The Guardian reports that Sky are poised to outbid the BBC for the rights to AMC's Mad Men. The BBC are apparently negotiating with the show's producer Lionsgate for two more years of the Emmy-winning series, but Sky have apparently offered 25% more than what the BBC's prepared to pay (between £5-10m, it's speculated.) With the BBC under pressure from politicians not to waste license fee money, it's unlikely they'll engage in a bidding war for a series that, while critically adored, is still a niche program for BBC4.
What do you make of this news? Typical Sky tactics, right? How many great TV shows have been launched on terrestrial television, only to be snatched by Sky when they've proven themselves? Personally, Mad Men will still be available to me if it transfers to Sky1/HD, but audiences will now have to contend with... adverts. How ironic, for a show about advertising...
