Sky has informed TV customers that some prices “will increase on 1 September 2013 by up to 10% in accordance with our standard terms.”
According to online forums, messages advising existing customers of the impending increase are now appearing in their online billing accounts while a message has been added to the firm’s sales website pre-alerting new customers.
In 2011 Sky announced a price freeze until 31st August 2012 but increased some prices from September the same year.
News of Sky’s latest increase comes just days after rival BT attracted headlines for increasingthe cost of its line rental saver product which allows customers to pre-pay for a year’s line rental a lower equivalent rate than the standard monthly fee.
BT denied the move was connected to its £1bn sports channels which launch this summer and will be given away free to broadband customers.
Like BT, Sky also need to meet the cost of an expensive round of Premier League rights purchases.
Collectively the pair paid £3bn on the three-year rights packages, an increase of £1.25bn on the previous auction which was won by Sky and ESPN, now owned by BT.
Under the deal Sky will pay £760m a year while BT will pay £246m annually for its broadcast rights.
