Sky TV can be received in France, although we obviously do not condone this!
Strictly speaking, all you can get here in France is BBC World TV and BBC Prime TV. World is basically News24, and Prime, which you have to pay for, is the BBC's favorite output - repeats of old hit shows.
After 3 years without, we installed Prime and it was fine for a couple of years. Eventually the programming policy ( instead of the same time each week for a programme, it is the same time each night until the series runs out) together with the level of repeats meant we were not getting value for money. The only option was SkyDigitalTV.
SkyDigital is not available in France, but it is possible to buy a Sky Digibox with card for free to air programmes (BBC, ITV, C4, C5, BBC Radio plus many more) from internet auctions like ebay, and then point your satellite dish at the appropriate satellite. Believe me, it works! If you want to pay (a lot) there a numerous dealers who can sort you out with a subscription to Sky (about £40 per month). Here, near Lyon, we have a 1 metre dish, and reception is fine.
For satellite stuff on the internet:
An excellent source of information for everything related to satellite TV, as well as a host of other stuff is Martin Pickering's SatCure. Click here to get a discount voucher for your order with SatCure.
Elsewhere: www.astra2d.co.uk is good for information for expats, and www.free2view.tv has up to date information on SkyBox cards.