Apple shares, battered by a combination of disappointing product launches, management turmoil and competitive concerns, have entered bear market territory.
Almost any product or service is a collection of different features and elements, any combination of which can make for a compelling and competitive offering.
"In what was a very competitive tender process, we are pleased to have secured the combination of rights that we wanted, providing certainty for us and our customers, " said BSkyB chief executive Jeremy Darroch.
Moffett noted in his previous report that there were no specific indications that the companies actually want to merge, but he also said a combination would offer huge cost savings, and give satellite TV a better chance to maintain a competitive position against cable providers.