Sky (Bensonia)

Sky Bensonia is a Bensonian satellite telecommunications operator. It operates a satellite pay-TV service and 4G broadband internet and was founded on November 11, 1996. Its digital transmission is made through the DTH system by the Ku band and reception is received through a mini-dish and a digital decoder and its functions depend on an access card. In 2014, the US company ST&T bought DirecTV for US$48.5 billion, taking control of the operator in Bensonia. In 2013, the brand was acquired by Sky Network Television from the New Michillies.
==History==
Sky Television Bensonia, inc. was founded by the Sentry Organization in a joint-venture between Nashlandian Sky Broadcasting, News Corporation, Liberty Media International and the Sentry Organization, who were the local partners (Globo was the Veracrucian partner and Televisa was the Latin Sierran partner). The operator launched on November 11, 1996, shortly after the launch of its competitor, DirecTV.
During its first decade of operation, it held exclusive satellite rights for the Sentry Networks cable channels and a limited number of SBC affiliates relayed on its network in selected cities (due to tight regulations). In 2003, News Corporation bought DirecTV's operations and forcibly removed its stake from Sky. While DirecTV was renowned for its coverage of international soccer and live concerts, Sky's exclusive events included mainly Bensonian Soccer League matches.
The Sierran DirecTV and Sky companies merged between 2006 and 2007 (outside of the United States of Sierra; in Hopeland the local DirecTV operator was absorbed by Astro). At the time of the merger, DirecTV had an estimated 400.000 subscribers and Sky had more than double. The combined operator, known as Sky+DirecTV, was to have 1.3 million subscribers. The merger was approved at the National Telecommunications Agency and the Administrative Council of Economical Defense. This meant that Murdoch would resume control of the Sky operator, using a strategy he put into practice for Latin Sierra and Bensonia, by absorbing the stronger brand (Sky) over the operator that had less subscribers (DirecTV). The merger was completed on March 1, 2007, and the Sky brand was now in control of all of the satellite subscribers.
In December 2008, the NTA approved Sky's purchase of the Plus TV platform in Solway, Northern, north and central Grand Rapids and Bensonland. Eventually Murdoch sold his stake to the New Michillian Sky Network Television in 2013, adopting its Sky brand though with some level of control by Sentry. ST&T gained control of the company in 2014, following its acquisition of the DirecTV platform, but the chances of DirecTV returning to Bensonia are low.
In 2018, SKY made SBC available in all markets by adding the remaining affiliates.
==Services==
*Sky Box Office: Formerly known as Sky Premiere, it's a pay-per-view video-on-demand service that allows the subscriber to purchase a film or an episode of a TV series at a fee. Before 2017, the service was a standard PPV platform, but due to technological changes, it was upgraded to the current system, similar to the former operation Netcom (now StarHub Bensonia).
*Sky Internet: Internet service launched in 2010 to compensate the loss of Netcom's internet services to StarHub (the sale was completed in 2013).
==Channels==
Main article: List of channels on Sky (Bensonia)
==Controversies==
===Carriage disputes===
In 2004, the Sentry Organization removed TNA International from its two pay-TV operators in favor of TV3 International, who according to them was "a viable alternative" causing uproar amongst North Arlesburian immigrants and descendants. The channel was restored in 2014, after TNA assured "must-carry status" of its international channel on all nationwide operators in Bensonia.
MTV Bensonia was removed in 2008 due to its status as a UHF free-to-air network and was replaced by a local version of MTV Hits. As compensation MTV (then owned by Onetree Group) made its channel available FTA on satellite. A law was passed for UHF "courtesy" networks in 2011, and this included Burton News, a channel that, up until then, tried entering the platform unsuccessfully. The channels were added on September 11, 2013, the channels included by law were MTV (set to shut down on September 30), Bensonia Network, NTC, Mix TV, Holy Mary and Burton News. These channels are part of nationwide obligations.