Sky in YouView U-turn

Sky has emerged as one of the media companies who could be a content provider on the TV platform YouView, despite having originally lobbied to block the set-top box from going ahead, according to The Telegraph.

Richard Halton, YouView's CEO, revealed the list of media companies, including LoveFilm and Film 4oD, interested in providing content to the Internet-connected set-top box at the Changing Media Summit in London.

This is surprising because Sky had strongly protested against the YouView platform going ahead, making representations, along with other companies such as Virgin Media and Ofcom.

Last year, Sky COO Mike Darcey said YouView, then called Project Canvas, would "distort fair competition" in the nascent market for online video services, reveals Digital Spy.

Sky is said to be among 29 content providers selected for an advisory group to work closely with YouView to help "shape and test the processes for making content available via the platform".

Pocket-Lint reports that YouView has not been without its problems of late, with massive delays, a change in its management team in the form of Sir Alan Sugar replacing Kip Meek as non-executive chairman, and constant scrutinisation by Ofcom.

However, none of these have scared off potential partners.