THE SKY’S THE LIMIT AS PUBLICANS’ SPORTS BILLS ARE SET TO FALL

The licensing industry can a hotbed of controversy when it comes to charges and price hikes, but one of the biggest bugbears for licensees is the cost of providing Sky for customers.
With the Premier League, the Lions Tour and the Grand Prix promising to be a huge draw for customers this year alone, Sky has become a necessity for the majority of pubs looking to increase their profits, but it is one that comes with a hefty price-tag.
Thankfully, last week brought some positive news for the sector: Sky is taking Rateable Values into account with its on-trade customers when calculating its new pricing.
We’re now three months into the new Rating List but Sky has taken its time to work out the implications of new business rates valuations and committed to using lower Rateable Values when working out bills; opting to use the lower of the two rateable values from 2010 and 2017 Rating Lists.
While the body has increased its prices by a maximum of five per cent from August 1st, applying the lower RVs will see some bills go down at premises where the RV has been reduced and will be applied to old RVs where it has been increased from April 1st.
It’s sure to be a welcome move for many publicans who were dreading seeing their bottom line diminish as their overheads went up. Let’s hope other providers follow suit.
For expert Rating advice aimed at the Licensed trade contact Victoria.trafford@harrislamb.com or James.ward@harrislamb.com