Sky Atlantic -More Repeats than an Onion Bhaji

Okay, the Dustin Hoffman promos were awful but fortunately it didn’t detract from the brilliant show opener, Boardwalk Empire.

On the face of it, Sky Atlantic’s attempt to increase subscribers with the lure of first rate US programmes is a really smart move. For advertisers, however, one problem is that, for many viewer, ad breaks will detract from the impact of the shows. One of the appeals of watching MadMen on BBC 4 is that there are no breaks.

But the real issue is the sheer volume of repeats. For a short time you can get away with repeats of really high quality new programmes when the broadcaster wants to give as many viewers as possible the opportunity to get hooked on a series. The problem with Sky Atlantic, however, is that the repeats are mostly based on ancient episodes of ER and less note worthy shows such as Star Trek Voyager which can be viewed elsewhere on satellite channels. Discerning audiences just become frustrated and bored when they have to sort the wheat from the chaff. I don’t believe you can base a channel on one great show. And Sky Atlantic will just be seen as a cynical marketing ploy sooner rather than later unless they change their game plan.

Ian Prager, Planning Partner