A love letter to Sky TV - How you got me
Remember 24 August 1996? The date might not mean much, but for sports fans the result that day does.
To be accurate, it was the early hours of 25 August in New Zealand. The All Blacks, having never won a test series in South Africa, were one-nil up in the three-test series and led 33-26 in the dying moments, with the Africans peppering the AB’s line, desperate for a late try to keep the series alive and their proud home record intact.
The All Blacks had to hold on. There was little doubt at the time, the chances of them going to Johannesburg the next week and winning the last test in the series at Ellis Park were minuscule. So, if it was going to happen, the men in black had to hold on.
That final whistle never sounded so good! Justin Marshall gave it the double fist leap, Jeff Wilson charged off down the side-line like a madman with arms raised, while skipper Sean Fitzpatrick, slumped on the ground, could only muster enough energy to thump a triumphant fist into the Pretoria turf.
The last frontier. Conquered at last! (Give me a moment to let the goose-bumps disappear)
I was just short of my 22nd birthday and that’s the last All Blacks’ test in South Africa I can remember watching live.
It’s not that I don’t enjoy a good game of footy, although I will now resist being side-tracked into a rant about the amount of rugby and quality thereof, for now at least. It’s just that I don’t need to get up in the middle of the night anymore.
As part of the MySky generation, I can choose what I watch and when I watch it. Sure, you miss the thrill of knowing you are watching while it’s unfolding, but that is more than made up for by the ability to skip forward through the endless stoppages that blight the modern game.
I was an early adopter when Sky added it’s On-Demand features. My broadband plan was upgraded to limitless and no longer had to rely on being organised enough to record the highlights or find that the Series-Link had re-set or it had cut off the last three minutes of the game (Is there a greater frustration in the world? #firstworldproblems).
Over the last month, my sport viewing has changed forever, thanks to the release of the Sky Sport Highlights app. This morning in half an hour, I watched the highlights of the Opening Round of the New Zealand Golf Open, yesterday’s second day of the cricket test in Dunedin and a really good game of league between the Roosters and Bulldogs. All before the kids roll out of bed! (I’ll check out the European golf and cycling highlights after I’ve written this if that’s OK?)
And you know what Sky? After downloading that app, I will never complain about how much you cost me ever again.
Yes Sky, you’ve got me.
You have worked out I’m short on time and that you need to deliver me your product so I can watch when and where it suits me. I can admit to you now I’ve struggled to carve out 60 minutes to sit in front of a TV to trawl back through my Sky Planner and I’ve felt I’ve been letting you down Sky, when I end up deleting all my carefully recorded programmes about two weeks later.
Now, all you are asking me to do is take a break for 3 or 4 minutes to watch ten try highlights from last night. No problem.
What do I pay each month? Don’t know exactly. That is a worry! It’s north of $90 but actually I don’t care anymore. Price doesn’t come into my purchasing decision anymore. Whatever I’m paying, I’m happy it’s good value because I really feel you get me, Sky (insert love heart emoji).
It’s the same reason I’ll pay $200 a year to the NFL for my GamePass subscription or another $40 to MLB for their paid App subscription – they deliver me great content, in an easy-to-consume fashion. When the annual subscription notification pops up, I won’t think twice.
What those broadcasters and sports have done is remove my two biggest barriers to consuming their product. They have made it quick and easy. In my case, it’s not about their product (I've always loved it), it’s the method of delivery that has become the game-changer.
1996’s Incomparables Tour was a generation ago and sometimes, like you in business I’m sure, I yearn for those simpler days. We both know they are gone for good.
So what barriers can you remove that get in the way for your customers?
Can you make it quicker and easier*? You’ll get heart emojis (and on-going business) from me if you do.
(*DISCLAIMER: This works for me … not every customer. Treat it as a thought-starter, not a silver bullet NJ)