Originally Posted by alwaysabear (Post 35956869)

I am sure a deal will be done eventually with UKTV, there is a lot of posturing going on from both sides and unfortunately its the customer who suffers.

Originally Posted by batchain (Post 35957069)

Not the deal ITV was after - most likely no huge sums involved over and above what Virgin already pays and Virgin maintains its long-held position on the issue of retransmission fees.

New ITV CEO Carolyn McCall was under huge pressure from shareholders to secure a deal and she managed that without losing too much face. The promise of extra HD, 4K, box sets and catch up content should give ITV's coffers a boost (although not as much as retransmission fees) and Virgin's concession - agreeing to expand advertising and marketing of ITV programming- should help too.

All in all a good deal for both, but better for Virgin.

Next for ITV will be to secure a similar deal with Sky.

Originally Posted by japitts (Post 35957070)

Never a truer word said - I really don't see any winners out of the current situation. VM losing customers and goodwill, UKTV losing carriage fees & advertising, customers missing out.

I guess it's all a question of who blinks first, how long it takes them, and how bad the damage gets in the meantime.

For what it's worth, I may not be cancelling or downgrading myself but I've stopped recommending Virgin to anyone who asks - and will be remaining "neutral" for quite a while yet.

Originally Posted by telegramsam (Post 35957009)

Looking at it from another point of view, ITV could of looked at Virgins hard stance with UKTV and thought "hey we don't want our channels withdrawn from the Virgin Media platform, we'll give in to what Virgin Media want". Just my opinion guys.

Originally Posted by RichardCoulter (Post 35957071)

Tho the retransmission issue won't affect Sky until they start their dishless service...

---------- Post added at 20:05 ---------- Previous post was at 20:03 ----------



Yep, the current position is that everyone is losing out.

Originally Posted by Arthurgray50@blu (Post 35957079)

Two points to make on this issue/s.

1) If Sky are going to have a 'dishless' service with the full channels. Would this be stream via a computer etc.

2) IF, VM sort out the terrible business of taking off UKTV channels. And VM have replaced them with 'new' channels. What will happen when the deal is sorted out.

Do they take off the 'new' channels and cause even more problems.

I stopped promoting VM long time ago. They seem to have a motto - don't worry about the customers, we will do what we want. But still put the prices up.

Originally Posted by japitts (Post 35957075)

But it's been widely intimated that UKTV pulled their channels rather then Virgin chopping them. It would kinda make sense, that if new commercial terms can't be agreed.. on balance I think it's more likely to be in Virgin's interest to drag out existing contracts on borrowed time.

Originally Posted by telegramsam (Post 35957082)

Yes true but once UKTV withdrew their channels Virgin could of quickly given in to their demands and got the channels back the very next day or at least within days but they didn't, did they?

Originally Posted by RichardCoulter (Post 35957071)

Tho the retransmission issue won't affect Sky until they start their dishless service...

Originally Posted by Mr K (Post 35957083)

Point of order ! UKTV didn't withdraw their channels or make any demands,

Originally Posted by batchain (Post 35957084)

I said a similar deal - continued carriage of non-PSBs plus HD, 4K, box sets and catch up plus Sky agreeing to expand advertising and marketing of ITV programming.

If ITV feels Sky is not paying enough (or not doing enough to promote ITV) they can still threaten to remove content. Sky is not immune to carriage disputes, Discovery threatened to pull all its channels before Sky caved in at the 11th hour (unlike Virgin who told UKTV to shove it, same as they did with Sky in 2007 - the same Sky who eventually came crawling back telling Virgin to name their price).

Sky also needs to secure a renewed deal if it wants to match the ITV content and ITV services that Virgin will now be able to offer.

---------- Post added at 21:40 ---------- Previous post was at 21:13 ----------


Oh, but they did.

Virgin offered a revised deal (lower price) for UKTVs pay channels due to customers now viewing more and more content on demand (Netflix is now the most popular pay tv channel in Virgin TV homes), due to UKTV putting pay tv content on its FTA channels and due to what Virgin considers to be a poor UKTV Catch Up/VOD offering. UKTV turned them down and also pulled the FTA channels as well.

UKTV pays to have its FTA channels & services on both FTA and subscription platforms, but refused to give Virgin access to the FTA channels unless it also pays (pays more) for its pay tv output.

Same as if you and i went to pick up a free copy of The Metro, but told sorry, you can't have a free copy today unless you also agree to buy the Daily Mail.