" They are not keeping anyone afloat. Without SKY, someone else would step in and charge just as much."
SKY has no competitors. The last, relatively feeble attempt to 'challlenge' them was the
'Squarial' thing - which SKY swallowed up into BskyB . You can't suggest suggest Virgin are a SERIOUS competitor, any more that Sentanta are....
SKY outbids its competitors to get the Cricket, 90% of the Tennnis, Most of the Premiership,
etc etc .
If the BBC would rather put the Licence Payers money into 'soaps' & Cookery & House
purchasing programmes - that's their perogative - but because they ca't get any External
(advertising ) revenue, they can't use any of that revenue to pay the wages of John Terry
in the same way that his wages come from SKY
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" they earn this much because people are willing to pay a certain level of cash to watch them."
The people have no other channels or companies to choose that show these sports - because SKY are bidding against companies like the BBC - which are restricted in the way I've mentionend above.