SKY TV looking for knock-out blow to My Box NZ - the latest challenger in providing all-access television to New Zealand

A new player in the online streaming market which offers television at an affordable rate is accusing New Zealand powerhouse Sky Television of being a “playground bully” in their attempts to quash any competition in the market they monopolise within the country.

 

Krish Reddy, owner of My Box, says that Sky has become “nothing more than a playground bully – using their resources to try and get rid of my business”. He will not go down without a fight, something which he is not exactly accustomed to but will take on head first.

 

“Growing up, my father always used to tell me to not pick fights, but if you want to then go out there and find the biggest and toughest one you can find. Winning or losing is irrelevant. So I say ‘HELLO SKY,’” says Krish.

 

He goes on to say “I’m a small company who is trying to TV affordable. Rattling a giant like Sky’s cage was the intention.”

 

Sky are more than rattled, with their legal team becoming involved and contacting My Box with legal requests to remove the My Box business altogether. Krish sees it as no more than Sky flexing their muscles to frighten him off and states that he has “never liked bullies, not when I was 6 and certainly not now.”

 

My Box claims that it is completely legal in its operations. The service simply allows customers to access high-quality streams of their own accord. The fact that the box is set up to allow customers to find certain streams does not hold My Box accountable for what they may find. Sky channels such as sports, movies and entertainments are all accessible via the streams My Box makes available. The box is available at a one-off cost with no ongoing payments.

 

This is where Sky have come in. They claim that My Box is providing access for those who operate the streaming technology to certain streams which provide New Zealand Sky channels. This operation would be illegal, but Krish says that he cannot control what people will find using My Box.

 

“We simply set up the platform for people to stream what they like. What they find is out of our control. From a legal perspective, what we do is completely within the law. We advertise Sky television channels being available through our website and social media platforms as these are available via streams which you can find through My Box,” says Krish.

 

The streams which My Box accesses are hosted through locations such as the UK, which makes the process legal. The streams which access Sky Television channels are then not directly associated with My Box and are simply made available through the software. My Box is not the first business to take on Sky in this arena. Another streaming service provider – “Bye Bye Sky,” received coverage late last year around their service. My Box offers a similar service to Bye Bye Sky, with the legality of the service being called into question but no action being taken against the business operations.

 

In previous articles written about the ideas of geo-blocking and media companies trying to shut down ISPs, Callplus, a ISP based in New Zealand, had this to say: "The traditional TV model is changing," the company said. "These companies need to change with it. Trying to restrict what you do online is old school non-Internet thinking and shows just how out of touch they are." (https://www.computerworld.co.nz/article/572569/new-zealand-legal-battle-looms-over-streaming-tv/) The My Box service targets a range of customers, with Krish saying “our customers range from university students to the working class and even elderly customers. I believe these people have the right to watch any channels they like without paying massive bills.”

 

Krish shows no signs of slowing down and is dreaming of what the future holds for My Box. “In 6 months of operating I have unsettled companies who have been in operation for decades. Imagine what could happen in another 6 months,” he says. “I knew that Sky would get in contact with me at some stage. What we do is completely legal but they obviously feel that they can bully me out as they would have done with previous businesses like mine. I am going to stand up to them and continue to provide New Zealanders with affordable television,” says Krish.

 

One thing is for sure – My Box is changing the way users can access their favourite television shows, without ongoing costs. To check out what My Box does, head to their Facebook page today: https://www.facebook.com/myboxtvnz/ or their website www.myboxnz.com.

 

 

Contact My Box:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/myboxtvnz/

Website: https://www.myboxnz.com

Twitter: https://twitter.com/myboxnz

Pinterest: https://nz.pinterest.com/myboxnz/

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCL79bPkZHeTWHx2_ZyahQYw

 

 

Contact MediaPA:

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