Sky boss departs after Premier League deal
THE UK boss of Sky is stepping down after securing the broadcaster’s biggest package of Premier League rights.
Stephen van Rooyen, who took over the top job in 2016, will leave the company at the end of February.
It comes after Sky last month inked a four-year deal to show at least 215 live Premier League games each season.
That marks an increase of almost 100 matches per season after Sky won four of the five available television rights packages in a deal worth £6.7bn.
The deal capped off a lengthy tenure for Mr Van Rooyen, who joined Sky in 2006 as director of product management. As UK chief executive, he oversaw the company’s expansion beyond its traditional satellite TV business into new areas including mobile and broadband. More recently, he oversaw the launch of Sky Glass, a streaming-focused television that removes the need for a satellite dish or set-top box.
Mr Van Rooyen’s tenure also included the $39bn (£31bn) sale of Sky to US media giant Comcast, which outbid Rupert Murdoch in a 2018 auction.
His departure comes at a difficult time for Sky, which is grappling to find its place in the streaming market while facing tough competition from telecoms rivals. Bosses have attempted to position the company as an aggregator that brings together various streaming services, such as Netflix and Disney, into one platform. The media group has also stepped up its investment in original programming following the success of TV shows such as Chernobyl.
However, in 2022 Comcast wrote down the value of Sky by $8.6bn amid declining sales. The company has also been rocked by high levels of turnover and wider dissatisfaction with the culture under its new owners. The departure of Mr Van Rooyen comes a year after he was named group chief commercial officer, alongside his UK role.
Sky’s UK and Ireland business will now report to Dana Strong, the former Comcast executive who leads Sky. Ms Strong said: “I would like to thank Stephen for his very significant contribution to Sky over the past 18 years.”