Re: Coming Soon to Virgin Media TV (2017)
 

I think that they will probably come to an agreement and pay less than what ITV want as a compromise.

Then when any contracts expire, VM/Sky will stop subsidising channels such as ITVBe & ITV Encore to recoup some or all of the charges.

Freesport have now confirmed that they will be available on all platforms, not sure if this means it will be on VM from launch though on 31/8/17.

It will show rugby, football etc. I was a bit worried that as a free sports channel it would be showing the tiddlywinks final of something!

Re: Coming Soon to Virgin Media TV (2017)
 

As I understand it, the payment ITV wish to receive is a re-transmission fee for the PSB content over which they hold copyright. Originally it was planned to remove a loophole that allowed third parties to stream PSB content over the internet, without payment to the PSB. ITV now seems to have seen an opportunity to extend this to cable.

Although ITV and other PSB broadcasters have expressed a desire for all subscription platforms to pay for the PSB content, it's not so easy to ask Sky for this fee. PSB's providing their own transponders on satellite, and paying Sky for regionalised coverage in the EPG, can hardly claim that something they effectively transmit themselves should carry a "re-transmission" fee. So it doesn't really apply to Sky.

So, they seem to want, not only to get away with not providing their own infrastructure on cable, but to also charge the cableco for the privilege of re-transmitting the service on their behalf. A penalty for operating a closed system perhaps.

The situation is not really what the government intended. They made it clear when the change of law was proposed that they didn't expect it to lead to additional charges. If I remember correctly, it was stated that they would have to take another look at the situation if charges were introduced. Unfortunately, the government now appears to be backing away from that stance and leaving the decision on any new charging structure to the market.

https://www.ft.com/content/037019ae-...f-79eb4891c97d

Obviously, any charges imposed on the cableco would have to be passed on to the end user. So cable viewers get to pay for the PSB's through the advertising budget overheads in any goods they purchase, as with users of other platforms. Then they get to pay again through any supplementary fees charged by the cableco. Not the fairest of charges is it?

Re: Coming Soon to Virgin Media TV (2017)
 

There will be two reactions from customers; those who don't see why they should have to pay for a PSB channel that others can access on Freeview, so would prefer a blackout on Virgin, and those who feel they pay good money to Virgin every month yet would be unable to view the country's most popular commercial channel.

I don't have Virgin TV, but if I did I'd be in the first group. But then I rarely watch the channel anyway.

ITV does need to tread carefully - a blackout on Virgin could do significant harm to their, already faltering, ad revenues.

Re: Coming Soon to Virgin Media TV (2017)
 

Agreed. Maybe VM should just put the TV Player app on the system and people could access ITV that way during the blackout, which I think would be fairly short lived.

---------- Post added at 10:24 ---------- Previous post was at 10:19 ----------

I don't think VM would be interested in a compromise on payment to ITV. They would not wish to concede the principle of having to make a payment in the first place.

The charge does not apply to Sky, so I see no reason for them to pull out of their support for ITV Encore.

Re: Coming Soon to Virgin Media TV (2017)
 

Yes, ITV confirmed in a conference call yesterday that they believe that this only applies to cable and not to satellite.

My source for the implications for Sky came from this article:

http://www.a516digital.com/2017/07/i...drop-with.html

---------- Post added at 13:12 ---------- Previous post was at 13:05 ----------

No it's not and if ITV get away with it, channel 5 look likely to follow suit from what they've said.

IIRC it was a free streaming site called TVCatchup that started all this by streaming free channels over the internet without the broadcasters permission.

ITV objected to others obtaining advertising income off the back of their programmes, so the Government changed the law which comes into affect on the 31st of this month.

Re: Coming Soon to Virgin Media TV (2017)
 

ITV have their 2 biggest advertising programmes in the Autumn and Winter with X Factor and I'm a Celeb.
I really can't see them ditching millions of potential viewers to those programmes

Re: Coming Soon to Virgin Media TV (2017)
 

Viacom are to reintroduce the Paramount Channel to the UK as a FTA channel (it won't be replacing Spike as it did in America).

It will show films and drama as opposed to the comedy that it's predecessor did.

Let's hope VM pick it up.

Re: Coming Soon to Virgin Media TV (2017)
 

Although it shouldn't affect Sky's services via satellite, it would apply to Sky's proposed IPTV service.

Re: Coming Soon to Virgin Media TV (2017)
 

That's right, and it looks like it will be coming to VM.


http://www.a516digital.com/2017/07/v...-freeview.html

Re: Coming Soon to Virgin Media TV (2017)
 

So that'll be a price rise of £3pm then? :p:

Re: Coming Soon to Virgin Media TV (2017)
 

Well, I would class VM as "a major platform", so let's hope so.

Re: Coming Soon to Virgin Media TV (2017)
 

Perhaps following the Viacom tradition of replacing one of their +1 channels with the new one on VM. Time will tell.

Re: Coming Soon to Virgin Media TV (2017)
 

We have just seen that an Soft Launch has happen for Virgin Kids app. Available on Apple App Store.

Re: Coming Soon to Virgin Media TV (2017)
 

Also on the play store on Android

Re: Coming Soon to Virgin Media TV (2017)
 

It's now being speculated that 5USA will close in favour of the Paramount Channel.