Sky may be heading for the biggest shakeup of its history as it has emerged that the satellite broadcaster is mulling plans to deliver its premium content - including PL Football - on the popular Freeview satellite system.

The Sunday Times, which is owned by News Corporation which also owns 40 percent of BSkyB, says that the Ofcom investigation into the way Sky has cornered the pay per view and subscription market could have some profound impact on the paid for subscription market.

But BSkyB will also be fighting back with a vengeance by reviving its own Freeview alterego, Picnic, that would be offered alongside TopUP TV. However the plans were never formally approved by the telecommunications watchdog.

Picnic was then frozen by the company which resulted in a number of jobs losses with BSkyB blaming Ofcom back in 2008. Sky already has three channels on Freeview : Sky News, Sky SPorts News and Sky 3.

Picnic would add Sky Sports 1, Sky Movies Screen 1, Sky1, the Disney Channel and the Discovery Channel. Freeview is already in more than 10 million households, just ahead of Sky's official 9.7 million subscribers.

Should Ofcom approve Picnic this time around, it could ironically help BSkyB cement its domination by bringing in more subscribers. There's also questions about whether BSkyB may shun its Freesat From Sky scheme.

Our Comments

Ofcom is planning to level the pay-TV market where BT, Virgin Media and Top UP TV are far behind Sky. This could however have some very worrying long term impact for the world of British football.

Related Links

Premier League football to be made available on terrestrial Freeview television

(Telegraph)

BSkyB may put its top channels on Freeview

(Timesonline)

BSkyB: they think it’s all over

(Timesonline)

BSkyB could offer rivals its channels

(Thisismoney)

Record-breaking month for BBC iPlayer

(BBC)