[5] In 1999, Murdoch picked Ball to revive loss-making BSkyB, returning to the UK to manage the change from analogue to digital transmission.
His reputation as an astute and intelligent marketer was solidified, on the back of doubling subscribers to 7million and taking BSkyB into profit for the first time in five years.
[citation needed] After resigning in late 2003,[7] he was replaced by James Murdoch, and left News Corp in April 2004.
Ball joined Kabel Deutschland as chairman in 2003, where he introduced premium internet, telephony, and television services and executed a €1 billion network upgrade.
[2] In mid-2009, Ball started negotiations with ITV to become Chief Executive,[3] but talks broke down in September over various contractual issues.