Sky, a part of Comcast, is cutting 2,000 call centre jobs and replacing them with AI chatbots, citing a shift in customer preferences. Three of its 10 service centres in Stockport, Sheffield, and Leeds will close, reducing its workforce by 7 percent.
The company plans to invest more in 24/7 online chat support based overseas and AI-driven solutions. Sky, the owner of Sky News, expects customer calls to drop from 25 million to 17 million annually by 2029 as more users handle tasks via its app and website, according to a news report in Sky News.
The cuts come as Sky battles losses, including a £773 million deficit in 2023, partly due to increased football rights costs and write-downs in Italy and Germany. The company previously cut 1,000 jobs last year as more customers shifted to internet-based TV. Despite the changes, Sky maintains thousands of phone advisers and will invest in its Livingston campus in Scotland.
A survey of 10,000 customers found that nine in 10 wanted more contact options beyond phone calls. Sky says the transformation aims to make customer service faster, more digital, and available 24/7. Competitors like BT and NatWest are also turning to AI for customer service improvements.
Comcast’s 2024 financial result indicated that its capital expenditures rose 17.9 percent to $3.9 billion. Connectivity & Platforms’ capital expenditures grew 25.5 percent to $2.6 billion, reflecting spending on infrastructure, line extensions and customer premise equipment.
On a full year basis, Connectivity & Platforms capital expenditures of Comcast were consistent at $8.3 billion. Content & Experiences’ capital expenditures rose 6.3 percent to $1.3 billion, reflecting significant spending due to the construction of Epic Universe theme park in Orlando.
Baburajan Kizhakedath
