’). This standard addresses the recognition of separately
recognised servicing assets and liabilities arising each time an entity undertakes an
obligation to service a financial asset. The standard is effective for fiscal years beginning
British Sky Broadcasting Group plc
Annual Report 2007
86
after 15 September 2006, and will therefore be adopted by the Group from 1 July 2007.
The adoption of SFAS No. 156 is not expected to have a material impact on the Group
results of operations or its financial position.
SFAS No 157 ‘‘Fair Value Measurements’’
In September 2006, the FASB issued SFAS No. 157 ‘‘Fair Value Measurements’’ (‘‘SFAS
No. 157’’). This standard defines fair value, establishes a framework for measuring fair
value in generally accepted accounting principles, and expands disclosures about fair
value measurements. The standard does not require any new fair value measurements. It
is effective for financial statements issued for fiscal years beginning after 15 November
2007, and will therefore be adopted by the Group from 1 July 2008. The Group is
currently assessing SFAS No. 157 and has not yet determined the impact that the
adoption of this statement will have on its financial position or results of operations.
SFAS No 158 ‘‘Employers’ Accounting for Defined Benefit Pension and Other Postretirement
Plans’’
In September 2006, the FASB issued SFAS No. 158 ‘‘Employers’ Accounting for Defined
Benefit Pension and Other Postretirement Plans’’ (‘‘SFAS No. 158’’). This standard
requires the overfunded or underfunded status of a defined benefit postretirement plan
to be recognised as an asset or liability and changes in that funded status to be
recognised through comprehensive income in the year in which the changes occur. The
standard also requires the funded status of a plan to be measured as of the year end
date. The measurement provisions of the standard are effective for fiscal years ending
after 15 December 2008, and will therefore be adopted by the Group from 1 July 2008.
The Group does not sponsor any defined benefit plans and therefore the adoption of
SFAS No. 158 is not expected to have an impact on the Group results of operations or its
financial position.
SFAS No 159 ‘‘The Fair Value Option for Financial Assets and Financial Liabilities’’
In March 2007, the FASB issued SFAS No. 159 ‘‘The Fair Value Option for Financial
Assets and Financial Liabilities’’ (‘‘SFAS No. 159’’). This standard permits an entity to
measure certain financial assets and liabilities at fair value, resulting in unrealised gains
and losses being reported on subsequent reporting dates. The new Statement establishes
presentation and disclosure requirements to help financial statement users understand
the effect of the entity’s election on its earnings, but does not eliminate disclosure
requirements of other accounting standards. SFAS No. 159 is effective for financial
statements issued for fiscal years beginning after 15 November 2007, and will therefore
be adopted by the Group from 1 July 2008. The Group is currently assessing SFAS
No. 159 and has not yet determined the impact that the adoption of this statement will
have on its financial position or results of operations.
FASB Interpretation No. 48 ‘‘Accounting for Uncertainty in Income Taxes’’
In June 2006, the FASB issued FASB Interpretation No. 48 ‘‘Accounting for Uncertainty in
Income Taxes’’ (‘‘FIN 48’’), which clarifies the accounting for uncertainty in tax positions.
The evaluation of a tax position under FIN 48 is a two-step process. The first step is
recognition: tax positions taken or expected to be taken in a tax return should be
recognised only if those positions are more likely than not of being sustained upon
examination, based on the technical merits of the position. In evaluating whether a tax
position has met the more likely than not recognition threshold, it should be presumed
that the position will be examined by the relevant taxing authority that would have full
knowledge of all relevant information. The second step is measurement: tax positions
that meet the recognition criteria are measured at the largest amount of benefit that is
greater than 50 percent likely of being recognised upon ultimate settlement.
FIN 48 also provides guidance on derecognition, classification, interest and penalties,
accounting in interim periods, disclosure and transition. FIN 48 is effective for fiscal years
beginning after 15 December 2006 and is therefore effective for the Group from
1 July 2007. The Group is currently assessing FIN 48 and has not yet determined the
impact that the adoption of this interpretation will have on its financial position or results
of operations.
(iii) SEC comments Letter
In a letter dated 14 June 2007, the Staff of the SEC provided certain comments on our
Annual Report on Form 20-F for the year ended 30 June 2006. The Company responded
to the Staff’s comments in a letter dated 6 July 2007. As of the date of the filing of this
Annual Report, the Staff continues to review the Company’s responses.
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32. Guarantor statements
Supplemental condensed consolidating balance sheet as at 30 June 2007
Company
only
£m
Guarantor
subsidiaries
£m
Non-guarantor
subsidiaries
£m
Consolidation
adjustments
£m
Group and
subsidiaries
£m
—
299
—
—
—
299
93
4,130
15
224
—
4,462
291
4,058
—
211
5
4,565
—
(7,963)
—
—
—
(7,963)
741
70
243
108
34
795
43
—
2,034
—
191
395
754
—
2
11
—
1,353
—
—
23
1,336
—
—
—
89
1,448
—
—
9
(2,198)
—
—
—
(89)
(2,278)
Non-current assets
Goodwill
Intangible assets
Property, plant and equipment
Investments in subsidiary undertakings under the equity method
Investments in joint ventures and associates
Available-for-sale investments
Deferred tax assets
Derivative financial assets
741
261
670
—
34
797
54
—
2,557
..................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................
Current assets
Inventories
Trade and other receivables
Short-term deposits
Cash and cash equivalents
Derivative financial assets
384
524
15
435
5
1,363
..................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................
3,920
Total assets
..................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................
Current liabilities
Borrowings
Trade and other payables
Current tax liabilities
Provisions
Derivative financial liabilities
16
1,295
144
8
36
1,499
..................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................
Non-current liabilities
Borrowings
Other payables
Provisions
Derivative financial liabilities
2,014
84
18
258
2,374
..................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................
3,873
Total liabilities
..................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................
47
Shareholders’ equity
..................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................
3,920
Total liabilities and shareholders’ equity
..................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................
Reconciliation to US GAAP:
Shareholders’ equity under IFRS
Adjustments:
Goodwill
Employee stock-based compensation
Capitalised interest
Deferred taxation
614
(52)
21
(14)
616
Capital and reserves under US GAAP
..................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................
—
(8,066)
—
—
—
(8,066)
(614)
52
(21)
14
(2,337)
—
4,669
144
4
36
4,853
16
4,268
—
4
—
4,288
1,223
28
6
89
1,346
1,018
—
—
258
1,276
614
—
—
—
2,663
(287)
(31)
—
(89)
(407)
—
(52)
21
(14)
(326)
—
424
—
—
—
424
614
(52)
21
(14)
616
60
87
12
—
159
(10,241)
(10,241)
(1,768)
(8,473)
(1,768)
6,199
5,918
5,918
6,496
1,747
2,049
2,049
4,447
1,747
6,496
1,700
(281)
(281)
47
47
47
See notes to supplemental guarantor statements
British Sky Broadcasting Group plc
Annual Report 2007
87
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gcornell
1153148400
Black plate (88,1)
............................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................
Notes to the consolidated financial statements
continued
32. Guarantor statements (continued)
Supplemental condensed consolidating balance sheet as at 30 June 2006
Company
only
£m
Guarantor
subsidiaries
£m
Non-guarantor
subsidiaries
£m
Consolidation
adjustments
£m
Group and
subsidiaries
£m
47
1,869
350
31
—
2,297
277
2,075
297
785
6
3,440
—
1,406
—
—
1
1,407
637
37
133
27
28
—
32
—
894
—
(4,861)
—
—
—
(4,861)
—
181
354
759
—
1
28
—
1,323
—
—
23
893
—
1
40
76
1,033
—
—
9
(1,679)
—
—
—
(76)
(1,746)
Non-current assets
Goodwill
Intangible assets
Property, plant and equipment
Investments in subsidiary undertakings under the equity method
Investments in joint ventures and associates
Available-for-sale investments
Deferred tax assets
Derivative financial assets
637
218
519
—
28
2
100
—
1,504
..................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................
Current assets
Inventories
Trade and other receivables
Short-term deposits
Cash and cash equivalents
Derivative financial assets
324
489
647
816
7
2,283
..................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................
3,787
Total assets
..................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................
Current liabilities
Borrowings
Trade and other payables
Current tax liabilities
Provisions
Derivative financial liabilities
163
1,247
82
6
49
1,547
..................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................
Non-current liabilities
Borrowings
Other payables
Provisions
Derivative financial liabilities
1,825
66
19
209
2,119
..................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................
3,666
Total liabilities
..................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................
121
Shareholders’ equity
..................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................
3,787
Total liabilities and shareholders’ equity
..................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................
Reconciliation to US GAAP:
Shareholders’ equity under IFRS
Adjustments:
Goodwill
Employee stock-based compensation
Capitalised interest
Deferred taxation
616
7
24
(9)
759
Capital and reserves under US GAAP
..................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................
—
(4,950)
—
—
—
(4,950)
(616)
(7)
(24)
9
(1,957)
162
1,144
—
—
28
1,334
—
1,635
14
5
—
1,654
1
3,418
68
1
21
3,509
616
—
—
—
2,004
1,225
15
7
76
1,323
(298)
36
—
(76)
(338)
616
7
24
(9)
759
—
7
24
(9)
(47)
776
—
—
209
985
122
15
12
—
149
(1,319)
(6,607)
(5,288)
(1,319)
(6,607)
4,832
4,763
3,191
1,388
1,388
2,440
4,763
3,191
2,440
1,803
2,319
(69)
(69)
121
121
121
See notes to supplemental guarantor statements
British Sky Broadcasting Group plc
Annual Report 2007
88
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gcornell
-780795745
Black plate (89,1)
............................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................
Supplemental condensed consolidating statement of operations for the year ended 30 June 2007
Company
only
£m
Guarantor
subsidiaries
£m
Non-guarantor
subsidiaries
£m
Consolidation
adjustments
£m
Group and
subsidiaries
£m
132
(1)
131
Revenue
4,551
Operating expense
(3,736)
815
Operating profit
..................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................
12
Share of results of joint ventures and associates
Share of (losses) profits of subsidiary undertakings
—
46
Investment income
(149)
Finance costs
724
Profit before tax
..................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................
(225)
Taxation
499
Profit for the year
..................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................
Reconciliation to US GAAP:
Profit for the year under IFRS
Adjustments:
—
92
(759)
171
(499)
—
(122)
614
(91)
532
—
(13)
101
(143)
612
4,183
(3,516)
667
1,068
(1,048)
20
12
43
90
(86)
79
(832)
829
(3)
(203)
409
—
(499)
(33)
499
11
90
(499)
409
499
499
90
Employee stock based compensation
Derivative accounting
Capitalised interest
Deferred taxation
(7)
(11)
(3)
1
479
Net income under US GAAP
..................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................
7
6
3
1
(482)
(7)
(6)
(3)
(1)
392
(7)
(11)
(3)
1
479
—
—
—
—
90
See notes to supplemental guarantor statements
Supplemental condensed consolidating statement of operations for the year ended 30 June 2006
Company
only
£m
Guarantor
subsidiaries
£m
Non-guarantor
subsidiaries
£m
Consolidation
adjustments
£m
Group and
subsidiaries
£m
118
(1)
117
3,841
(3,129)
712
4,148
Revenue
(3,271)
Operating expense
877
Operating profit
..................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................
12
Share of results of joint ventures and associates
Share of (losses) profits of subsidiary undertakings
—
52
Investment income
(143)
Finance costs
Profit on disposal of investment
—
798
Profit before tax
..................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................
(247)
Taxation
551
Profit for the year
..................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................
Reconciliation to US GAAP:
Profit for the period under IFRS
Adjustments:
—
423
(1,060)
97
(2)
(544)
—
(464)
1,021
(88)
—
586
—
24
56
(116)
2
678
12
17
35
(36)
—
78
785
(735)
50
(596)
594
(2)
(152)
526
—
(544)
(35)
551
(60)
18
(544)
551
526
551
18
Employee stock based compensation
Derivative accounting
Capitalised interest
Pre-consolidation results
Deferred taxation
1
(8)
4
(2)
5
551
Net income under US GAAP
..................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................
(1)
2
(4)
2
(3)
(548)
1
(8)
4
(2)
5
551
1
(2)
4
—
3
532
—
—
—
(2)
—
16
See notes to supplemental guarantor statements
British Sky Broadcasting Group plc
Annual Report 2007
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gcornell
-2139564612
Black plate (90,1)
............................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................
Notes to the consolidated financial statements
continued
32. Guarantor statements (continued)
Supplemental condensed consolidating statement of operations for the year ended 30 June 2005
Company
only
£m
Guarantor
subsidiaries
£m
Non-guarantor
subsidiaries
£m
Consolidation
adjustments
£m
Group and
subsidiaries
£m
116
(1)
115
(560)
561
1
606
(557)
49
3,680
(3,023)
657
3,842
Revenue
(3,020)
Operating expense
822
Operating profit
..................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................
14
Share of results of joint ventures and associates
—
Share of (losses) profits of subsidiary undertakings
29
Investment income
(87)
Finance costs
—
Amounts written back to equity investments
9
Profit on disposal of joint venture
787
Profit before tax
..................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................
(209)
Taxation
578
Profit for the year
..................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................
Reconciliation to US GAAP:
Profit for the period under IFRS
Adjustments:
Goodwill
Employee stock-based compensation
Derivative accounting
Capitalised interest
Deferred taxation
(23)
20
(2)
11
(7)
577
Net income under US GAAP
..................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................
—
208
(969)
66
(130)
—
(824)
—
(254)
836
(84)
—
—
613
—
46
74
(56)
130
—
851
14
—
88
(13)
—
9
147
23
(20)
—
(11)
7
(825)
—
20
—
11
(7)
718
(23)
20
(2)
11
(7)
577
(23)
—
—
—
—
107
—
(824)
(157)
694
(17)
130
(35)
578
(824)
694
578
578
130
See notes to supplemental guarantor statements
Supplemental condensed consolidating statements of cash flow for the year ended 30 June 2007
Company
only
£m
Guarantor
subsidiaries
£m
Non-guarantor
subsidiaries
£m
Consolidation
adjustments
£m
Group and
subsidiaries
£m
—
—
—
—
(84)
—
—
(84)
(36)
19
—
(17)
1,127
27
(128)
1,026
Cash flows from operating activities
1,007
Cash generated from (utilised in) operations
46
Interest received
(128)
Taxation paid
925
Net cash from (used in) operating activities
..................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................
Cash flows from investing activities
9
Dividends received from joint ventures and associates
(3)
Net funding to joint ventures and associates
(292)
Purchase of property, plant and equipment
(64)
Purchase of intangible assets
(947)
Purchase of available-for-sale investments
(104)
Purchase of subsidiary (net of cash and cash equivalents purchased)
632
Decrease in short-term deposits
(769)
Net cash (used in) from investing activities
..................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................
Cash flows from financing activities
295
Proceeds from borrowings
(192)
Repayment of borrowings
37
Proceeds from disposal of shares in ESOP
(76)
Purchase of own shares for ESOP
(214)
Purchase of own shares for cancellation
(154)
Interest paid
(233)
Dividends paid to shareholders
—
Loans (to) from Group companies
(537)
Net cash (used in) from financing activities
..................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................
—
Effect of foreign exchange rate movements
(381)
Net (decrease) increase in cash and cash equivalents
..................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................
816
Cash and cash equivalents at the beginning of the year
435
Cash and cash equivalents at the end of the year
..................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................
295
(189)
—
(76)
(198)
(146)
(233)
(128)
(675)
9
(3)
(136)
(42)
(947)
(104)
298
(925)
—
—
(156)
(22)
—
—
334
156
—
—
37
—
(16)
—
—
(21)
—
—
(3)
—
—
—
(8)
—
65
54
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
84
84
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
(574)
31
224
785
211
—
193
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
See notes to supplemental guarantor statements
British Sky Broadcasting Group plc
Annual Report 2007
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gcornell
1238706871
Black plate (91,1)
............................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................
Supplemental condensed consolidating statements of cash flow for the year ended 30 June 2006
Company
only
£m
Guarantor
subsidiaries
£m
Non-guarantor
subsidiaries
£m
Consolidation
adjustments
£m
Group and
subsidiaries
£m
93
—
—
93
32
—
—
32
133
12
—
145
746
31
(172)
605
Cash flows from operating activities
1,004
Cash generated from operations
43
Interest received
(172)
Taxation paid
875
Net cash from operating activities
..................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................
Cash flows from investing activities
7
Dividends received from joint ventures and associates
(2)
Net funding to joint ventures and associates
(169)
Purchase of property, plant and equipment
(43)
Purchase of intangible assets
(209)
Purchase of subsidiary, net of cash and cash equivalents purchased
(453)
Increase in short-term deposits
(869)
Net cash used in investing activities
..................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................
Cash flows from financing activities
1,014
Proceeds from issue of Guaranteed Notes
13
Proceeds from disposal of shares in ESOP
(17)
Purchase of own shares for ESOP
(408)
Purchase of own shares for cancellation
(105)
Interest paid
(191)
Dividends paid to shareholders
—
Loans from (to) Group companies
306
Net cash (used in) from financing activities
..................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................
Effect of foreign exchange rate movements
1
313
Net (decrease) increase in cash and cash equivalents
..................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................
503
Cash and cash equivalents at the beginning of the year
816
Cash and cash equivalents at the end of the year
..................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................
617
—
—
—
(5)
—
(800)
(188)
397
—
(17)
(2)
(100)
(191)
558
645
—
13
—
(406)
—
—
335
(58)
7
(2)
(34)
(5)
141
(156)
(49)
—
—
(135)
(38)
(350)
(297)
(820)
—
—
—
—
—
—
(93)
(93)
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
(26)
—
(92)
1
431
354
785
123
31
26
—
—
—
—
—
See notes to supplemental guarantor statements
Supplemental condensed consolidating statements of cash flow for the year ended 30 June 2005
Company
only
£m
Guarantor
subsidiaries
£m
Non-guarantor
subsidiaries
£m
Consolidation
adjustments
£m
Group and
subsidiaries
£m
8
—
—
8
72
6
—
78
114
4
—
118
795
18
(103)
710
Cash flows from operating activities
989
Cash generated from operations
28
Interest received
(103)
Taxation paid
914
Net cash from operating activities
..................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................
Cash flows from investing activities
12
Dividends received from joint ventures and associates
4
Net funding from joint ventures and associates
14
Proceeds from the sale of a joint venture
1
Proceeds from the sale of equity investments
(149)
Purchase of property, plant and equipment
(92)
Purchase of intangible assets
(60)
Decrease (increase) in short-term deposits
(270)
Net cash used in investing activities
..................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................
Cash flows from financing activities
4
Proceeds from disposal of shares in ESOP
(14)
Purchase of own shares for ESOP
(416)
Purchase of own shares for cancellation
(91)
Interest paid
(138)
Dividends paid to shareholders
—
Loans (to) from Group companies
(655)
Net cash (used in) from financing activities
..................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................
1
Effect of foreign exchange rate movements
(10)
Net (decrease) increase in cash and cash equivalents
..................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................
513
Cash and cash equivalents at the beginning of the year
503
Cash and cash equivalents at the end of the year
..................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................
12
4
14
1
(14)
(5)
(194)
(182)
—
—
—
—
(135)
(87)
134
(88)
—
(14)
(359)
(91)
(63)
(196)
(723)
4
—
(57)
—
(75)
(10)
(138)
—
—
—
—
—
214
214
—
—
—
—
—
(8)
(8)
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
1
(100)
—
(20)
454
354
—
110
13
123
46
26
—
—
—
—
See notes to supplemental guarantor statements
British Sky Broadcasting Group plc
Annual Report 2007
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585418789
Black plate (92,1)
............................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................
Certain further reclassifications were also performed to improve the presentation of the
guarantor statements: (i) A reclassification was performed in the condensed consolidating
income statement for the year ended 30 June 2006 to transfer £13 million of guarantor
subsidiaries’ share of profits of subsidiary undertakings from ‘‘Consolidation adjustments’’
to ‘‘Guarantor subsidiaries’ share of profits of subsidiaries’’; (ii) reclassifications were
performed in the condensed consolidating balance sheet at 30 June 2006 to properly
reflect the legal form of an investment in subsidiaries previously recorded as a loan to
subsidiaries. As a result, within the guarantor subsidiaries’ condensed consolidating
balance sheet, trade and other receivables decreased and investments in subsidiary
undertakings using the equity method increased by £350 million, within the non-
guarantor subsidiaries’ condensed consolidating balance sheet, trade and other payables
decreased and shareholders’ equity increased by £350 million. As a further consequence
of this change, reclassifications were performed in the condensed consolidating cash flow
for the year ended 30 June 2006. As a result, in the guarantor subsidiaries’ condensed
consolidated statement of cash flow, loans from Group companies increased and
purchase of subsidiaries, net of cash and cash equivalents increased by £350 million, in
the non-guarantor subsidiaries’ condensed consolidated statement of cash flow, loans to
Group companies increased and receipt from parent, net of cash and cash equivalents
increased by £350 million; and (iii) reclassifications were performed in the condensed
consolidating income statements for the year ended 30 June 2006 and 30 June 2005
to consolidate properly certain intra-guarantor revenue and operating expense. As
a result, in the year ended 30 June 2006, revenue and operating expense were
reduced by £388 million (2005: £297 million) with a corresponding increase in
consolidation adjustments.
Separate financial statements of the subsidiary guarantors are not included herein
because the Company has determined that such financial statements are not material
to investors.
This supplemental financial information should be read in conjunction with the
consolidated financial statements.
Notes to the consolidated financial statements
continued
32. Guarantor statements (continued)
Notes to supplemental guarantor statements
From time to time, the Company may issue debt securities that are registered with the
Securities and Exchange Commission (‘‘SEC’’), and which are guaranteed, on a full and
unconditional basis, by certain of the Company’s subsidiaries. At 30 June 2007, five of
the Company’s subsidiaries, British Sky Broadcasting Limited (‘‘BSkyB Limited’’), Sky
Subscribers Services Limited (‘‘SSSL’’), BSkyB Investments Limited (‘‘BSkyB Investments’’),
BSkyB Publications Limited (‘‘BSkyB Publications’’) and BSkyB Finance UK plc (BSkyB
Finance UK’’), were joint and several guarantors of the Company’s registered debt
securities. In February 1999, the Company issued US$600 million of 6.875% Guaranteed
Notes repayable in February 2009. In July 1999, the Company issued US$650 million and
£100 million of bonds repayable in July 2009 at rates of 8.200% and 7.750%,
respectively. On 31 January 2007, under the terms of the debt securities’ indentures,
BSkyB Investments became an acceding guarantor to the Company’s registered debt
securities. On 3 May 2007, BSkyB Publications and BSkyB Finance UK became acceding
guarantors to the Company’s registered debt securities. As a result, in the supplemental
income statements and supplemental cash flow statements for each of the years in the
two years ended 30 June 2006 and 30 June 2005 and in the supplemental balance sheet
as at 30 June 2006, BSkyB Investments, BSkyB Publications and BSkyB Finance UK have
been transferred from non-guarantor subsidiaries to guarantor subsidiaries.
Supplemental condensed consolidating financial information for the guarantors is
prepared in accordance with the Group’s IFRS accounting policies applied in the year
ended 30 June 2007, as described in note 1, except to the extent that, for the purposes
of the supplemental combining presentation of the guarantor statements, investments in
subsidiaries are accounted for by their parent company under the equity method of
accounting. Under the equity method, earnings of subsidiary undertakings are reflected
in the parent company as ‘‘share of profits of subsidiary undertakings’’ in the income
statement and as ‘‘investments in subsidiary undertakings under the equity method’’ in
the balance sheet, as required by the SEC.
As a result of the early adoption of IFRIC 11 ‘‘IFRS 2—Group and Treasury Share
Transactions’’, the Company now includes the Group’s ESOP in its separate financial
statements, rather than within the Guarantor subsidiaries. Reclassifications have been
performed in the supplemental condensed consolidating balance sheets at 30 June 2006
and in the supplemental condensed consolidating income statement for the years ended
30 June 2006 and 30 June 2005 to reflect this change in accounting policy. Within the
Company only condensed consolidating balance sheet at 30 June 2006, investments in
subsidiary undertakings under the equity method decreased by £36 million, trade and
other receivables decreased by £25 million and trade and other payables decreased by
£61 million. In the Guarantor subsidiaries’ condensed consolidating balance sheet at
30 June 2006, available-for-sale investments decreased by £25 million, trade and other
receivables decreased by £36 million and shareholders’ equity decreased by £61 million.
In the Company only condensed consolidating income statement for the year ended
30 June 2006, investment income increased by £6 million (2005: £7 million) and share
of losses of subsidiary undertakings increased by £6 million (2005: £7 million). In the
Guarantor subsidiaries’ condensed consolidating income statement for the year ended
30 June 2006, operating expense decreased by £12 million (2005: £7 million).
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33. British Sky Broadcasting Group plc Company only financial statements
Company Income Statement for the year ended 30 June 2007
Notes
2007
£m
Restated
2006
£m
118
Revenue
(1)
Operating expense
117
Operating profit
..................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................
956
Dividend income from subsidiaries
65
Investment income
(88)
Finance costs
1,050
Profit before tax
..................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................
(35)
Taxation
1,015
Profit for the year
..................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................
550
64
(91)
654
132
(1)
131
(33)
621
B
B
C
D
Statement of Recognised Income and Expenses for the Company for the year ended 30 June 2007
2007
£m
Restated
2006
£m
1,015
Profit for the year
..................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................
Net (expense) income recognised directly in equity
Cash flow hedges
Tax on cash flow hedges
(75)
23
(52)
..................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................
Less amounts reported in profit for the year
Losses on cash flow hedges
Tax on cash flow hedges
61
(18)
43
..................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................
(9)
Net losses not recognised in profit for the year
..................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................
1,006
Total recognised income and expense for the year
..................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................
(47)
14
(33)
70
(21)
49
637
621
16
Company Cash Flow Statement for the year ended 30 June 2007
Notes
2007
£m
2006
£m
Cash flows from operating activities
Cash generated from operations
32
Interest received
—
32
Net cash from operating activities
..................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................
Cash flows from financing activities
—
Proceeds from third party borrowings
13
Proceeds from the exercise of share options
(406)
Purchase of own shares for cancellation
335
Borrowing from (loan to) subsidiaries
—
Dividends paid to shareholders
(58)
Net cash used in financing activities
..................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................
(26)
Net decrease in cash and cash equivalents
..................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................
26
Cash and cash equivalents the beginning of the year
—
Cash and cash equivalents at the end of the year
..................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................
—
37
(16)
(21)
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
M
—
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Notes to the consolidated financial statements
continued
33. British Sky Broadcasting Group plc Company only financial statements (continued)
Company Balance Sheet as at 30 June 2007
Notes
2007
£m
Restated
2006
£m
G
K
E
E
F
Non-current assets
Property, plant and equipment
Investment property
Investments in subsidiaries
Available-for-sale investments
Deferred tax assets
Derivative financial assets
1
22
5,476
—
—
89
5,588
1
22
4,779
1
40
76
4,919
..................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................
Current assets
Other receivables
Derivative financial assets
1,406
1
1,407
..................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................
6,326
Total assets
..................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................
Current liabilities
Borrowings
Other payables
Derivative financial liabilities
162
1,144
28
1,334
..................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................
Non-current liabilities
Borrowings
Derivative financial liabilities
776
209
985
..................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................
2,319
Total liabilities
..................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................
4,007
Shareholders’ equity
..................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................
6,326
Total liabilities and shareholders’ equity
..................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................
1,018
258
1,276
—
424
—
424
299
—
299
5,887
4,187
1,700
5,887
I
J
K
H
K
I
K
L
These financial statements have been approved by the Board of Directors on 26 July 2007 and were signed on its behalf by:
James Murdoch
Chief Executive Officer
Jeremy Darroch
Chief Financial Officer
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A. Accounting policies
British Sky Broadcasting Group plc (the ‘‘Company’’) is a limited liability company
incorporated in England and Wales, and domiciled in the UK.
C. Profit before taxation
Profit before taxation is stated after charging:
i) Statement of compliance
The Company financial statements have been prepared in accordance with IFRS,
consistently with the accounting policies set out in note 1 of the Company’s consolidated
financial statements. In addition, as a result of the early adoption of IFRIC 11 ‘‘IFRS 2 —
Group and Treasury Share Transactions’’ in the year ended 30 June 2007, the Company
now includes the Group’s ESOP in its separate financial statements. Retrospective
adjustments have been made in the balance sheet and income statement for the year
ended 30 June 2006 to reflect this. Within the balance sheet, investments in subsidiaries
has increased by £3 million, trade and other receivables has decreased by £25 million,
trade and other payables has decreased by £61 million and shareholders’ equity has
increased by £39 million. Within the income statement, dividend income from
subsidiaries has increased by £6 million.
ii) Revenue
Revenue, which excludes value added tax, represents the gross inflow of economic
benefit from the Company’s operating activities. Revenue is measured at the fair value of
the consideration received or receivable. The Company’s main sources of revenue are
recognised as follows:
— Revenue from licensing the Company’s brand name asset to subsidiaries. This revenue
is recognised on an accruals basis under the terms of the relevant leasing
agreements.
— Revenue from leasing the Company’s investment properties to subsidiaries. This
revenue is recognised on an accruals basis.
iii) Investment property
Investment property is initially stated at cost, which comprises the purchase price and
any expenditure directly attributable to the acquisition of the property. Subsequent to
initial recognition, investment property is held at cost net of accumulated depreciation
less any provision for impairment.
iv) Investments in subsidiaries
An investment in a subsidiary is recognised at cost less any provision for impairment. As
permitted by section 133 of the Companies Act 1985, where the relief afforded under
section 131 of the Companies Act 1985 applies, cost is the aggregate of the nominal
value of the relevant number of the Company’s shares and the fair value of any other
consideration given to acquire the share capital of the subsidiary undertakings. Dividends
received from subsidiaries are recognised as income only to the extent that the Company
receives distributions from accumulated profits of the subsidiary arising after the date of
acquisition. Distributions received in excess of such profits are first recognised as a
reduction in the cost of investment.
B. Investment income and finance costs
2007
£m
2006
£m
Investment income
Investment income from subsidiaries
65
65
...........................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................
64
64
Finance costs
RCF agreements
Guaranteed Notes (see note I)
Remeasurement of borrowings-related derivative
financial instruments
(3)
(88)
...........................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................
(61)
(91)
2007
£m
(11)
(19)
2006
£m
(2)
(83)
2007
£m
2006
£m
1
Depreciation of investment property
1
Rental income from subsidiaries
...........................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................
—
1
Audit fees
Auditors’ remuneration was less than £1 million (2006: less than £1 million).
Employee benefits
The Company had an average of 2 employees (2006: 2 employees) during the year.
These employees were paid less than £1 million (2006: less than £1 million).
Key management compensation
Amounts paid to the Directors of the Company are disclosed in the Report on Directors’
remuneration within British Sky Broadcasting Group plc’s 2007 Annual Report.
D. Taxation
(i) Taxation recognised in the income statement
2007
£m
2006
£m
Deferred tax expense
—
Origination and reversal of temporary differences
35
Reversal of deferred tax asset
35
Total deferred tax charge
...........................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................
35
Taxation
...........................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................
1
32
33
33
(ii) Deferred tax recognised directly in equity
2007
£m
2006
£m
Deferred tax (charge) credit on hedging items
5
5
...........................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................
(7)
(7)
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Notes to the consolidated financial statements
continued
F. Investments in subsidiaries
33. British Sky Broadcasting Group plc Company only financial statements (continued)
(iii) Reconciliation of effective tax rate
The tax expense for the year is lower than the standard rate of corporation tax in the UK
(30%) applied to profit before tax. The differences are explained below:
2007
£m
Restated
2006
£m
Profit before tax
Profit before tax multiplied by standard rate of
315
corporation tax in the UK of 30% (2006: 30%)
...........................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................
Effects of:
(287)
Non-taxable income
7
Group relief surrendered for no consideration
35
Taxation
...........................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................
(165)
2
33
1,050
196
654
All taxation relates to UK corporation tax.
E. Property, plant and equipment and investment property
Investment
properties
not yet
available
for use
£m
Investment
properties
in use(i),(ii)
£m
Total
investment
properties
£m
Total plant,
property
and
equivalent
£m
3
9
14
23
—
—
—
23
—
23
9
23
(9)
—
Cost
At 1 July 2005
Investment properties
—
Transfers
3
At 30 June 2006
...........................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................
—
Additions
3
At 30 June 2007
...........................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................
Depreciation
(2)
At 1 July 2005
...........................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................
—
Depreciation
(2)
At 30 June 2006
...........................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................
—
Depreciation
(2)
At 30 June 2007
...........................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................
Carrying amounts
1
At 1 July 2005
1
At 30 June 2006
1
At 30 June 2007
...........................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................
14
22
22
23
22
22
(1)
(1)
(1)
(1)
—
(1)
—
(1)
—
23
9
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
(i) The Company’s investment properties were valued on 4 July 2007 by independent
qualified valuers. The valuations were undertaken in accordance with the Appraisal
and Valuation Manual of the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors in the UK by
CB Richard Ellis Surveyors, a firm of Independent Chartered Surveyors. The values are
based on active market prices. The properties had a fair value of £35 million at
30 June 2007 (2006: £35 million).
(ii) Depreciation was not charged on £12 million of land (2006: £12 million).
British Sky Broadcasting Group plc
Annual Report 2007
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Restated
Investments in
subsidiaries
£m
Cost
5,783
At 1 July 2005
1
Additions
5,784
At 30 June 2006
...........................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................
697
Additions
6,481
At 30 June 2007
...........................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................
Provision
1,005
At 1 July 2005, 30 June 2006 and 30 June 2007
...........................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................
Carrying amounts
4,778
At 1 July 2005
4,779
At 30 June 2006
5,476
At 30 June 2007
...........................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................
See note 30 for a list of significant investments of the Company.
G. Deferred tax assets
Recognised deferred tax assets
Tax losses
£m
Other
£m
Total
£m
70
At 1 July 2005
(35)
Charge to income
5
Credit to equity
40
At 30 June 2006
...........................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................
(33)
Charge to income
(7)
Credit to equity
—
At 30 June 2007
...........................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................
68
(35)
—
33
(33)
—
—
—
(7)
—
2
—
5
7
Of the total deferred tax asset recognised at 30 June 2007, no amounts (2006:
£33 million) can be offset only against future taxable profits generated in the Company.
The Directors consider that there is sufficient evidence to support the recognition of this
deferred tax asset on the basis that it is more likely than not that there will be suitable
taxable profits against which this asset can be utilised.
At 30 June 2006, the balance related to deferred tax assets in respect of certain
derivative financial instruments which will unwind as the related hedging reserve is
released to the income statement.
At 30 June 2007, a deferred tax asset of £384 million (2006: £10 million) has not been
recognised in respect of potential capital losses related to the Group’s holding of
KirchPayTV, on the basis that utilisation of these temporary differences is not probable.
At 30 June 2007, the Company has also not recognised a deferred tax asset of £6 million
(2006: £18 million) relating to provisions in respect of football club investments, on the
basis that it is not probable that they will be utilised.
H. Other receivables
2007
£m
Restated
2006
£m
Prepayments and other receivables
Amounts receivable from subsidiaries
3
1,403
1,406
...........................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................
Included within the amounts shown above are the
following receivables which are due in greater than
one year:
2
Prepayments
...........................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................
4
295
299
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Amounts receivable from subsidiaries include the following loans to BSkyB Limited — nil (2006: £252 million) at a compounding interest rate of 6 months LIBOR, nil (2006:
£413 million) at an interest rate of 8.2%, £100 million (2006: £100 million) at an interest rate of 7.75% and a loan to BSkyB Investments Limited of nil (2006: £121 million) at a
compounding interest rate of 6 month LIBOR. These loans are repayable on demand. All other amounts receivable from subsidiaries are non-interest bearing and also repayable
on demand.
The Directors consider that the carrying amount of other receivables approximates to their fair values.
The Company’s credit risk is primarily attributable to its trade receivables. The majority of its trade receivable balance is due from British Sky Broadcasting Limited. The risk of this
entity defaulting on amounts owed is considered low due to its successful operation of a pay television broadcasting service in the UK and Ireland.
I. Borrowings
2007
£m
2006
£m
Current borrowings
162
US$300 million of 7.300% Guaranteed Notes repayable in 2006
..................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................
Non-current borrowings
US$600 million of 6.875% Guaranteed Notes repayable in 2009
£100 million of 7.750% Guaranteed Notes repayable in 2009
US$650 million of 8.200% Guaranteed Notes repayable in 2009
£300 million of 6.000% Guaranteed Notes repayable in 2027
325
100
351
—
776
..................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................
938
..................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................
299
100
324
295
1,018
1,018
—
See note 21 for details of the Company’s Guaranteed Notes and Revolving Credit Facility.
J. Other payables
2007
£m
Restated
2006
£m
Other payables
Amounts owed to subsidiary undertakings
Accruals
1,112
32
1,144
..................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................
395
29
424
Amounts payable to subsidiaries are non-interest bearing and repayable on demand. The Directors consider that the carrying amount of other payables approximates to their
fair values.
K. Derivatives and other financial instruments
During the year, the Company entered into a number of swap transactions with external third parties and an equal and opposite number of swap transactions with a subsidiary, in
relation to the US$750 million of 5.625% Guaranteed Notes and the £400 million of 5.750% Guaranteed Notes issued by the subsidiary. At 30 June 2007, the Company has
recognised a derivative financial asset of £89 million and a derivative financial liability of £89 million as a result of these transactions (30 June 2006: Asset of £76 million and
liabilities of £76 million), with no overall net impact on the Company’s income statement. Note 22 provides further details of the Group’s derivative financial instruments.
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Notes to the consolidated financial statements
continued
33. British Sky Broadcasting Group plc Company only financial statements (continued)
Fair values
Set out below is a comparison by category of the book values and the estimated fair values of the Company’s financial assets and financial liabilities at 30 June 2007 and
30 June 2006:
2007
Book value
£m
2007
Fair value
£m
2006
Book value
£m
2006
Fair value
£m
Financial assets and liabilities held or issued to finance the Company’s operations
(976)
Quoted bond debt
(160)
Derivative financial instruments
..................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................
(1,031)
(169)
(1,018)
(169)
(938)
(160)
The fair value of quoted bond debt is based on year-end mid-market quoted prices. The fair value of derivative financial instruments is estimated by calculating the differences
between the contracted rates and the appropriate market rates prevailing at the year-ends.
The differences between book values and fair values reflect unrealised gains or losses inherent in the financial instruments, based on valuations as at 30 June 2007 and 30 June 2006.
The volatile nature of the markets means that values at any subsequent date could be significantly different from the values reported above.
L. Reconciliation of shareholders’ equity
Share
capital
£m
Share
premium
£m
Special
reserve
£m
Capital
redemption
reserve
£m
Capital
reserve
£m
ESOP
reserve
£m
Hedging
reserve
£m
Retained
earnings
£m
Restated Total
shareholders’
equity
£m
934
(38)
—
—
—
—
—
896
1,437
—
—
—
—
—
—
1,437
3,577
14
At 1 July 2005
(408)
—
Purchase of own shares for cancellation
(14)
—
Recognition and transfer of cash flow hedges
5
—
Tax on items taken directly to equity
23
—
Share based payment
1,015
—
Profit for the year
(191)
—
Dividends
4,007
14
At 30 June 2006
..................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................
(214)
—
Purchase of own shares for cancellation
23
—
Recognition and transfer of cash flow hedges
(7)
—
Tax on items taken directly to equity
(10)
—
Share based payment
621
—
Profit for the year
(233)
—
Dividends
4,187
14
At 30 June 2007
..................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................
350
(408)
—
—
16
1,015
(191)
782
—
—
—
—
—
—
1,437
(214)
—
—
19
621
(233)
975
(7)
—
(14)
5
—
—
—
(16)
(32)
—
—
—
7
—
—
(25)
(20)
—
—
—
—
—
876
844
—
—
—
—
—
—
844
—
—
—
(29)
—
—
(54)
—
—
—
—
—
—
844
—
23
(7)
—
—
—
—
37
38
—
—
—
—
—
75
20
—
—
—
—
—
95
For details of share capital, share premium, the special reserve and the capital redemption reserve, see note 24.
For details of dividends, see note 10.
Capital reserve
This reserve arose from the surplus on the transfer of trade and assets to a subsidiary undertaking.
Hedging reserve
Changes in the fair values of derivatives that are designated as cash flow hedges are initially recognised in the hedging reserve, and then recognised in the income statement when
the related hedged items are recognised in the income statement. In addition, deferred taxation relating to these derivatives is also initially recognised in the hedging reserve prior to
transfer to the income statement.
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M. Reconciliation of profit before taxation to cash generated from operations
2007
£m
Restated
2006
£m
1,050
Profit before taxation
1
Depreciation of investment properties
(956)
Dividend income
23
Net finance costs
(511)
Other receivables
425
Other payables
32
Cash generated from operations
...........................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................
654
—
(550)
27
589
(720)
—
N. Contingent liabilities and guarantees
The Company and certain of its subsidiaries have undertaken, in the normal course of
business, to provide support to several of the Company’s subsidiaries, to meet their
liabilities as they fall due. The liabilities of these subsidiaries are already included in the
Group’s consolidated accounts. These undertakings have been given for at least one year
from the date of the signing of the UK statutory accounts of the subsidiary entity. A
payment under these undertakings would be required in the event of a subsidiary being
unable to pay its liabilities. The maximum potential amount of future payments which
would be made by the Company to its wholly-owned subsidiaries under these
undertakings cannot be determined as the net liability position of the subsidiaries up to
at least one year into the future is not known.
The Company has guarantees in place relating to the Group’s borrowings, see note 21 —
‘Borrowings and non-current other payables’.
O. Transactions with related parties and major shareholders
2007
£m
Restated
2006
£m
Supply of services to subsidiaries
118
Interest received from funding to subsidiaries
65
Amounts owed by subsidiaries
1,403
(1,112)
Amounts owed to subsidiaries
...........................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................
131
64
295
(395)
The Company has related party transactions with its subsidiaries by virtue of its status as
parent company of the Group. In particular, it is normal treasury practice for the
Company to lend and borrow cash to and from its subsidiaries as required. Under this
policy, British Sky Broadcasting Limited settled liabilities of £431 million (2006:
£193 million) on behalf of the Company, during the year. Interest is earned on certain
loans to subsidiaries.
The Company received £130 million (2006: £117 million) for licensing the Sky brand
name to subsidiaries. The Company received £1 million (2006: £1 million) for leasing
investment property to subsidiaries.
The Company received dividends during the year from subsidiaries totalling £550 million
(2006: £956 million).
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Group Financial Record — unaudited
Consolidated results
Below is selected financial information for the Group under IFRS as at and for each of the years in the three years ended 30 June 2007, derived from the audited consolidated
financial statements included in this Annual Report and from the Group’s historical Annual Reports.
Consolidated Income Statement
Year ended
30 June 2007
£m
Year ended
30 June 2006
£m
Year ended
30 June 2005
£m
3,406
208
352
47
212
326
4,551
2,974
Retail subscription
219
Wholesale subscription
329
Advertising
32
Sky Bet
128
Installation, hardware and service
160
Other
3,842
Revenue
..................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................
Operating expense(iv)
(3,020)
822
Operating profit
..................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................
14
Share of result of joint ventures and associates
29
Investment income
(87)
Finance costs
Profit on disposal of joint venture
9
787
Profit before tax
..................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................
(209)
Taxation
578
Profit for the year
..................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................
Net losses not recognised in profit for the year
(13)
565
Total recognised income and expense for the year
..................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................
30.2p
Basic earnings per share from profit for the year (in pence)
30.2p
Diluted earnings per share from profit for the year (in pence)
..................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................
3,157
224
342
37
131
257
4,148
12
52
(143)
—
798
12
46
(149)
—
724
(3,271)
877
(3,736)
815
30.2p
30.1p
28.4p
28.2p
(124)
375
(247)
551
(225)
499
(38)
513
Consolidated Cash Flow Statement
Year ended
30 June 2007
£m
Year ended
30 June 2006
£m
Year ended
30 June 2005
£m
503
Cash and cash equivalents
241
Purchase of plant, property, equipment and intangible assets
..................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................
Statistics
DTH homes (’000)
7,787
Cable homes (’000)(ii)
3,872
11,659
Total Sky pay homes
..................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................
DTT homes (’000)(iii)
4,940
9,958
Average number of full-time equivalent employees
..................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................
8,176
3,898
12,074
8,582
1,259
9,841
9,811
13,087
7,326
11,216
816
212
435
356
Consolidated Assets Employed
30 June 2007
£m
30 June 2006
£m
30 June 2005
£m
1,093
Non-current assets
1,363
Current assets
(1,150)
Current liabilities
(1,119)
Non-current liabilities
Net assets
187
..................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................
Capital stock (£m)(i)
2,598
1,868
Number of shares in issue (number in millions)
..................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................
1,504
2,283
(1,547)
(2,119)
121
2,557
1,363
(1,499)
(2,374)
47
2,567
1,791
2,414
1,753
Notes
(i) Capital stock includes called-up share capital, share premium, ESOP reserve, hedging reserve, available-for-sale reserve and other reserves.
(ii) The number of Sky wholesale subscribers is as reported to us by the cable operators.
(iii) The DTT subscriber number consists of the BARB’s estimate of the number of homes with access to Freeview (the free DTT offering operating in the UK). These figures may
include DTH or cable homes that already take multichannel television.
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(iv) Included within operating expense for the year ended 30 June 2007 is a £65 million credit due to the Group, arising from certain contractual rights under one of the Group’s
channel distribution agreements. This item was previously disclosed as a contingent asset in the consolidated financial statements as at 30 June 2006.
Included within operating expense for the year ended 30 June 2007 is £16 million of expense relating to the legal costs of the Group’s claim against EDS (an information and
technology solutions provider), which provided services to the Group as part of the Group’s investment in customer management systems software and infrastructure.
Included within operating expense for the year ended 30 June 2005 is a receipt of £13 million from the liquidators of ITV Digital as a full and final settlement in respect of
amounts owed to the Group.
Group financial record — US GAAP
Set forth below is selected financial data for the Group under US GAAP as at and for each of the years in the five year period ended 30 June 2007.
The information contained in the following tables should be read in conjunction with the ‘‘Financial Review’’ section and the Group’s historical consolidated financial statements and
related notes, as well as other information included elsewhere in this document.
The selected financial data for each of the years in the three year period ended 30 June 2007 are derived from the audited consolidated financial statements included in this Annual
Report. The selected financial data as at and for each of the years in the two year period ended 30 June 2004 are derived from the audited consolidated financial statements
appearing in our historical Annual Reports on Form 20-F filed with the SEC.
Consolidated Income Statement
2007
2006
2005
2004
2003
(In millions except per share data)
Amounts in accordance with US GAAP
£ 3,082
Revenue
(5)
Amortisation and impairment of intangible fixed assets
370
Operating profit
—
Joint ventures’ and associates’ goodwill amortisation and impairment, net
—
Loss on disposal of investments in joint ventures
260
Income before income tax
286
Net income
14.9p
Basic earnings per share
14.7p
Diluted earnings per share
59.7p
Basic earnings per ADS
58.9p
Diluted earnings per ADS
Dividends declared per share(1)
—
Dividends declared per share(1)
—
..................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................
£ 3,842
—
840
—
(14)
793
577
30.2p
30.1p
120.8p
120.4p
7.25p
13.7¢
£ 3,535
—
666
(3)
—
595
434
22.4p
22.3p
89.7p
89.3p
2.75p
4.9¢
£ 4,551
—
798
—
—
703
479
27.3p
27.1p
109.2p
108.4p
13.3p
25.9¢
£ 4,148
—
873
—
—
793
551
30.2p
30.1p
120.8p
120.4p
10.5p
18.4¢
(1) Dividends are recognised in the period in which they are approved.
Consolidated Assets Employed
2007
2006
2005
(In millions)
2004
2003
Amounts in accordance with US GAAP
£ 2,810
Total assets
448
Net assets
3,772
Capital stock
1,938
Number of shares in issue (number)
..................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................
£ 4,560
616
2,408
1,753
£ 3,082
818
2,539
1,868
£ 4,419
759
2,554
1,791
£ 2,988
812
2,614
1,942
Factors which materially affect the comparability of the selected financial data
Accounting changes
During the year ended 30 June 2006, SFAS No. 123R was adopted. The impact of the adoption of this standard is described in the consolidated financial statements included within
the Group’s Annual Report for fiscal 2006.
During the year ended 30 June 2004, US EITF 00-21, Revenue Arrangements with Multiple Deliverables, was adopted. The impact of the adoption of this standard is described in the
notes to the consolidated financial statements included within the Group’s Annual Report on Form 20-F for fiscal 2004.
Business combinations
During the year ended 30 June 2006, the Group completed the acquisition of Easynet. The results of this acquisition were consolidated from the date on which control passed to the
Group (6 January 2006).
During the year ended 30 June 2007, the Group completed the acquisition of 365 Media. The results of this acquisition were consolidated from the date on which control passed to
the Group (23 January 2007).
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Shareholder information
............................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................
Share price information
The Company’s share price can be found on the Company’s corporate website at
www.sky.com/corporate and it also appears in the financial columns of the national press
under the prefix BSkyB.
ADS holders can access the latest ADS price at www.nyse.com or by visiting the Bank of
New York’s website, www.adrbny.com.
The following tables set forth for the periods indicated the highest and lowest middle
market quotations for the ordinary shares as derived from the Daily Official List of the
London Stock Exchange and the highest and lowest sales prices of the ADSs as reported
on the New York Stock Exchange composite tape.
Shares
(pence)
ADSs(i)
($)
High
Low
High
Low
Fiscal year ended 30 June
2003
2853/100
4013/50
2004
3339/50
2005
334/5
2006
3747/50
2007
...........................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................
473/25
596/25
4633/100
4249/100
5299/100
458
5841/2
4651/2
4781/2
5171/2
706
776
625
579
6631/2
Shares
(pence)
ADSs(i)
($)
High
Low
High
Low
Fiscal year ended 30 June
2006
First Quarter
Second Quarter
Third Quarter
Fourth Quarter
2007
3747/50
First Quarter
Second Quarter
4071/100
Third Quarter
411/100
4443/100
Fourth Quarter
...........................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................
3649/100
334/5
341/5
3579/100
4361/100
4267/100
453/5
5299/100
4211/25
393/25
3829/50
4249/100
579
5601/2
5461/2
5731/2
569
5601/2
570
6631/2
5171/2
519
523
5611/2
522
4851/2
4781/2
5091/2
Shares
(pence)
ADSs(i)
($)
High
Low
High
Low
Month ended
31 January 2007
411/100
43
28 February 2007
421/20
31 March 2007
4443/100
30 April 2007
477/100
31 May 2007
507/50
30 June 2007
...........................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................
4439/100
4423/25
453/5
4669/100
5298/100
5299/100
5571/2
567
570
575
6631/2
663
523
555
547
5611/2
5841/2
630
(i) Each ADS represents four ordinary shares (up until 23 December 2002, each ADS
represented six ordinary shares). Prior year ADS figures in the above tables have
been restated to reflect this change in ratio.
Share information
Our sole outstanding class of voting securities is ordinary shares with a nominal
value of 50p.
Our ordinary shares are admitted to the Official List of the London Stock Exchange and
our ADSs are listed on the New York Stock Exchange. The principal trading market for
our ordinary shares is the London Stock Exchange. The Bank of New York is the
depositary of the American Depositary Receipts, which evidence the ADSs.
Registrars
Lloyds TSB Registrars
The Causeway
Worthing
West Sussex BN99 6DA
Telephone 0870 195 6600
Overseas +44 121 415 7567
ADR depositary
The Bank of New York
Investor Services
P.O. Box 11258
Church Street Station
New York, NY 10286-1258
Telephone (US) 1-888-BNY-ADRS
Telephone (International) +1 (212) 815-3700
www.adrbny.com
Shares on-line
Lloyds TSB Registrars provide a range of shareholder information on-line. Shareholders
can access their shareholdings and find advice on transferring shares and updating their
details at www.shareview.co.uk.
ShareGift
Shareholders who only have a small number of shares whose value makes it
uneconomic to sell them may wish to consider donating them to charity through
ShareGift, the independent charity share donation scheme (registered charity no.
1052686). Further information about ShareGift may be obtained from Lloyds TSB
Registrars or from ShareGift on 020 7337 0501 or at www.sharegift.org. There are no
implications for capital gains tax purposes (no gain or loss) on gifts of shares to charity
and it is also possible to claim income tax relief.
Shareholder enquiries
All administrative enquiries relating to shareholders, such as notification of change of
address or the loss of a share certificate, should be made to the Company’s registrars,
Lloyds TSB Registrars, whose address is given above.
Dividends
Shareholders can have their dividends paid directly into a UK bank or building society
account with the tax voucher sent direct to their registered address. Please contact Lloyds
TSB Registrars for a dividend mandate form.
Dividend Reinvestment Plan
The Company operates a Dividend Reinvestment Plan (‘‘DRIP’’) which enables
shareholders to buy the Company’s shares on the London stock market with their cash
dividend. Further information about the DRIP is available from Lloyds TSB Registrars. The
helpline number is 0870 241 3018 from inside the UK and +44 121 415 7173
from overseas.
Shareholder fraud
Fraud is on the increase and many shareholders are targeted every year. If you have any
reason to believe that you may have been the target of a fraud, or attempted fraud in
relation to your shareholding, please contact Lloyds TSB Registrars immediately. To
reduce the risk of fraud happening to you please see our list of ‘preventing shareholder
fraud tips’ on our website at www.sky.com/corporate.
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Major shareholders
The following table sets forth, as of 26 July 2007, the amount and percentage of ordinary
shares owned by each shareholder, including our Directors and Officers as a group,
known to us to own more than 3% (directly and indirectly) of our ordinary shares.
Identity of person or group
News UK Nominees Limited*(i)
39.14%
Templeton Global Advisors Limited(ii)
5.89%
Brandes Investment Partners L.P.(ii)
3.12%
The Capital Group Companies, Inc.(ii)
3.10%
Janus Capital Management LLC(ii)
3.07%
............................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................
686,021,700
103,156,955
56,867,820
55,977,854
53,802,964
Amount
owned
Percent of
class
* On 30 June 2004, BSkyB Holdco, Inc. transferred its entire shareholding in us to
News UK Nominees Limited, a wholly-owned subsidiary of News Corporation which
remains interested in the shares.
(i) Direct holding which is subject to restrictions on its voting rights (please see
‘‘Memorandum and articles of association – Alteration of share capital’’ on pages 106
to 107.
(ii) Indirect holding.
There has been no significant change in the percentage ownership held by any major
shareholders during the past three years, except for the following:
On 16 February 2005, News Corporation notified us that its interest in our shares had
increased to 36.01%. On 13 September 2005, News Corporation further notified us that
its interest in our shares had increased to 37.00%. On 12 May 2006 News Corporation
further notified us that its interest in our shares had increased to 38.02%. On
26 September 2006 News Corporation further notified us that its interest in our shares
had increased to 39.03%. These increases were as a result of the Company’s share buy-
back programme; the number of shares held by News Corporation remains unchanged.
Franklin Resources, Inc. notified us of the following changes in its interest in our shares:
Date notified
Percentage
ownership
3.58%
9 August 2004
4.08%
12 August 2004
5.05%
15 September 2004
6.00%
15 November 2004
7.06%
3 May 2005
8.03%
9 June 2005
9.01%
11 July 2005
10.09%
2 February 2006
9.98%
23 May 2006
10.00%
21 June 2006
............................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................
On 2 March 2007 Franklin Resources, Inc. notified us that under the Financial Services
Authority’s Disclosure and Transparency Rules (‘‘DTR’’) it was no longer subject to a
notification obligation as it had been able to claim an exemption from the requirement
to aggregate its holdings with those of its subsidiaries and it holds less than 3% of the
Company’s issued share capital. Franklin Resources, Inc. further informed us that
Templeton Global Advisors Limited (‘‘Templeton’’), a wholly owned subsidiary of Franklin
Resources Inc., had a 6.04% interest in our shares and that it is subject to a notification
obligation under the DTR on the basis that as a discretionary manager it is an indirect
shareholder. On 14 May 2007, Franklin Resources Inc. further notified us that
Templeton’s interest in our shares had decreased to 5.89%.
On 2 February 2006 Brandes Investment Partners L.P. notified us that it had a 3.12%
interest in our shares.
On 6 April 2006 The Capital Group Companies, Inc. notified us that it had a 3.10%
interest in our shares.
On 11 August 2004, Janus Capital Management LLC (‘‘Janus’’) notified us that it had a
3.01% interest in our shares. On 11 October 2004, Janus further notified us that its
interest in our shares had increased to 4.08%. On 19 April 2006 Janus further notified
us that its interest in our shares had decreased to 3.86%. On 5 March 2007, Janus
notified us that it no longer had a notifiable interest in our shares. On 7 March 2007,
Janus notified us that its interest in our shares had increased to 3.07%.
On 4 May 2006 Harris Associates L.P. notified us that it had a 3.03% interest in our
shares. On 30 May 2007, Harris Associates L.P notified us that it no longer had a
notifiable interest in our shares.
On 6 June 2005, Barclays PLC notified us that it had a 3.38% interest in our shares. On
2 August 2005, Barclays PLC further notified us that its interest in our shares had
increased to 4.15%. On 29 June 2006, Barclays PLC further notified us that its interest in
our shares had decreased to 3.85%. On 22 November 2006, Barclays PLC notified us that
it no longer had a notifiable interest in our shares. On 23 November 2006, Barclays
notified us that its interest in our shares had increased to 3.05%. On 4 December 2006
Barclays PLC notified us that it no longer had a notifiable interest in our shares.
On 16 February 2004, Fidelity notified us that it had a 3.10% interest in our shares. On
28 June 2004, Fidelity notified us that it no longer had a notifiable interest in our shares.
On 26 June 2006, Fidelity notified us that it had a 3.06% interest in our shares. On
17 August 2006, Fidelity notified us that it no longer had a notifiable interest in
our shares.
Major shareholders have the same voting rights as all other shareholders. A voting
agreement dated 21 September 2005 was entered into between the Company, BSkyB
Holdco Inc, News Corporation and News UK Nominees Limited which became
unconditional on 4 November 2005 and caps News UK Nominees Limited voting rights at
any general meeting at 37.19%. The provisions of the voting agreement cease to apply
on the first to occur of a number of circumstances which include the date on which a
general offer is made by an independent person (as defined in the voting agreement) for
the ordinary share capital of the Company.
On 24 July 2007, 10,459,029 ADSs were held of record by 17 holders in the US and
21,960 ordinary shares were held of record by 65 US persons.
Financial calendar
Results for the financial year ending 30 June 2008 will be published:
Q1 November 2007
Q2 February 2008
Q3 April 2008
Q4 July 2008
Company’s registered office:
Grant Way
Isleworth
Middlesex TW7 5QD
Telephone (0)20 7705 3000
Overseas +44 20 7705 3000
The Sky website
The Sky website at www.sky.com details the Company’s product offering and provides a
link to the Company’s Corporate website where investor and media information can be
accessed.
Auditors
Deloitte & Touche LLP
Hill House
1 Little New Street
London EC4A 3TR
Principal bankers
Royal Bank of Scotland
St. Andrew’s Square
Edinburgh EH2 2YB
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Shareholder information
continued
Solicitors
Herbert Smith LLP
Exchange House
Primrose Street
London EC2A 2HS
Company registration number
2247735
Exchange rates
A significant portion of our liabilities and expenses associated with the cost of
programming acquired from US film licensors is denominated in US dollars. For a
discussion of the impact of exchange rate movements on our financial condition and
results of operations, see note 22 of the consolidated financial statements ‘‘Derivatives
and other financial instruments’’.
Since any dividends we declare are declared in pounds sterling, exchange rate
fluctuations will affect the US dollar equivalent of cash dividends receivable by
holders of ADSs.
Directors
The Company’s Articles of Association provide for a Board of Directors, consisting of not
fewer than three Directors, who shall manage the business and affairs of the Company.
The quorum for meetings of the Directors is currently three Directors. The Directors may
delegate any of their powers to a committee which must consist of one or more
Directors, and a majority of the members of a committee shall be Directors. The quorum
at a meeting of any committee shall be two Directors.
The Articles of Association place a general prohibition on a Director voting in respect of
any contract or arrangement in which he has a material interest other than by virtue of
his interest in shares in the Company. However, in the absence of some other
material interest not indicated below, a Director is entitled to vote and to be counted
in a quorum for the purpose of any vote relating to a resolution concerning the
following matters:
(i)
(ii)
the giving of any guarantee, security or indemnity to him in respect of money lent
to, or obligations incurred by him at the request of, or for the benefit of, the
Company or any of its subsidiaries;
the giving of any guarantee, security or indemnity to a third party in respect of a
debt or obligation of the Company or any of its subsidiaries for which he himself
has assumed responsibility in whole or in part under a guarantee or indemnity or
by the giving of security;
The following table sets forth, for the periods indicated, information concerning the noon
buying rates provided by the Federal Reserve Bank of New York for pounds sterling
expressed in US dollars per £1.00.
(iii) any proposal concerning an offer of any shares or debentures or other
securities of or by the Company for subscription, purchase or exchange in which
offer he is, or is to be, interested as a participant in the underwriting or
sub-underwriting thereof;
Month
High
Low
1.9305
January 2007
1.9443
February 2007
1.9235
March 2007
1.9608
April 2007
1.9695
May 2007
1.9657
June 2007
...........................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................
1.9847
1.9699
1.9694
2.0061
1.9993
2.0063
(iv)
(v)
Year ended 30 June
Period end
Average(1)
High
Low
any proposal concerning a superannuation fund or retirement benefits scheme
which has been approved by, or is subject to, and conditional upon approval by the
Board of the HMRC for taxation purposes;
any arrangement for the benefit of employees of the Company or any of its
subsidiaries including but not limited to, an employees share scheme which has
been approved by, or is subject to and conditional upon approval by, the Board of
the HMRC for taxation purposes and which does not accord to any Directors any
privilege not accorded to the employees to whom the arrangement relates; and
2003
1.5192
2004
1.5728
2005
1.7733
2006
1.7138
1.8203
2007
...........................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................
1.5915
1.7491
1.8596
1.7808
1.9463
1.6529
1.8126
1.7930
1.8491
2.0063
1.6840
1.9045
1.9482
1.8911
2.0063
(1) The average rate is calculated by using the average of the noon buying rates on the
last day of each month during the relevant year.
On 24 July 2007, the noon buying rate was US$2.0626 per £1.00.
Memorandum and articles of association
The following summarises certain provisions of the Company’s Memorandum and Articles
of Association and applicable English Law. The summary is qualified in its entirety by
reference to the Companies Act 1985 of Great Britain (the ‘‘Companies Act’’), as
amended, and the Company’s Articles of Association.
Information on where shareholders can inspect copies of the Memorandum and Articles
of Association is provided under ‘‘Documents on display’’ below.
Objects and purposes
Sky is incorporated under the name British Sky Broadcasting Group plc and is registered
in England and Wales with registered number 2247735. The Memorandum of
Association of the Company provides that the Company’s principal object is to carry on
the business of direct broadcasting by satellite and to carry out the other objects more
particularly set out in Clause 4 of the Memorandum of Association of the Company.
British Sky Broadcasting Group plc
Annual Report 2007
104
(vi)
any proposal concerning the purchase or maintenance of insurance for the benefit
of Directors or persons who include Directors.
The Companies Act requires a Director of a company who is in any way interested in a
contract or proposed contract with the company to declare the nature of his interest at a
meeting of the Directors of the company. The definition of ‘‘interest’’ now includes the
interests of spouses, children, companies and trusts. The Articles also specifically provide
that a Director is to be treated as interested in a matter the subject of a resolution if it
relates to a transaction or arrangement with a person or body corporate of or in which
he is an officer, employee, shareholder, consultant, advisor, representative or otherwise
interested. Any question as to the right of a Director to vote, including whether he has a
material interest in a material matter the subject of a resolution, may be decided by a
resolution of the majority of those Directors who do not have a like interest to the
Director or Directors in question.
No person shall be disqualified from being appointed or re-appointed as a Director and
no Director shall be requested to vacate that office by reason of his attaining the age of
seventy or any other age.
Remuneration of Non-Executive Directors shall be determined in the aggregate by
resolution of the shareholders. Remuneration of executive Directors is determined
by the remuneration committee. This committee is made up of independent
Non-Executive Directors.
There is no requirement of share ownership for a Director’s qualification.
Directors’ appointment and removal
The Directors and the Company (by Ordinary Resolution) may appoint a person who is
willing to act as a Director, either to fill a vacancy or as an additional Director. A Director
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appointed by the Directors shall retire at the next AGM and will put himself forward to
be elected by the shareholders.
At each AGM, there shall retire from office by rotation:
Winding-up
If the Company commences liquidation, the liquidator may, with the sanction of an
extraordinary resolution of the Company and any other sanction required by the Act and
the Insolvency Act 1986:
all Directors of the Company who are subject to retirement by rotation who held
office at the time of the two preceding AGMs and who did not retire by rotation at
either of them; and
(i)
divide among the members in kind the whole or any part of the assets of the
Company (whether they shall consist of property of the same kind or not) and, for
that purpose, set such values as he deems fair upon any property to be divided
and determine how the division shall be carried out between the members; and
(i)
(ii)
such additional number of Directors as shall, when aggregated with the number of
Directors retiring under paragraph (i) above, equal either one third of the number
of Directors, in circumstances where the number of Directors is three or a multiple
of three, or in all other circumstances, the whole number which is nearest to but
does not exceed one-third of the number of Directors (the ‘‘Relevant Proportion’’)
provided that:
(a)
(b)
the provisions of this paragraph (ii) shall only apply if the number of Directors
retiring under paragraph (i) above is less than the Relevant Proportion; and
subject to the provisions of the Act and to the relevant provisions of these
Articles, the Directors to retire under this paragraph (ii) shall be those who
have been longest in office since their last appointment or reappointment, but
as between persons who became or were last reappointed Directors on the
same day those to retire shall (unless they otherwise agree among
themselves) be determined by lot.
Borrowing powers
The Directors shall restrict the borrowings of the Company and exercise all powers of
control exercisable by the Company in relation to its subsidiary undertakings so as to
secure (as regards subsidiary undertakings so far as by such exercise they can secure)
that the aggregate principal amount outstanding of all money borrowed by the Group
(excluding amounts borrowed by any member of the Group from any other member of
the Group), shall not at any time, save with the previous sanction of an ordinary
resolution of the Company, exceed an amount equal to the higher of (i) £1.5 billion and
(ii) an amount equal to four times the aggregate turnover of the Group as shown in the
then latest audited consolidated profit and loss accounts of the Group.
Dividend rights
Holders of the Company’s ordinary shares may by ordinary resolution declare dividends
but no such dividend shall exceed the amount recommended by the Directors. If, in the
opinion of the Directors, the profits of the Company available for distribution justify such
payments, the Directors may, from time to time, pay interim dividends on the shares of
such amounts and on such dates and in respect of such periods as they think fit. The
profits of the Company available for distribution and resolved to be distributed shall be
apportioned and paid proportionately to the amounts paid up on the shares during any
portion of the period in respect of which the dividend is paid.
No dividend shall be paid otherwise than out of profits available for distribution as
specified under the provisions of the Companies Act.
Any dividend unclaimed after a period of twelve years from the date of declaration of
such dividend shall be forfeited and shall revert to the Company.
Voting rights
The Articles of Association provide that subject to any rights or restrictions attached to
any shares, on a show of hands every member shall have one vote, and on a poll every
member shall have one vote for every share of which he is a holder. On a poll votes
may be given either personally or by proxy or (in the case of a corporate member) by a
duly authorised representative.
A shareholder entitled to attend and vote at a general meeting may appoint one or more
proxies to attend and, on a poll, vote instead of him. A proxy need not be a shareholder
of the Company. Holders of the Company’s ordinary shares do not have cumulative
voting rights.
(ii)
vest the whole or any part of the assets in trustees upon such trusts for the benefit
of members as the liquidator shall think fit,
but no member shall be compelled to accept any share or other assets upon which there
is any liability.
Redemption
None of the shares of the Company has been issued on the basis that it may be
redeemed or is liable to be redeemed at the option of the shareholders or the Company.
The Company is therefore under no obligation to create a sinking fund or redemption
reserve. However, subject to the provisions of the Statutes, the Company may purchase
any of its own shares (including any redeemable shares).
Further capital calls
The Directors may only make calls upon the members in respect of amounts unpaid on
the shares (whether in respect of nominal value or premium).
Variation of rights
Subject to the Act, the rights attached to any class of shares may (unless otherwise
provided by the terms of the issue of shares of that class) be varied with the consent in
writing of the holders of three-quarters in nominal value of the issued shares of the
class or with the sanction of an extraordinary resolution passed at a separate general
meeting of the holders of the shares of the class (but not otherwise) and may be so
varied either whilst the Company is a going concern or during, or in contemplation of, a
winding-up. At every such separate general meeting the necessary quorum shall be at
least two persons holding or representing by proxy at least one-third in nominal value of
the issued shares of the class (but so that at any adjourned meeting any holder of shares
of the class present in person or by proxy shall be a quorum).
General meetings
The Directors may call general meetings whenever and at whatever time and location
they so determine. At a general meeting called to pass a special resolution at least 21
clear days’ notice must be given, and all other extraordinary general meetings shall be
called by at least 14 clear days’ notice. Two persons entitled to vote upon the business to
be transacted shall be a quorum.
Subject to any terms as to voting upon which any shares may be issued and to the
provisions of the Articles, every member present in person shall have one vote on a
show of hands and on a poll every member present in person or by proxy shall have
one vote for each share of which he is the holder. No member shall be entitled to vote
in respect of any share held by him if any call or other sum payable by him to the
Company remains unpaid.
If a member or any person appearing to be interested in shares has been duly served
with a notice under Section 212 of the Act and is in default for the prescribed period in
supplying to the Company information thereby required, unless the Directors otherwise
determine, the member shall not be entitled to vote at any general or class meeting of
the Company in respect of the shares in relation to which the default occurred.
Limitations on non-resident or foreign shareholders
English law and the Memorandum and Articles of Association of the Company treat
those persons who hold shares and are neither UK residents nor nationals in the same
way as UK residents or nationals. They are free to own, vote on and transfer any shares
they hold.
Details of a voting agreement that the Company entered into with News UK Nominees
Limited, dated 21 September 2005, is detailed in ‘‘Alteration of share capital’’ on
page 106 to 107.
Transfer of shares
Any member may transfer all or any of his shares by instrument of transfer in the usual
common form or in any other form which the Directors may approve. The instrument of
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Memorandum and articles of assocation
continued
transfer of a share shall be signed by or on behalf of the transferor and, except in the
case of fully-paid shares, by or on behalf of the transferee.
Where any class of shares is for the time being a participating security, title to shares of
that class which are recorded as being held in uncertificated form, may be transferred by
the relevant system concerned. The Directors may in their absolute discretion and
without giving any reason refuse to register any transfer of shares (not being fully paid
shares). The Directors may also refuse to register a transfer of shares unless the
instrument of transfer:
(i) is lodged at the transfer office accompanied by the relevant share certificate(s);
(ii)is in respect of only one class of share; and
(iii)is in favour of not more than four persons jointly.
The Directors of the Company may refuse to register the transfer of a share in
uncertificated form to a person who is to hold it thereafter in certificated form in any
case where the Company is entitled to refuse (or is excepted from the requirements)
under the Uncertificated Securities Regulations 2001 to register the transfer; and they
may refuse to register any such transfer in favour of more than four transferees. The
Directors may refuse to register any transfer if it is their opinion that such transfer would
or might (i) prejudice the Group’s right to hold, be awarded or granted or have renewed
or extended, any licence granted under the Broadcasting Acts, or (ii) give rise to or cause
a variation to be made to, or a revocation or determination of, any such licence by
Ofcom.
If the Directors determine following registration of a transfer of shares:
(i) and following consultation with Ofcom that, inter alia, by reason of the interest of a
person in any shares of the Company transferred, Ofcom may vary, revoke, determine
or refuse to award, grant, renew or extend a licence granted under the Broadcasting
Acts; or
(ii)that any person has an interest in the shares of the Company which, inter alia, makes
the Company a disqualified person under the Broadcasting Acts or which contravenes,
or would cause a contravention of, any of the restrictions set out in Parts III, IV or V
of Schedule 2 to the Broadcasting Act 1990, as amended by the Communications Act,
or any order, direction or notice made pursuant to the Broadcasting Acts or
Communications Act or such other restrictions as may be applied by Ofcom from time
to time to disqualify certain persons or bodies from having interests in such a licence
or to restrict the accumulation of interests in relevant services as defined in Schedule
2 to the Broadcasting Act 1990, as amended by the Communications Act;
the Directors shall be entitled to serve written notice (a ‘‘Disposal Notice’’) on the
relevant transferee in respect of the shares transferred stating that they have so
determined, specifying their grounds in general terms and calling for the disposal of
such transferred shares as are specified in the Disposal Notice within 21 days of the date
of such notice or such longer period as the Directors may consider reasonable and which
they may extend. If the Disposal Notice is not complied with to the satisfaction of the
Directors, they shall, so far as they are able, dispose of the relevant shares for the best
price reasonably obtainable in all the circumstances. In addition, a member who has
been served with a Disposal Notice shall not, with effect from the expiration of such
period as the Directors shall specify in such notice (not being longer than 30 days from
the date of service of the notice), be entitled to receive notice of, or to attend or vote at,
any general meeting of the Company by reason of his holding the shares specified in the
Disposal Notice.
Alteration of share capital
The authorised share capital of the Company currently consists of 3,000,000,000 ordinary
shares of 50p each.
The Company may from time to time by ordinary resolution:
(i)
(ii)
(iii)
(iv)
increase its share capital by such sum to be divided into shares of such amounts
as the resolution shall prescribe;
consolidate and divide all or any of its share capital into shares of larger amount
than its existing shares;
cancel any shares which, at the date of the passing of the resolution, have not
been taken, or agreed to be taken, by any person and diminish the amount of its
capital by the amount of the shares so cancelled; or
sub-divide its shares, or any of them, into shares of smaller amount than is fixed
by the Memorandum of Association (subject, nevertheless, to the provisions of
the Statutes).
Subject to the provisions of the Act, the Company may reduce its share capital
redemption reserve, share premium account or other undistributable reserve in any way.
At the AGM of the Company held on 14 November 2003, shareholders approved a
special resolution authorising the Directors to reduce the Company’s share premium
account by £1,120 million. In addition to the approval of the reduction by shareholders,
the Company required the approval of the High Court, which was granted on
10 December 2003. The reduction became effective on 11 December 2003.
At the AGM of the Company held on 12 November 2004, shareholders approved a
special resolution allowing the Company to buy-back up to 97,000,000 ordinary shares in
the market, which was approximately 5% of the issued ordinary share capital at
1 October 2004. The authority expired on 11 November 2005, 12 months from the date
of the passing of the special resolution. Buy-backs are by market purchases through the
London Stock Exchange. Any shares purchased are cancelled thereby reducing the
number of shares in issue. Under this authority the Company purchased, and
subsequently cancelled, 97,000,000 ordinary shares of 50p each for a consideration of
£544 million.
At the AGM held on 12 November 2004, shareholders approved an ordinary resolution in
relation to Rule 9 of the City Code of Takeovers and Mergers (the ‘‘City Code’’) which
waived the compulsory bid obligation that arises for News UK Nominees Limited when
the Company repurchases shares under the authority granted by the special resolution
detailed above. Under Rule 9 of the City Code, any person who acquires shares which,
taken together with the shares already held by him or acquired by persons acting in
concert with him, carry 30% or more of the voting rights in a company which is subject
to the City Code is normally required to make a general offer to all of the remaining
shareholders to acquire their shares. Similarly, when any person or persons acting in
concert already hold 30% or more but less than 50% of the voting rights in such a
company, a general offer will normally be required to be made if any further shares are
acquired. An offer under Rule 9 must be in cash at the highest price paid within the
preceding 12 months for any shares acquired in the Company by the person required to
make the offer or any person acting in concert with him. The holding of News UK
Nominees Limited as at the date of the AGM was 686,021,700 ordinary shares,
representing 35.33% of the voting rights in the Company. If the compulsory bid
obligation under Rule 9 had not been waived and the Company had repurchased shares
under the authority granted by the special resolution detailed above and, at the time, the
voting rights attributable to the aggregate holding of News UK Nominees Limited had
continued to exceed 30% of the voting rights of the Company or, if, in the meantime, its
holding had fallen below this level and, as a result had increased to 30% or more of
such voting rights, News UK Nominees Limited would have been required to make a
cash offer for the issued shares of the Company which it did not already own. The Panel
agreed to waive the compulsory bid obligation arising in respect of a repurchase by the
Company of its shares subject to approval of the ordinary resolution on a poll,
subsequently received at the AGM, from shareholders independent of News UK Nominees
Limited. The waiver in this ordinary resolution, which is valid only for so long as the
authority granted pursuant to the special resolution detailed above remains in force,
applies only in respect of increases in the percentage interest of News UK Nominees
Limited resulting from market purchases by the Company of its own shares and not in
respect of other increases in its holding. The authority granted by the special resolution
detailed above has been exercised in full and the holdings of News UK Nominees Limited
and the percentage of the voting rights in the Company attributable to such holdings,
following the exercise of the authority increased from 35.33% to 37.19% of the
Company’s issued share capital.
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At the AGM of the Company held on 4 November 2005, shareholders approved a special
resolution that extended the buy-back authority for a further year, allowing the Company
to buy-back up to 92,000,000 ordinary shares in the market, which was approximately
5% of the issued share capital of the Company at 27 September 2005. Shareholders also
approved an ordinary resolution in relation to Rule 9 of the City Code, explained above,
which waived the compulsory bid obligation whilst the buy-back authority remains in
force. In addition, in pursuing a continued buy-back authority, the Board considered that
it was appropriate that the Company conditionally entered into a voting agreement with
News UK Nominees Limited, dated 21 September 2005, which would limit the exercise
of its voting rights to 37.19%. The voting agreement was conditional on the buy-back
proposals being approved by shareholders and therefore became unconditional on
4 November 2005.
As at 27 September 2006, the Company had purchased, and subsequently cancelled,
92,000,000 ordinary shares of 50p each under this authority for a consideration of
£493 million. The authority expired on 3 November 2006 and the Directors did not seek
its renewal.
Issue of shares
Subject to the provisions of the Statutes relating to authority, pre-emption rights and
otherwise and of any resolution of the Company passed in general meeting, all unissued
shares shall be at the disposal of the Directors and they may allot (with or without
conferring a right to renunciation), grant options over, or otherwise dispose of them to
such persons, at such times and on such terms as they think proper.
Disclosure of interests in the Company’s shares
There are no provisions in the Articles whereby persons acquiring, holding or disposing
of a certain percentage of the Company’s shares are required to make disclosure of their
ownership percentage, although there are such requirements under the Companies Act.
The basic disclosure requirement under Sections 198 to 211 of the Companies Act
imposes upon a person interested in the shares of the Company a statutory obligation to
notify the Company in writing and containing details set out in the Companies Act where:
(i)
he acquires (or becomes aware that he has acquired) or ceases to have (or
becomes aware that he has ceased to have) an interest in shares comprising any
class of the Company’s issued and voting share capital; and
(ii)
as a result, either he obtains, or ceases to have:
(a)
a ‘‘material interest’’ in 3%, or more; or
(b)
(c)
an aggregate interest (whether ‘‘material’’ or not) in 10%, or more of the
Company’s voting capital; or
the percentage of his interest in the Company’s voting capital remains above
the relevant level and changes by a whole percentage point.
A ‘‘material interest’’ means, broadly, any beneficial interest (including those of a spouse
or a child or a step-child, those of a company which is accustomed to act in accordance
with the relevant person’s instructions or in which one third or more of the votes are
controlled by such person and certain other interests set out in the Companies Act) other
than those of an investment manager or an operator of a unit trust / recognised scheme
/ collective investment scheme / open-ended investment company.
Sections 204 to 206 of the Companies Act set out particular rules of disclosure where
two or more parties (each a ‘‘concert party’’) have entered into an agreement to acquire
interests in shares of a public company, and the agreement imposes obligations/
restrictions on any concert party with respect to the use, retention or disposal of the
shares in the Company and an acquisition of shares by a concert party pursuant to the
agreement has taken place.
Under Section 212 of the Companies Act, the Company may by notice in writing require
a person that the Company knows or has reasonable cause to believe is or was during
the preceding three years interested in the Company’s shares to indicate whether or not
that is correct and, if that person does or did hold an interest in the Company’s shares,
to provide certain information as set out in the Companies Act.
Sections 324 to 329 of the Companies Act further deal with the disclosure by persons
(and certain members of their families) of interests in shares or debentures of the
companies of which they are Directors and certain associated companies.
There are additional disclosure obligations under Rule 3 of the Substantial Acquisitions
Rules where a person acquires 15% or more of the voting rights of a listed company or
when an acquisition increases his holding of shares or rights over shares so as to
increase his voting rights beyond that level by a whole percentage point. Notification in
this case should be to the Company, the Panel on Takeovers and Mergers and the UK
Listing Authority through one of its approved regulatory information services no later than
twelve noon on the business day following the date of the acquisition.
The City Code on Takeovers and Mergers also contains strict disclosure requirements with
regard to dealings in the securities of an offeror or offeree company on all parties to a
takeover and also to their respective associates during the course of an offer period.
Except where otherwise expressly stated, a reference in the Articles to any statute or
provision of a statute includes a reference to any statutory amendment, modification or
re-enactment of it for the time being in force.
Exchange controls
There are no UK government laws, decrees, regulations or other legislation which restrict
or which may affect the import or export of capital, including the availability of cash and
cash equivalents for use by us or the remittance of dividends, interest and other
payments to non-resident holders of our securities, except as otherwise described in the
‘‘Memorandum and Articles of Association — Dividend rights’’ section above, and the
‘‘Taxation’’ section below.
Under English law (and the Company’s Memorandum and Articles of Association),
persons who are neither residents nor nationals of the UK may freely hold, vote and
transfer ordinary shares in the same manner as UK residents or nationals.
Taxation
This section summarises basic UK and US tax consequences of the acquisition, ownership
and disposition of shares and ADSs by a US Holder. For purposes of this summary, a ‘‘US
Holder’’ is a beneficial owner of shares or ADSs who is (i) an individual who is a citizen
or resident of the US for US income tax purposes, (ii) a corporation organised under the
laws of the US or any state thereof or the District of Columbia, (iii) a domestic
partnership, (iv) an estate the income of which is subject to US federal income taxation
regardless of its source, or (v) a trust if a court within the US is able to exercise primary
supervision over the administration of the trust and one or more US persons have the
authority to control all substantial decisions of the trust. However, in the case of a
partnership, estate or trust, this discussion applies only to the extent such entity’s income
is taxed to the entity or its partners or beneficiaries on a net income basis under US tax
law. This summary is based (i) upon current UK law and UK HMRC practice, (ii) upon the
US Internal Revenue Code, Treasury Regulations, cases and Internal Revenue Service
rulings, all of which are subject to change, possibly with retroactive effect, (iii) upon the
UK-US Income Tax Convention currently in effect (the ‘‘Treaty’’), and (iv) in part upon
representations of The Bank of New York (the ‘‘Depositary’’) and assumes that each
obligation provided for in or otherwise contemplated by the Deposit Agreement dated as
of December 2002, among the Company, the Depositary, and the holders from time to
time of the ADSs of the Company (the ‘‘Deposit Agreement’’), and any related agreement
will be performed in accordance with their respective terms.
The summary of UK tax consequences relates to the material aspects of the UK taxation
position of US Holders and does not address the tax consequences to a US Holder (i) that
is resident (or, in the case of an individual, ordinarily resident) in the UK for UK tax
purposes, (ii) whose holding of shares or ADSs is effectively connected with a permanent
establishment in the UK through which such US Holder carries on business activities or,
in the case of an individual who performs independent personal services, with a fixed
base situated therein, or (iii) that is a corporation which alone or together with one or
more associated companies, controls directly or indirectly, 10% or more of the voting
stock of the Company. The discussion set forth below is only a general summary and
does not purport to be a technical analysis nor a description of all possible tax
consequences.
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Taxation
continued
The summary of US tax consequences may not completely or accurately describe tax
consequences to all US Holders. For example, special rules may apply to US Holders of
stock representing 10% or more of the total combined voting power of the Company, US
expatriates, insurance companies, tax-exempt organisations, banks and other financial
institutions, persons subject to the alternative minimum tax, securities broker-dealers,
traders in securities that elect to mark-to-market, and persons holding their shares or
ADSs as part of a straddle, hedging or conversion transaction, among others.
Tax consequences to each US Holder will depend upon the particular facts and
circumstances of each such holder. Accordingly, each person should consult with his own
professional advisor with respect to the tax consequences of his ownership and
disposition of shares or ADSs. This summary does not discuss any tax rules other than
UK tax and US federal income tax rules. The UK and US tax authorities and courts are
not bound by this summary and may disagree with its conclusions.
US Holders of ADSs will be treated as owners of the shares underlying the ADSs.
Accordingly, except as noted, the UK and US tax consequences discussed below apply
equally to US Holders of ADSs and shares.
Taxation of distributions
Under current UK taxation legislation, no tax is withheld from dividend payments by the
Company and generally no UK tax is payable by US Holders who are not resident or
ordinarily resident for tax purposes in the UK on dividends declared on the shares.
US Holders who are not resident or ordinarily resident for tax purposes in the UK with
no other source of UK income and no liability to UK tax are not required to file a UK
income tax return.
For US federal income tax purposes, the gross amount of any distribution made by the
Company to a US Holder with respect to any shares or ADSs held by the US Holder
generally will be includable in the income of the US Holder as dividend income to the
extent that such distribution is paid out of the Company’s current or accumulated
earnings and profits as determined under US federal income tax principles (subject to
the discussion below under ‘‘US passive foreign investment company rules’’). Dividends
will generally constitute foreign source ‘‘passive’’ income for foreign tax credit purposes.
The dividend income generally will not be eligible for the dividends received deduction
allowed to corporations. If the amount of any distribution exceeds the Company’s current
and accumulated earnings and profits as so computed, such excess first will be treated
as a tax-free return of capital to the extent of the US Holder’s tax basis in its shares or
ADSs, and thereafter as gain from the sale or exchange of property.
Dividends received by a non-corporate US Holder before 1 January 2011, with respect to
such US Holder’s shares or ADSs that constitute qualified dividend income, will be
subject to a reduced rate of US federal taxation provided that such US Holder’s shares or
ADSs are held by such US holder for more than 60 days during the 121-day period
beginning 60 days before the ex-dividend date and the US holder meets other holding
period requirements. Dividends paid by the Company with respect to Ordinary Shares or
ADSs generally will be qualified dividend income.
Any non-US withholding tax with respect to a dividend may be used as a credit against a
US Holder’s US federal income tax liability, subject to certain conditions and limitations.
The amount of any dividend paid in non-US currency will be equal to the US dollar value
of such currency on the date the dividend is included in income, regardless of whether
the payment is in fact converted into US dollars. A US Holder will generally be required
to recognise US source ordinary income or loss when such US Holder sells or disposes
of non-US currency. The US Holder will have a tax basis in this non-US currency equal to
the US dollar value of the currency on the date the dividend is included in the US
Holder’s income. This foreign currency gain or loss will generally be US source ordinary
income or loss.
Taxation of capital gains
US Holders who are not resident or ordinarily resident for tax purposes in the UK will
not be liable for UK tax on capital gains realised on the disposal of their ADSs or shares
unless they carry on a trade in the UK through a branch, agency or permanent
establishment, or a profession or vocation in the UK through a branch or agency and
such ADSs or shares are used, held or acquired for the purposes of the trade,
profession, vocation, branch, agency or permanent establishment. An individual US
Holder who has ceased to be resident and ordinarily resident in the UK for tax purposes
for a period of less than five years, and who disposes of his or her shares or ADSs
during that period, may be liable on his or her return to the UK to UK capital gains tax
on any chargeable gain realised. The surrender of ADSs in exchange for shares should
not usually give rise to UK corporation tax, or US or UK capital gains tax.
In general, for US federal income tax purposes, a US Holder will recognise capital gain
or loss if such US Holder sells or exchanges shares or ADSs, provided that such shares
or ADSs are capital assets in the hands of such US Holder (subject to the discussion
below under ‘‘US passive foreign investment company rules’’). Any gain or loss will
generally be US source gain or loss. For an individual, any capital gain will generally be
subject to US federal income tax at preferential rates if the individual has held the shares
or ADSs for more than one year.
US passive foreign investment company rules
The Company believes that it will not be treated as a passive foreign investment
company (‘‘PFIC’’) for US federal income tax purposes for the current taxable year or for
future taxable years. However, an actual determination of PFIC status is factual and
cannot be made until the close of the applicable taxable year. The Company will be a
PFIC for any taxable year in which either:
(i) 75% or more of its gross income is passive income; or
(ii)its assets that produce passive income or that are held for the production of passive
income amount to at least 50% of the value of its total assets on average.
For purposes of this test, the Company will be treated as directly owning its
proportionate share of the assets, and directly receiving its proportionate share of the
gross income, of each corporation in which the Company owns, directly or indirectly, at
least 25% of the value of the shares of such corporation.
If the Company were to become a PFIC, the tax applicable to distributions on shares or
ADSs and any gains a US Holder recognises on disposition of shares or ADSs may be
less favourable to such US Holder. Accordingly, each person should consult with his own
professional advisor regarding the PFIC rules.
Inheritance and gift taxes
An individual who is domiciled in the US for the purposes of the United Kingdom-United
States Estate and Gift Tax Convention (the ‘‘Estate Tax Treaty’’) and who is not a national
of the UK for the purposes of the Estate Tax Treaty will generally not be subject to UK
inheritance tax in respect of the shares or ADSs on the individual’s death or on a gift of
the shares or ADSs during the individual’s lifetime provided that any applicable US
federal gift or estate tax liability is paid, unless the shares or ADSs are part of the
business property of a permanent establishment in the UK of an enterprise or pertain to
a fixed base in the UK of an individual used for the performance of independent
personal services. Where the ADSs or shares have been placed in trust by a settlor who,
at time of settlement, was a US Holder, the ADSs or shares will generally not be subject
to UK inheritance tax unless the settlor, at the time of settlement, was not domiciled in
the US and was a UK national for the purposes of the Estate Tax Treaty. In the
exceptional case where the shares are subject both to UK inheritance tax and to US
federal gift or estate tax, the Estate Tax Treaty generally provides for the tax paid in the
UK to be credited against tax paid in the US or for tax paid in the US to be credited
against tax payable in the UK based on priority rules set out in that Treaty.
UK stamp duty and stamp duty reserve tax
A transfer for value of the shares will generally be subject to UK ad valorem stamp duty,
normally at the rate of 0.5% of the amount or value of the consideration given for the
transfer, rounded up (if necessary) to the nearest multiple of £5. Stamp duty is normally
a liability of the purchaser.
An agreement to transfer shares or any interest therein for money or money’s worth will
normally give rise to a charge to stamp duty reserve tax (‘‘SDRT’’) at the rate of 0.5% of
the amount or value of the consideration for the shares or interest therein (with no
rounding up or down). However, if a duly stamped instrument of transfer of the shares
is executed in pursuance of the agreement and duly produced within six years of the
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The public may obtain information regarding the SEC’s Public Reference Room by calling
the SEC at 1-202-551-8090. Our public filings with the SEC are also available on the
website maintained by the SEC at www.sec.gov.
Material modifications to the rights of security holders and use of proceeds
The constituent instruments defining the rights of holders of ordinary shares have not
been materially modified.
Pursuant to the terms of the Deposit Agreement, The Bank of New York, as Depositary,
has agreed to notify holders of ADSs of all actions of the Company in which shareholders
of ordinary shares are entitled to exercise voting rights, thus facilitating the exercise of
voting rights by holders of ADSs. The address of The Bank of New York is 101 Barclay
Street, New York, New York, 10286.
date on which the agreement for sale is made (or, if the agreement is conditional, the
date on which the condition is satisfied) any SDRT paid is generally repayable with
interest, and otherwise the SDRT charge is cancelled. SDRT is in general payable by the
purchaser. The UK Finance Act 1996 (amending the UK Finance Act 1986) makes it clear
that (contrary to previous UK HMRC practice) SDRT will be levied in respect of
agreements to transfer chargeable securities (which include shares) even where a person
not resident in the UK buys chargeable securities from another non-resident and the
transaction is carried out outside the UK.
Stamp duty or SDRT charges at the rate of 1.5% (in the case of both stamp duty and
SDRT) of the amount or value of the consideration, or in some circumstances, the value
of the shares, may arise on a transfer of shares to the Depositary or the Custodian of the
Depositary or to certain persons providing a clearance system (or their nominees or
agents) and will usually be payable by the Depositary or such other persons. It is
possible for persons operating clearance services to make an election to HMRC subject to
certain conditions, pursuant to which, instead of the 1.5% stamp duty or SDRT charge
applying on entry as described above, a 0.5% SDRT charge would apply to transfers of
securities made within the system.
In accordance with the terms of the Deposit Agreement, any tax or duty payable by the
Depositary or the Custodian of the Depositary on any subsequent deposit of shares will
be charged by the Depositary to the holder of the ADS or any deposited security
represented by the ADS.
No UK stamp duty will be payable on the acquisition or transfer of an ADS or beneficial
ownership of an ADS, provided that the ADS and any separate instrument of transfer or
written agreement to transfer remains at all times outside the UK, and provided further
that any instrument of transfer or written agreement to transfer is not executed in the
UK. An agreement to transfer ADSs will not give rise to a liability for SDRT.
Any transfer for value of the underlying shares represented by ADSs (which will exclude
a transfer from the Custodian of the Depositary or the Depositary to an ADS holder on a
cancellation of the ADSs), may give rise to a liability to UK stamp duty. The amount of UK
stamp duty payable is generally calculated at the rate of 0.5% of the amount or value of
the consideration on a transfer from the Custodian of the Depositary to a US Holder or
registered holder of an ADS, rounded up (if necessary) to the nearest multiple of £5.
Upon cancellation of the ADS, however, only a fixed UK stamp duty of £5 per instrument
of transfer will be payable.
US information reporting and backup withholding
Dividend payments on the shares or ADSs and proceeds from the sale, exchange or
other disposition of the shares or ADSs may be subject to information reporting to the
Internal Revenue Service and possible US backup withholding at a rate of 28%. US
federal backup withholding generally is imposed on specified payments to persons that
fail to furnish required information. Backup withholding will not apply to a holder who
furnishes a correct taxpayer identification number or certificate of foreign status and
makes any other required certification, or who is otherwise exempt from backup
withholding. Any US persons required to establish their exempt status generally must
file Internal Revenue Service Form W-9, Request for Taxpayer Identification Number
and Certification.
Backup withholding is not an additional tax. Amounts withheld as backup withholding
may be credited against a US Holder’s US federal income tax liability. A US Holder may
obtain a refund of any excess amounts withheld under the backup withholding rules by
filing the appropriate claim for refund with the Internal Revenue Service and furnishing
any required information.
Documents on display
Certain documents referred to in this Annual Report can be inspected at our offices at
Grant Way, Isleworth, Middlesex, TW7 5QD, England. A copy of the Annual Report can be
downloaded from the Company’s corporate website at www.sky.com/corporate.
We are subject to the periodic reporting and other informational requirements of the US
Securities Exchange Act. Under the Exchange Act, we are required to file reports and
other information with the SEC. Copies of reports and other information, when so filed,
may be inspected without charge and may be obtained at prescribed rates at the public
reference facilities maintained by the SEC at 100 F Street, N.E., Washington, D.C., 20549.
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Glossary of terms
............................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................
Useful Definitions
Description
365 Media
365 Media Group plc
ADS
ATC
Basic Packages
Bonus channel
American Depositary Share (each ADS currently represents four ordinary shares of BSkyB)
Advanced Technology Centre
DTH subscription packages which exclude Premium Channels
A channel provided to a subscriber in addition to one or more subscription channels, but at no incremental cost to the subscriber
BSkyB or the Company
British Sky Broadcasting Group plc
Churn
DSL
DTH
DTT
EITF
EPG
ESOP
The number of DTH subscribers over a given period that terminate their subscription in its entirety, net of former subscribers who
reinstate their subscription in that period (where such reinstatement is within a twelve month period of the termination of their original
subscription), expressed as a percentage of total subscribers
Digital Subscriber Line
Direct-to-Home: the transmission of satellite services with reception through a minidish. The Group also retails certain Sky Channels to a
limited number of DSL subscribers (references throughout to ‘‘DTH subscribers’’ include DSL subscribers)
Digital Terrestrial Television: digital signals delivered to homes through a conventional aerial, converted through a set-top box or
integrated digital television set
Emerging Issues Task Force: a body which assists in providing financial reporting guidance under US GAAP
Electronic Programme Guide
Employee Share Ownership Plan
Fiscal year or fiscal
Refers to the twelve months ended on the Sunday nearest to 30 June of the given year
Freesat
Freeview
GAAP
The Group
HD
IFRS
IP
IPTV
Non-subscription service offered by Sky
The free DTT offering available in the UK
Generally Accepted Accounting Principles
BSkyB and its subsidiary undertakings
High Definition Television
International Financial Reporting Standards
Internet Protocol: the mechanism by which data packets may be routed between computers on a network
Internet protocol television
linear television channels
television channels broadcasting consecutive scheduled programming
LLU
Minidish
MPLS
Multiroom
Ofcom
Local Loop Unbundling: a process by which BT’s exchange lines are physically disconnected from BT’s network and connected to other
operators’ networks. This enables operators other than BT to use the BT local loop to provide services to customers
Satellite dish required to receive digital satellite television
Multi Protocol Label Switching: a networking standard for including routing information in the data packets of an Internet Protocol network.
Installation of an additional set-top box in the household of an existing subscriber
Office of Communications
Premium Channels
Premium Sky Distributed Channels
The Sky Premium Channels and the Premium Sky Distributed Channels
Disney Cinemagic (including a Disney multiplex channel, ‘‘Disney Cinemagic +1’’) (from 16 March 2006, The Disney Channel (including
three Disney multiplex channels, ‘‘Toon Disney’’, ‘‘Playhouse Disney’’ and ‘‘Disney Channel +1 hour’’) was replaced by Disney Cinemagic
(including a Disney multiplex channel, ‘‘Disney Cinemagic +1’’) and ‘‘Toon Disney’’ and ‘‘Playhouse Disney’’ became Basic Package
channels) MUTV, Chelsea TV and Music Choice Extra. Until 23 July 2006, FilmFour (including the FilmFour multiplex channels,
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............................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................
‘‘FilmFour +1’’ and ‘‘FilmFour Weekly’’) was a Premium Sky Distributed Channel. From 23 July 2006, FilmFour has been broadcast as a
free-to-air channel
Pub Channel
A wholly-owned business-to-business television channel available only to the licensed retail trade
PVR
RCF
Personal Video Recorder: satellite decoder which utilises a built-in hard disk drive to enable viewers to record without videotapes, pause
live television and record one programme while watching another
Revolving Credit Facility
Set-top box
Digital satellite reception equipment
Sky
Sky+
Sky Active
Sky Basic Channels
Sky Bet
Sky box office
Sky Buy
Sky Channels
British Sky Broadcasting Group plc and its subsidiary undertakings
Sky’s fully-integrated Personal Video Recorder (PVR) and satellite decoder
The brand name for Sky’s transactional interactive television services, including e-mail/messaging, games, betting, shopping, banking,
travel services and ticket sales
Sky One, (and its simulcast version, Sky One HD), Sky Two and Sky Three, Sky News, Sky Travel (and its multiplex versions, Sky Travel +1
and Sky Travel Extra), Sky Travel Shop, Sky Sports News, Sky Arts (including its simulcast version, Sky Arts HD) (all references to Sky
Channels relating to periods prior to 4 March 2005 exclude Sky Arts), Sky Vegas, Sky Poker, Flaunt, Bliss (which was named ‘‘The Amp’’
until 2 March 2006) and Scuzz. Flaunt, Bliss and Scuzz were disposed of by the Group on 31 December 2006
Sky’s betting services, provided through set-top boxes, the internet and via phone
Our pay-per-view service offering movies, sporting events and concerts
Interactive and internet shopping services
Television channels wholly owned by the Group, being the Sky Basic Channels and Sky Premium Channels
Sky Distributed Channels
Television channels owned and broadcast by third parties, retailed by the Group to DTH viewers
Sky Premium Channel Package
DTH subscription package which includes one or more of the Sky Premium Channels
Sky Premium Channels
Pack 1 (Sky Movies Comedy, Sky Movies Classic, Sky Movies Modern Greats, Sky Movies Family, Sky Movies HD1 and Sky Movies SD1
(simulcast of HD1)), Pack 2 (Sky Movies Action/Thriller, Sky Movies Indie, Sky Movies SciFi/Horror, Sky Movies Drama, Sky Movies HD2 and
Sky Movies SD2 (simulcast of HD2)) and Bonus Channels (Sky Movies Premiere and Sky Movies Premiere +1)
Sky Talk
SkyVenue
Sky World
Home telephony service provided exclusively for Sky digital subscribers
A wholly-owned business television channel available only to the licensed retail trade for viewing by their customers
The top tier of packages that includes all Sky Premium Channels
Terrestrial channels
Television channels which have access to analogue spectrum. The UK currently has five terrestrial channels: BBC 1, BBC 2, ITV, Channel 4
and five
Transmission costs
Costs of transmitting channels to subscribers
Transponder
VAT
Viewing share
VoD
VPN
WAN
Wireless communication devices on satellites which send programming signals to minidishes
Value Added Tax: a UK sales tax levied on most goods and services
Number of people viewing a channel as a percentage of total viewing audience
Video-on-Demand
Virtual Private Network: a network that uses a public telecommunication infrastructure, such as the internet, to provide remote offices or
individual users with secure access to their organisation’s network
Wide Area Network: Companies link networks at different sites over the internet to form a secure WAN
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Form 20-F cross reference guide
............................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................
The information in this document that is referred to below shall be deemed to be part of the Annual Report on Form 20-F for 2007 that has been filed with the Securities and
Exchange Commission. This information is the only information that is intended to be filed or incorporated by reference into any filing made by the Company under applicable US
securities laws.
Item Form 20-F caption
Location in this document
Page
Not applicable
Not applicable
Offer statistics and expected timetable
Key information
Selected financial data
Identity of directors, senior management and advisors
Capitalization and indebtedness
Reason for the offer and use of proceeds
Risk factors
n/a
1
..................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................
n/a
2
..................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................
3
A
100
104
n/a
B
n/a
C
17
D
..................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................
4
A
B
4
4
19
81
C
35
D
..................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................
4A
The business, its objectives and its strategy
The business, its objectives and its strategy
Government regulation
Consolidated financial statements — Note 30 ‘‘Group investments’’
Property
Group financial record
Shareholder Information — Exchange rates
Not applicable
Not applicable
Risk factors
Information on the Company
History and development of the Company
Business overview
Organizational structure
Property, plants and equipment
Unresolved staff comments
Operating and financial review and prospects
Operating results
82
..................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................
5
A
Liquidity and capital resources
Research and development, patents and licenses, etc
Trend information
Off balance sheet arrangements
Tabular disclosure of contractual obligations
Safe harbor
26
27
19
29
B
33
C
32
D
33
E
31
F
1
G
..................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................
6
A
B
C
Financial review
Financial and operating review
Government regulation
Financial and operating review — Liquidity and capital resources
Financial and operating review — Research and development
Financial and operating review — Trends and other information
Financial and operating review — Off-balance sheet arrangements
Financial and operating review — Tabular disclosure of contractual obligations
Forward looking statements
Directors, senior management and employees
Directors and senior management
Compensation
Board practices
37
43
Consolidated financial statements — Summary of differences between IFRS and
US GAAP
Board of Directors and senior management
Report on Directors’ remuneration
Report on Directors’ remuneration — 8. Service agreements, 9. Non-Executive
Directors
Corporate governance report — Board Committees
Board of Directors and senior management — Employees
Consolidated financial statements — Note 7 ‘‘Employee benefits and key
management compensation’’
Report on Directors’ remuneration — 11. Share interests
Report on Directors’ remuneration — 13. LTIP, 14. Sharesave Scheme options
47
41
39
D
Employees
E
Share ownership
61
47
49
..................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................
7
A
B
Major shareholders and related party transactions
Major shareholders
Related party transactions
103
33
Interests of experts and counsel
Financial information
Consolidated statements and other financial information
79
n/a
C
..................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................
8
A
51
Auditors’ report
52
Consolidated financial statements
32
Financial and operating review — Trends and other information
n/a
None
B
..................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................
Significant changes
Shareholder information — Major shareholders
Financial and operating review — Related party transactions
Consolidated financial statements — Note 29 ‘‘Transactions with related parties and
major shareholders’’
Not applicable
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Item Form 20-F caption
Location in this document
Page
The offer and listing
Offer and listing details
Plan of distribution
Markets
Selling shareholders
Dilution
Expenses of the issue
Shareholder information — Share price information
Not applicable
Shareholder information — Share information
Not applicable
Not applicable
Not applicable
9
A
102
B
n/a
C
102
D
n/a
E
n/a
n/a
F
..................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................
10
n/a
A
104
B
15
C
107
D
107
E
n/a
F
n/a
G
109
H
n/a
I
..................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................
11
Not applicable
Shareholder information — Memorandum and articles of association
The business, its objectives and its strategy — Significant agreements
Shareholder information — Exchange controls
Shareholder information — Taxation
Not applicable
Not applicable
Shareholder information — Documents on Display
Not applicable
Additional information
Share capital
Memorandum and articles of association
Material contracts
Exchange controls
Taxation
Dividends and paying agents
Statement by experts
Documents on display
Subsidiary information
Quantitative and qualitative disclosures about market risk
71
1
..................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................
n/a
12
..................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................
n/a
13
..................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................
14 Material modifications to the rights of security holders and use of proceeds
Description of securities other than equity securities
Defaults, dividend arrearages and delinquencies
Consolidated financial statements — Note 22 ‘‘Derivatives and other financial
instruments’’
Forward looking statements — safe harbour
Not applicable
Not applicable
Controls and procedures
Controls and procedures
109
..................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................
39
15
..................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................
n/a
15T
..................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................
42
16A Audit committee financial expert
..................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................
39
16B Code of ethics
..................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................
61
16C Principal accountant fees and services
43
..................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................
n/a
16D Exemptions from the listing standards for audit committees
..................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................
16E Purchases of equity securities by the issuer and affiliated purchasers
Consolidated financial statements — Note 6 ‘‘Profit before taxation’’
Corporate governance report — Use of external auditors
Corporate governance report — Corporate policies
Corporate governance report — Audit Committee
Corporate governance report
Not applicable
None
Financial statements
75
..................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................
n/a
17
..................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................
51
18
52
..................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................
19
..................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................
Auditors’ report
Consolidated financial statements
Financial statements
Filed with the SEC
Not applicable
Exhibits
Consolidated financial statements — Note 24 ‘‘Reconciliation of shareholders’
equity’’ — Purchase of own shares for cancellation and capital redemption reserve
Shareholder information — Material modifications to the rights of security holders
and use of proceeds
British Sky Broadcasting Group plc
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British Sky Broadcasting Group plc
Annual Report 2007
British Sky Broadcasting Group plc
Grant Way, Isleworth,
Middlesex TW7 5QD, England
Telephone 0870 240 3000
Overseas +44 20 7705 3000
Facsimile 0870 240 3060
www.sky.com
Registered in England No.2247735
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The cover of this report is printed on Era Silk which contains 50% recycled and de-inked pulp
from post-consumer waste. The remaining 50% is made up of Forest Stewardship Council (FSC)
virgin fibre and pulp.
The text of this report is printed on Revive 50:50 uncoated, a 50% recycled paper manufactured
with 25% de-inked post consumer waste, 25% unprinted pre-consumer waste and 50% virgin
fi bre. All pulps used Elemental Chlorine Free (ECF) and the manufacturing mill is accredited
with the ISO 14001 standard for environmental management. The mill, merchant and printer
are FSC accredited.