Sky Cable takes over Destiny Cable

[DonCamote]

Sky Cable has taken over Destiny Cable which makes it effectively a monopoly in the Cable TV business here in Metro Manila. This is always bad news for us consumers whether you are a Sky or Destiny Cable subscriber.

MANILA, Philippines - Three companies, including Destiny Cable, have to agreed sell their cable TV and broadband internet assets and subscribers to the Lopez-owned Sky Cable Corp. (SKY).

Destiny Cable Inc. (DCI), Solid Broadband Corporation (SBC), and Uni-Cable TV Inc. (UNI) said they "have recently forged an agreement" with SKY "to further improve the services provided to their Destiny cable television and MyDestiny broadband internet subscribers."

A statement on the deal released Friday said “the agreement entails the sale of the cable TV and broadband internet assets and subscribers of DCI, SBC, and UNI to SKY.”

“The pay TV and broadband markets require continuous significant investments, if we are to keep up with our major competitors, particularly the direct-to-home satellite (DTH) and telco companies,” said David Lim, president of DCI, SBC, and UNI.

Lim said the agreement was reached order to give their Destiny Cable and MyDestiny broadband subscribers “the best products and services possible.”

To do this, Lim said they “realized that this will entail resources, for digitizing our cable network and expanding our broadband services, that we do not have.”

“We believe our agreement with SKY will allow subscribers to enjoy the benefits of the latest technologies," Lim said.

SKY Chief Operating Officer Rodrigo P. Montinola, meantime, said, “We are happy with the opportunity to extend the unique advantages of the digital cable TV and cable broadband internet platforms to Destiny and MyDestiny subscribers.”

He said SKY “will take extra care not to disrupt the existing services of the current subscribers – they will continue to pay same monthly fees for their subscribed plans, at the same payment centers, and can continue to reach Customer Service at the same numbers. We will make announcements on new services to be made available, at the appropriate time.”

Lim said the deal will allow their holding company, Solid Group Inc., to focus on selling its mobile phone brand, MyPhone.

“Our tie up with SKY came at an opportune time as it allows us to focus on our other core businesses. Our holding company Solid Group Inc (SGI), markets and distributes the leading Filipino mobile phone brand MyPhone," he said.

ABS-CBN Corp.'s Sky Cable is the Philippines’ largest cable television service provider with around 500,000 upscale subscribers in Metro Manila and key urban areas nationwide.

ABS-CBNnews.com is the online news outfit of ABS-CBN Corp.

[shadow]

Gagawin na talaga nila digital

[Monseratto]

This sucks! I pay 500 a month for destiny and get more channels than sky which is now 780 a month...

[DonCamote]

This sucks! I pay 500 a month for destiny and get more channels than sky which is now 780 a month...

Yun na nga and I won't be surprised if they increase that 500/mo to 1000/mo.

[Monseratto]

Sky removed BBC News and Bloomberg to "encourage" subscribers to move to their digibox service...ganun ka husay ang Sky.

[Harangody]

Monopoly!

Too short.

[vinj]

This sucks! I pay 500 a month for destiny and get more channels than sky which is now 780 a month...

Same here. There was a time i had both Sky and Destiny at home and we cut the Sky.

[ghosthunter]

The beginning for the end of cheap cable tv has arrived.

[Ry_Tower]

The beginning for the end of cheap cable tv has arrived.

Couldn't have agreed more. Here I pay only P148.33 on our cable. Thanks to splitter. Got all the channels I need.

[vinj]

Couldn't have agreed more. Here I pay only P148.33 on our cable. Thanks to splitter. Got all the channels I need.

It's the end to the splitter era as well.

[Ry_Tower]

^ Later on yes, HDTV here we go!!!

[baludoy]

harang pala ang sky. captured pa naman ng destiny ang cable service sa condo namin. let's see what will happen next.

sa bahay naman las pinas cable ang gamit namin at satisfied naman kami sa service nila. iyon nga lang tinigil na nila iyong nba live direct feed from japan. nireklamo ata ng sky nung nalaman nila hehe

[jut703]

Digiboxes are surely a great upgrade over standard cable TV, but I'm not willing to pay for it, and it sucks that because of this merger, the option for cheap cable is gone.

[pop3corn]

ang pinaka-kawawa neto yun mga nag-collect ng branded LCD TV sa bawat kwarto sa bahay. i'm thinking once HD comes in it will be P1000 per Tv tapos yun extension eh discounted lang like 800/TV. presyong Pinoy kase sa America mas matindi ang charges.

that's why I settled with the KTC Brand HD LED TV 55" and 42" respectively. built-in media player pa ito. nag-streamline na ako ng gamit sa bahay. i disposed all my external players like DVD, CD, Blu-Ray and even my TV cabinets.

i also bought a high-end Bluetooth Player with FM. kasi syempre ako, wife ko, visiting parents ko as well as my house guests will just be bringing in their iPhones and Androids, na pwede magpaptugtog wirelessly na lang, even FM radio



Soundfreaq Soundstack

am also planning to get an apple TV for my cheap 55" LED TV, para kung gusto nila i-wirelessly display yun photos nila sa phone sa big screen

[Verbl Kint]

The problem with bluetooth streaming (or any other wireless medium) is that the sound quality will never match good old cabling. It should be fine for most people but not for audiophiles and acoustic nerds.

[Verbl Kint]

Back to topic: are there any antitrust laws to prevent these monopolies from happening?

[CVT]

Mergers and acquisitions..... They're here to stay...

15.6K:weathermanf2:

[zero]

i'm a worried destiny subscriber too.
baka tumaas ang monthly fee or baka mabawasan ng magagandang channels.
ayaw ko rin ng digibox.

[_Qwerty_]

time to switch to CIGNAL...

[DonCamote]

Back to topic: are there any antitrust laws to prevent these monopolies from happening?

Vague and subjective ang law natin sa monopoly. Maraming naka file sa congress na inaamag na like HB3534 HB 3534 Anti Trust Bill