Technological Innovation, Product Strategy, Supply Chain and AI in the Transformation of the European Media-Tech Industry: The Case of Sky Glass

This thesis investigates the context and lifecycle of Sky Glass, reconstructing its development within Sky's broader attempt to reposition itself strategically in response to a shifting media ecosystem. The analysis is articulated in four chapters. It starts with a market analysis that highlights the motivations behind the launch of Sky Glass, illustrating how the decline of the pay-TV model in Italy, coupled with regulatory rigidity and the rise and consolidation of SVOD platforms, progressively challenged Sky's market position and caused a strategic innovation effort. The second chapter retraces Sky’s international expansion and structural evolution, emphasizing how changes in ownership, governance, and geographic presence under Comcast enabled the internal conditions for developing and launching Sky Glass. The product is examined as a key initiative within this new corporate configuration. The third chapter focuses on Sky Glass as a case study and applies the Global Value Chain (GVC) governance framework to analyze its production structure. Sky is positioned as a lead firm managing a hybrid supply chain that combines modular flexibility with captive control mechanisms. The analysis integrates secondary data with insights from a direct interview conducted with an engineer from Sky UK, offering a detailed view into operational decisions, supplier relationships, and quality assurance practices. The final chapter reflects on the future of Sky Glass. It draws a set of strategic lessons and explores the potential role of AI-driven personalization in future iterations.