Playing Games With Audiences Why Sky Want You To Make The Atlantic Crossing

This article was written by Steve Connolly in a 2012 edition of Media Magazine.

The article explores the sky channel, Sky Atlantic, and what qualities it has and its downfalls. It also takes an informative approach in exploring the maintenance and construction of a channel such as Sky Atlantic.

The article aims to answer the following questions:

• Why do the audience pay for channels such as Sky Atlantic?
• Who watches a channel such as Sky Atlantic?
• How do these types of Channels work?

The article states that audiences pay for this type of Channel because of 'exclusivity'. It goes on to say 'the key thing here for audiences is that Sky Atlantic is a paid-for service' meaning that those who pay for sky atlantic are the only ones who view what Sky Atlantic has to offer. 

The article also goes on to talk about how Sky Atlantic is 'chasing a different audience'. It talks about how  there are 'older, wealthier people' who 'don't feel catered for by mainstream TV' such as 'The X-Factor'. Also, it offers two TV Case studies in The Borgias and The Wire as it suggests shows such as The Borgias, 'are generally complex, adult, sometimes difficult pieces of work which will appeal to these kinds of people' and how 'A show like The Wire requires its audience to be literate, focused and generally 'stick with it' in order to enjoy what it has to offer'. 

The article also goes on to talk about how Sky Atlantic works. It discusses how 'Both Sky Atlantic and the Sky Platform are owned by the broadcaster BSkyB' and how 'The Sky Platform Carries BSkyB's own channels as well as other channels who pay a fee'. Furthermore, this article uses the BBC  as a case study by exploring how they pay an annual '£10million' 'carriage fee'.