Re: Netflix/Streaming Services
 

A quite considerable amount more then you are currently paying but its alright as l am sure OB will pay for all our separate subscriptions.:D

Re: Netflix/Streaming Services
 

But that's part of a deal, right? What is the full cost for what you are getting outside of this special offer? That's what you should be comparing with. There will be offers with streaming services as well, as demonstrated with the Sky Netflix arrangements.

Certainly to date my streaming services cost rather less than the digital channels do. As I said, it's only if you take both, as we do now in this house, that it works out more expensive.

You mustn't forget also that not all streaming services would be to your liking, so you wouldn't get them all. Given the amount of material on each service, you could decide, for example, to subscribe to Netflix for a couple of years (or even months) and then go to Amazon for a period. The absence of minimum contract periods would enable a lot of switching to take place, if you wanted to keep bills low.

We have yet to see how sports streaming works out, however. Early days yet.

Re: Netflix/Streaming Services
 

Your current streaming services aren't really a great comparison as broadcasters remove their content you'll be forced with less and less choice on them. Netflix and Amazon currently offer third party content in just the same way Sky and Virgin do. What happens when Disney, Fox , Comcast etc remove their content and your forced to pay more to get the same content.

Re: Netflix/Streaming Services
 

Except that when you do like for like comparisons, the streaming services are very good value for money. Now TV provides a good example of the savings that will be achievable. I saved £10 per month just on the Sky Cinema pack with Now TV when I cancelled that part of my subscription with Virgin.

Re: Netflix/Streaming Services
 

I pay £5 per month for Sky Cinema HD as part of my package. A package that was advertised on Sky's website for a limited time.

Re: Netflix/Streaming Services
 

I don't use Amazon or Netflix for third party content, I use them to watch their original programming.

Sky content including Fox, etc, will continue to be available on Now TV or whatever Sky replaces it with when they move to internet only delivery, and free-to-view on demand services will still be available by whatever replaces the BBC, ITV, Channel 4 and Channel 5 players.

I dare say there will be more free streaming services with unskippable advertisements showing junk, just as there are such channels now.

Re: Netflix/Streaming Services
 

Totally changing what you originally say it's a bit of a habit of yours.

You've told us Disney/Fox , HBO , Showtime , Starz plus others would all have their own streaming services and thus there content wouldn't be included on Sky.

You seem to tell us the traditional method of bundling isn't viable but are in favour of replacing it with bundling but on a streaming service.:D

Re: Netflix/Streaming Services
 

And as you know, there are brilliant deals available for Now TV. You seem to be comparing full price streaming with cut price conventional pay tv packages. To get a more accurate picture, you need to compare the full price of each service. We cannot predict what deals may be available in the future.

Re: Netflix/Streaming Services
 

Sky Cinema is available to add for most existing customers on Sky at £10 and has been for ages so 1p difference to Now TV normal price.

Re: Netflix/Streaming Services
 

Not quite, muppetman, you are twisting it!

HBO and Starz already have streaming services over here, but that doesn't prevent Sky from doing deals with such companies, either to have those services added to their own service or to do deals on individual programmes. HBO is a perfect example of this. However, I can see the nature of that relationship changing within the next decade.

I don't think bundling of channels itself is unviable, but I do think the drastic discounts the likes of Sky are making available is not sustainable in the long term. It's the lack of advertising revenue that will kill off the scheduled programming channels.

Re: Netflix/Streaming Services
 

Contradictions are OB's middle name as l have lost count how many times OB has contradicted himself.

Re: Netflix/Streaming Services
 

I was paying double that to Virgin, but the price of packaging is different to what Sky provides.

Re: Netflix/Streaming Services
 

l somehow doubt it.

Re: Netflix/Streaming Services
 

And yet you've never listed any with any degree of accuracy.

The problem is, Den, you either read more into my posts than what I actually say, or you mis-remember without checking that your recollection is correct.. Not sure which.

Re: Netflix/Streaming Services
 

I agree with the views several have posted - streaming will be expensive unless you want a very limited spectrum of viewing.

currently I have Sky Sports and BT Sports which give me access to

premier league football
Championship football
Scottish league football
Champions league football
Europa League football
FA cup football
International Football
International Cricket
County cricket
International Rugby Union
Premiership Rugby Union
New Zealand Rugby Union
South African Rugby Union
Super League Rugby League
NRL Rugby League
Formula 1

Plus a lot of other sports I barely watch.

If all of these set up their own streaming I will be faced with the option of only being able to watch a limited subset of what I currently watch or paying many times my current subscriptions.

I base this on the cost of streaming, an example of which is NRL rugby league which costs over £20pm.

Whichever way you look at it the cost of Sky and BT sports packages are reasonable compared with what is inevitably going to come if we are to believe OB.

Re: Netflix/Streaming Services
 

I did say that sport was in a different category, but we'll see how that pans out over time. For example, Sky and Virgin could offer various packages of streaming services at a discounted price, or maybe have wholesale deals in place such as with BT Sport.

It's early days yet and we will have to see what transpires, but each of these streaming services will only attract small audiences if they do not enter into arrangements with the big suppliers of content that benefit the punters.

Re: Netflix/Streaming Services
 

With the handle Raider what about the NFL?

Re: Netflix/Streaming Services
 

Used to watch it years ago (Monarchs) - however the handle pertains to Worthing Raiders Rugby Club

Re: Netflix/Streaming Services
 

Do some of you not get bored arguing the same old back and forth year after year? I could disappear for 5 years, come back into one of these threads and it would still be familiar.

Seriously, look back through your own post histories over the years then compare them with the ones you are posting today.

Re: Netflix/Streaming Services
 

You could say that with quite a few threads in this forum.;)

Re: Netflix/Streaming Services
 

True. Probably the result of a relatively small vocal userbase, arguements end up being recycled.

Re: Netflix/Streaming Services
 

Anyone for darts?

https://www.digitaltveurope.com/2018...arts-coverage/

Eurosport secures exclusive darts coverage

Discovery-owned sports network Eurosport has struck a multi-market deal to exclusively screen major tournaments in the British Darts Organisation (BDO) calendar for the next three years.

Starting from January, viewers in the UK, Netherlands and Australia will be able to watch the three highest-profile tournaments in the BDO calendar – the World Professional Darts Championships in January, this summer’s World Darts Trophy and the BDO World Masters in September – exclusively live on Eurosport.

Discovery-owned free-to-air channel Quest TV will share rights to each tournament with Eurosport in the United Kingdom.

Re: Netflix/Streaming Services
 

WarnerMedia’s FilmStruck Subscription-Streaming Service to Shut Down.

https://www.wired.com/story/rip-film...treaming-wars/

https://variety.com/2018/digital/new...er-1202998364/

Re: Netflix/Streaming Services
 

Yes, that didn't last long, did it?

Re: Netflix/Streaming Services
 

Too pricey one suspects..

Re: Netflix/Streaming Services
 

Think of the poor investors!

Re: Netflix/Streaming Services
 

As AT&T is launching a new Warner global streaming service next year around the same time as Disney's service, they are shutting some of their other streamers down like this one and a South Korean streamer they owned too.

---------- Post added at 22:04 ---------- Previous post was at 21:47 ----------

That's the question with the streamers, isn't it?

When it was just Netflix, everything was available under one roof for one price, but currently there are lots of streamers out there.

I expect the media companies to further consolidate next year and then we'll see what happens with regards to the streaming services.

As HBO's streamer is currently priced at $15, not all the current streamers will survive. I would expect each media company to eventually just have one global steaming service, although at what price, I've no idea. And as I reckon there will be only 3-6 global media companies in the end, that's how many streamers there will be too, excluding our UK based ones.

Once the bulk of the cable/sat channels disappear, as I expect they will, we may well opine the days when we could subscribe to so many channels and content for such a relatively small price.

Re: Netflix/Streaming Services
 

Netflix now appears to be available on Sky Q from today.

Re: Netflix/Streaming Services
 

It is.

Re: Netflix/Streaming Services
 

Time for Virgin to keep one step ahead and add Prime to their apps!

Re: Netflix/Streaming Services
 

Always the optimist l see..

Re: Netflix/Streaming Services
 

There are only three major streaming services available in the UK at the moment - Netflix, Amazon and Now TV.

I would envisage maybe half a dozen popular streamers here altogether with the passing of time (excluding those devoted to sport) and if we use those in place of the existing scheduled channels, the price will be similar to what we pay now for the Full House.

Most of them (like Netflix and Amazon) will be less than a tenner a month. Some (like Hayu on Virgin) will be free to subscribers and others will be bundled by the cablecos at a reduced price, as Sky has done with Netflix and the Sky Box Sets.

The fragmentation of sports coverage and the price of these services is a problem, however, but we will probably end up with three or four main players including Sky and presumably BT. I would not discount Eleven Sports at this stage, but the other main players could possibly include Discovery, Disney or Amazon. The technical issues associated with streaming, including latency, should be resolved over the next couple of years or so.

I think we have much to look forward to rather than be nervous about, and competition between these services should keep prices down to an acceptable level. Just look at how the streaming services have improved our choice of non-sports programming from a few short years ago, offering excellent value for money.

Re: Netflix/Streaming Services
 

Personally I wouldn't count Now TV for various reasons, it's not comparing like with like. One, it's a Sky owned service without the Sky branding, so if anyone is getting added to the list it's Sky. Two, Now TV doesn't (to my knowledge) commission content unlike Netlfix and Amazon and therefore has no exclusives.

In my head I view Now TV in the same bracket as VM, their parent company Sky or BT i.e. as a deliverer of TV not a creator of content.

Re: Netflix/Streaming Services
 

Old Boy, Having thousands of hours of tv shows and films available at a touch of a button is indeed excellent value for money, I agree.

At the moment I am concerned that "old" Hollywood is just trying to replicate in the streaming world what it currently has in the tv channels world and I don't think this model is viable.

Disney et all, seem to want to launch as many streamers each as possible, rather than sticking everything under one roof. Perhaps a year from now when Apple, Disney, AT&T, possibly Comcast and others launch their services, things may be different, , but we'll see.

Re: Netflix/Streaming Services
 

Personally think a lot of what's being said is pie in the Sky the majority of people will not pay for individual subs bundling content is here to stay for some time.

Re: Netflix/Streaming Services
 

+1

Re: Netflix/Streaming Services
 

Which is why it seems to me that Sky, VM etc are moving towards offering a bundle of streamers for one price all using the same interface, so no need to go into separate apps.

Re: Netflix/Streaming Services
 

I think what will happen ultimately is that there will be bundles of streaming services rather than bundles of scheduled channels, as Horizon says.

Sky is already thinking along these lines, as evidenced by its own box sets being bundled with Netflix. It makes perfect sense to me.

Re: Netflix/Streaming Services
 

So currently Disney/Fox license their content across many broadcasters in every country.

In the scenario your describing they keep all their content exclusive and only available in their own streaming service. That's going to require them to recoup significant worldwide subscriptions especially in the world your describing of many streaming services.

Re: Netflix/Streaming Services
 

Exactly right muppetman, but I don't see there being many streamers though. And it's not my scenario, it's what the media companies are opening talking about now.

Take Germany as but one example, Disney and RTL have their joint venture channel called Super RTL, basically the Disney channel in all but name. How can that channel survive when Disney's global streamer launches? Replicate that across the world. It will be a bloodbath.

It's this exact reason why the old Hollywood companies have been reluctant to step too deeply into streaming, as it will close off major sources of revenue for them with no guarantee of success with their streaming services. But they have no choice. Netflix has turned everything upside down and the media companies either compete and copy Netflix, or die.

Re: Netflix/Streaming Services
 

I’m not the first to +1 this many posters on here have done so already, and quite rightly.

It’s not just the principle of bundling content into Sky or Virgin’s basic packages, it’s the fact it is a significant portion of revenue to those out there.

Sky/Liberty can also increase the contribution they wish to make for any content on a whim, absorbing small losses here and there where appropriate.

Re: Netflix/Streaming Services
 

Off the top of my head

1. Disney/Fox
2. Netflix
3. Amazon
4. Comcast/Universal
5. Warner Media

That’s just the bigger players you then have the likes of Viacom , Discovery the list goes on.

My point is all of those have their content across pay tv channels , terrestrial channels and included in pay TV On Demand packages. A subscription to the likes of VM or Sky currently offers you a selection to content from most of those listed and I struggle to get my head around how people think having to subscribe to all these numerous streaming packages will be somehow better.

People seem to think this streaming world will rid of us all ads which frankly is laughable.

Re: Netflix/Streaming Services
 

Streaming is just inviting advertising into your home in a different (and much more targeted) way.

Re: Netflix/Streaming Services
 

Completely agree :tu:

Re: Netflix/Streaming Services
 

Lets see what happens with ads. Netflix is trialling them in America and AT&T is thinking about it. I agree the steamers may not be ad free, but I would expect a few options. One being a more premium option, add free, for a higher price and the other being a ad option for a lower price or no price at all like Sony's Crackle service.

As to whether it will be better, we'll have to see how it all plays out. I have suspicions that it won't be cheaper than current pay tv subs, in fact probably a lot more expensive, but as I said in the other thread, streaming will bring about the death of most linear tv.

Put it this way, if the only place to watch Star Wars, Marvel etc is Disney's streaming service and baring in mind the decline of DVDs now, for those with the dosh, could they afford not to subscribe to Disney's streamer?

Re: Netflix/Streaming Services
 

It won't be.

---------- Post added at 10:22 ---------- Previous post was at 10:21 ----------

People in the imaginary world will.

Re: Netflix/Streaming Services
 

But 130m people, the amount of people who currently pay for Netflix, disagree.

Re: Netflix/Streaming Services
 

And many of those have it as a add on to supplement their normal Linear TV viewing.

Re: Netflix/Streaming Services
 

As do I, but once all the kind of programmes I watch are streamed, I and many others will ditch scheduled linear TV.

I don't understand this love affair some people are having with an outdated, inflexible system, given the much better alternative, free of advertisements and there when you want it.

I completely understand that there are still problems to be overcome with live streaming, but in a few short years, those problems will be a thing of the past.

I think most people, given the value for money streaming services provide, would go for the streaming services rather than the existing channels if they would be better off as a result. I am already paying for Netflix, Prime and Now TV, so if two or three more streaming services came along to fill in the gaps, I would be very happy to go for them and ditch the £60 or so I am paying now for the pay tv channels.

Re: Netflix/Streaming Services
 

Is it linear if watched at a diff time, Den? ;)

Re: Netflix/Streaming Services
 

In its current form Netflix offers TV Shows and movies from many different studios/broadcasters in the world your describing it will only have it's own content to rely on and be competing against other huge competitors. People only have so much money to go around.

In my previous post I never mentioned the likes of Google and Apple.

Re: Netflix/Streaming Services
 

Were you not saying that 5 years ago.;)

Re: Netflix/Streaming Services
 

Yes, well I haven't changed my view on this yet. While there are still programmes worth seeing on the pay tv channels, I will continue to subscribe to them if they are not replicated elsewhere.

I have already ditched Sky Cinema through Virgin and now watch those films through Now TV. So the process has begun. I'm just waiting for the industry to catch up with my view of the future world.

---------- Post added at 11:59 ---------- Previous post was at 11:58 ----------

Speaking for myself, I only watch Netflix and Amazon originals anyway.

Re: Netflix/Streaming Services
 

Many of which aren't actually Netflix Originals they are just advertised as such in territories other than that of the host broadcaster.

Re: Netflix/Streaming Services
 

Fully agree.

The media landscape will look very different to now.

I can't remember whether there was a single incident or not (I seem to recall Netflix having a spat with Disney several years ago, at the back of my mind, but I'm maybe wrong on that), but when Netflix decided to make its own shows, that totally changed everything.

All of a sudden there was a platform available globally (almost) which had a direct relationship to its customers and fully controlled its own content. No licensing deals to haggle over, no arguing over how much to pay per subscriber, it totally changed everything. No middlemen. No extra costs.

As I've said before, I hate all these separate apps. It was easy when you could switch on your stb and you could select what you wanted from the same interface and with Sky integrating Netflix into their system, that may be the case in the future too with the streamers.

Pay tv companies may integrate the streamers into their systems and offer bundles of streamers for a set price to offset the decline of channels. It may go like that, or it may not.


I do think there will be further consolidation among the American media/telecom/tech cos which should eventually reduce the amount of streamers.

Starting with CBS and Viacom re-merging, then someone like Verizon buying them. Then you have all the others like Sony, the other major film/tv producer in the States and Lionsgate, AMC and Starz. These will all get gobbled up. But if all these companies just have one major streamer each, there will still be at least six streamers. If they all charge something like £10 each a month and then we have to pay for broadband on top, plus sports (for those that want it) it gets very expensive.

The flip side is no more buying DVDs and having instant access to all Hollywood at a touch of button. With cord cutting increasing in the States and the cable/sat cos revenues eroding from traditional pay tv bundles, it seems blindingly obvious which way the wind is blowing, does it not??

Re: Netflix/Streaming Services
 

If you have six streamers averaging £10 per month, that will be around the same as the Full House on Virgin now, so I really don't see this as a problem. If there are also discounts available through bundling, that would bring the cost down as well.

As I said before, sport is a different kettle of fish, but I fully expect to see prices reduce over time as the new way of doing things settles down and the industry consolidates.

I think we can exclude broadband from the equation as we are having to fork out for that anyway.

Re: Netflix/Streaming Services
 

Is this not the poster whose predictions for the last 2 Premier Leagues TV rights were that they were going the way of the streamers as they were going to blow Sky and BT out of the water no ifs and no buts..

Re: Netflix/Streaming Services
 

6 streamers at £10 so a total of £60 bargain.

I currently pay around that and get Sky Cinema , Sky Multiroom and Sky Sports and Netflix Premium.

So your above example would cost me more when Sport was added.

Re: Netflix/Streaming Services
 

Amazing how any customer would want to pay more MM.

Re: Netflix/Streaming Services
 

I said this time or next time, Den, as you well know!

---------- Post added at 14:15 ---------- Previous post was at 14:12 ----------

I was comparing with Virgin's Full House.

I don't know your circumstances, but I would imagine you are not paying the full price, having taken advantage of various deals.

Of course, streaming services have deals as well. You have to compare like with like.

Re: Netflix/Streaming Services
 

Netflix and Amazon have set prices usually with a free trial , only Now TV offers deals and that's part of Sky.

Re: Netflix/Streaming Services
 

And no doubt you will say it each time the rights come up.;)

Re: Netflix/Streaming Services
 

No. I have consistently said either this time or next time.

Re: Netflix/Streaming Services
 

I hope streamers don't win rights, it will cost a fortune for a decent package of sports.

Re: Netflix/Streaming Services
 

Exactly. This really annoys me. Many people are giving Netflix credit for something they had nothing to do with, not even funding-wise in a great many cases. It's greatly misleading.

Not that Amazon don't do it too. The upcoming Good Omens was a BBC originated production and yet Amazon are promoting it like it was all them and they only half funded it in that case and came to the project late after it was realised it needed to be a co-production to do it justice. I'm waiting to watch it on BBC Two.

Re: Netflix/Streaming Services
 

That's now. As more competition enters the market, expect more deals being advertised to entice prospective subscribers.

Re: Netflix/Streaming Services
 

Not something I'd ever watch but I wouldn't be surprised if Sky follow VM and add Hayu considering it's owners are Comcast.

Re: Netflix/Streaming Services
 

They won't...

Re: Netflix/Streaming Services
 

Well he may be correct as it will always be this time or next in his world.

Have to agree - streaming will end up with higher prices for sports fans if the rights are spread amongst more companies as OB suggests

Re: Netflix/Streaming Services
 

I thought Sky satellite subscribers had this now. It's on Now TV.

---------- Post added at 18:01 ---------- Previous post was at 17:58 ----------

I have only said this just prior to the bids auction this year, so I'm not sure why you would think that.

---------- Post added at 18:11 ---------- Previous post was at 18:01 ----------

Shows leaving Netflix this month.

https://variety.com/2018/digital/new...18-1203007126/

---------- Post added at 18:21 ---------- Previous post was at 18:11 ----------

Apple is to launch a global video service next year. If so, hopefully it will be available on the V6s.

http://informitv.com/2018/10/25/appl...ce/#more-24338

I am a little underwhelmed by the pace at which Apple, such an innovative and respected company, is moving in this area.

Re: Netflix/Streaming Services
 

I don't want more streamers Old Boy, but the fact that Apple has the Foundation series rights with several more big names in the works, shows they intend to be a major player in the media world.

---------- Post added at 18:56 ---------- Previous post was at 18:25 ----------

It's already too expensive now. It used to be just Sky, then BT and other channels and now streamers too...

Really??

I don't know if you have Amazon Prime or not, but over the last year they have shown live tennis and American football from America, boxing, snooker, motor car racing and perhaps a few others.

What they've shown would not be considered major for a UK audience, but Amazon are testing the waters and don't forget they've picked up a new batch of premier league rights that was offered at the last football rights auction:

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/44396151

Re: Netflix/Streaming Services
 

Actually we do have Amazon Prime which is useful as a add on to our normal TV services which is the same for the vast majority of people and l don't see that changing.

---------- Post added at 19:14 ---------- Previous post was at 19:05 ----------

They picked up two very small packages of 10 matches which basically amounts to shopping in the bargain basement area of a shop as there is not a chance of them ever going for the main big football packages because for Amazon or any other streaming company the figures don't add up financially.

Re: Netflix/Streaming Services
 

How do you come to that conclusion, Denphone?

Re: Netflix/Streaming Services
 

Assuming you are talking about the 2 minor packages of PL rights that no-one originally wanted (well not at the price PL wanted for them) - this amounts to all of the games in 2 rounds of midweek premier league matches.

It remains to be seen how they recover the amount they paid for them (whatever it was - never been disclosed so I suspect it was way below what sky/BT pay per game) and how much it will cost to stream a game.

Hardly a major breakthrough!

Re: Netflix/Streaming Services
 

They've only just started, it's a toe in the water job for Amazon, you can never say never, Den!

Re: Netflix/Streaming Services
 

A big shake up in the sports broadcasting market would come if someone like the Premier League decided not to sell their TV rights instead opting to launch their own streaming service. Maybe selling rights to Amazon recently was the Premier League testing the water's by way of proxy. I'm sure we'd see the 3pm blackout rule, that Eleven Sports have been contesting recently, dissappear fairly quickly.

Re: Netflix/Streaming Services
 

... that idea would be the ultimate cutting out the middleman. Very interesting.

Pay tv like Sky was always driven primarily by football, if the pay tv platforms lose this to the streamers or the PL directly, its game over for the likes of Sky and BT.

Re: Netflix/Streaming Services
 

It's just a toe in the water before the big plunge, Raider.

---------- Post added at 23:12 ---------- Previous post was at 23:04 ----------

Agreed, but for some strange reason, there are some people who would like Sky, who have single-handedly raised the cost of Premiership football to this astronomical level, to retain the exclusive rights to the majority of rights to screen these football matches.

I think that ultimately the new players will forge a course that will see a reduction in these obscene level of charges to football supporters.

Re: Netflix/Streaming Services
 

So more bidding competition for Premier League football equals cheaper costs for us the viewers interesting.

Re: Netflix/Streaming Services
 

Innovativè models can make for cheaper subscriptions. Let's see what transpires!

Re: Netflix/Streaming Services
 

You have no substantive proof of that nor are you likely to.

---------- Post added at 04:45 ---------- Previous post was at 04:44 ----------

You keep saying OB but if you keep saying that you might believe yourself one day.

---------- Post added at 04:47 ---------- Previous post was at 04:45 ----------

Who l wonder? as l myself have been a consistent critic on many a occasion.

---------- Post added at 04:49 ---------- Previous post was at 04:47 ----------

As ever the dream world and OB go hand in hand.:)

---------- Post added at 04:50 ---------- Previous post was at 04:49 ----------

l await like you for that to ever come to fruition.

Re: Netflix/Streaming Services
 

Not at all - the level of payments increased astronomically when the PL were forced to sell packages of rights with no 1 broadcaster allowed them all. This is when sky had to substantially increase their bids.

Without this intervention (in the guise of competition to benefit the customer) the payments would not have risen so high as any newcomer would have had to outbid sky for all the rights rather than 1 or 2 packages - this has proven detrimental to the customer as they have ended up paying significantly more to view all broadcast games.

I would not be surprised if PL tried to set up their own streaming service - however would clubs throw away all that guaranteed income for a share of a hypothetical amount - bearing in mind the cost of processing the payments, securing content and advertising would fall on them rather than sky/BT.

I suspect we will never get to see the viewing figures per match for these 2 streamed packages.

Re: Netflix/Streaming Services
 

Now TV offline viewing is coming to Sky Cinema, Entertainment and Hayu before Christmas

https://www.t3.com/news/exclusive-no...fore-christmas

Re: Netflix/Streaming Services
 

Well, the Disney app appears to be in the offing for the UK soon.

https://www.a516digital.com/2018/11/...g-comcast.html

Media analysts say that Sky could face the loss of programmes and movies from Disney and Fox following the failure of 21st Century Fox, and its new owner Disney, to gain control of the company.

Contracts are due to be renewed by 2020, but Disney is known to be in the advanced stages of planning its own direct-to-consumer streaming and on-demand service, which could side-step the need to do a deal with Sky.

The Guardian quotes Sarah Simon of research firm Berenberg as saying that "Disney now doesn’t have any incentive to renew its programming deals with Sky unless it’s on extremely good financial terms.”

Sky has traditionally enjoyed a strong relationship with Disney, encompassing a Disney-branded movie channel and a long term carriage agreement for Disney's children's channels. However, in 2016, Disney Channel left Sky's streaming service Now TV in an early move away from providing online content through Sky in favour of building its own portfolio. Disney has also pulled content from streaming service Netflix to ensure it has full control over its content online.

However, it is also being reported that Sky has already secured longer-term movie deals with two other Hollywood studios ensuring that the company will continue to be able to provide blockbuster content in the coming years, regardless of any issues with Disney.

In a statement last month, Sky boss Jeremy Darroch revealed that the company would be buying in fewer niche movies going forward.

Re: Netflix/Streaming Services
 

Right so what content we talking movies or movies and TV shows ?

If it's the latter it seems a risky manoeuvre in the UK even for someone the size of Disney.

I'd imagine Disney makes significant money by being included in pay TV platforms subscription bundles plus the money it makes from Sky Cinema you also have to factor in the licensing deals it has with numerous pay TV sand terrestrial UK broadcasters for its shows.

Re: Netflix/Streaming Services
 

I think it will be the films, but I wouldn't be surprised if they also included TV series. They could still be made available to other operators, just not on an exclusive basis.

Re: Netflix/Streaming Services
 

Without exclusivity Sky will pay nowhere near what they currently do.

My point is that if Disney are going to go Direct to the Consumer is that with all it's content ie Fox , Disney Movies , Pixar , ABC TV Shows etc.

If so we could well see Disney content going from all pay TV platforms I suppose the only possibility would be a deal for the app to be included on the STB.

Movies could soon be as pricey as Sport , 3 or 4 subscriptions to see all the studios.

I know you predict this better app world but in my opinion it's going to be a costlier one.

Re: Netflix/Streaming Services
 

On the other hand, if you drop the exclusivity, you get a lower price but you also have the option to make it available on more platforms. There are various ways Disney could play this, including making their streaming apps available on Sky and Virgin in place of the TV channels they are now on. It doesn't necessarily mean a higher price to be paid by the subscriber. It just means the scheduled channels depart and in their place we get a streaming service. Sky and Virgin would still have to pay Disney for the programmes, but these programmes would be made available in a different way.

It is true that Sky could demand that subscribers pay Disney directly and continue to charge the same for their channel bundles, but why would they do that? If the cost to Sky was about the same or lower, surely the Disney app would just be made part of existing channel packages. Wholesale deals like this must be good for the streamers because it guarantees a level of income, which should mean that they can reduce the price charged to Sky, Virgin and BT.

Re: Netflix/Streaming Services
 

Personally, I see no reason why movies should be cheaper than sport anyway.:confused:

Re: Netflix/Streaming Services
 

Most interesting and so it begins. Expect the same from AT&T, Viacom/CBS and others at some point too.We spoke about this the other day and yes it is Very risky for Disney to give up on all its lucractive revenue it makes from various broadcasters. But the media cos have seen what Netflix has done, can they afford not to do the same, even if it is a major gamble?

---------- Post added at 01:19 ---------- Previous post was at 01:12 ----------

Could be and I agree, the only bit of cash Sky might get out of Disney in the future, is if the Disney app is integrated into SkyQ. As for what will be on the Disney app, we'll have to wait and see. We don't know yet whether it will be one all inclusive app, or separate ones like they're doing in the States at the moment.

---------- Post added at 01:30 ---------- Previous post was at 01:19 ----------

Channel wise, Disney and Fox don't have that much of a presence in the UK, so the real issue here is on demand rights and specifically films.

The enlarged Disney will control a third of all Hollywood's content and if they pull their content from Sky's film channels, it threatens the future viability of these channels. If the other media cos copy Disney and do the same, that will destroy Sky's film service totally.

Re: Netflix/Streaming Services
 

If that happens, instead of Sky Cinema channels, we will get film apps from the big players on the Sky and Virgin services. I should imagine there will be both films and TV shows on these channels.

Re: Netflix/Streaming Services
 

Re: Netflix/Streaming Services
 

Sky's future is secure. It's parent has several decades worth of content and rights to tons of stuff. The question is, what that future will be.

Personally, as a traditional pay tv platform, I think that will start to come to end now, especially if Disney pull their content. Whether Comcast, America's largest cable co, decides to invest in UK fibre broadband, remains to be see. Openreach is now "separate" from BT and the poles and ducts are meant to be open to anyone, a potentially very attractive proposition for Comcast. They could "cable" up the UK's cities and largest towns very quickly, if they so choose to do so.

Going by the Comcast/Sky webcast the other week though, I think the direction is clear. Comcast will use Sky/Now Tv and turn that into a global streaming service. So, the days of being able to watch all the new Hollywood films from one service is probably coming to a end, but we'll see. It's a high stakes gamble and if it goes wrong, it will kill off the "old" Hollywood media companies.

Old boy, I don't see there being several specific film apps into the long term. Either these companies "do" streaming properly in the end, with a Netflix like service, or they don't.

Re: Netflix/Streaming Services
 

I think that there is still an attraction for the film studios to let one or two streaming services deal with making their material available to the public, and Netflix and Amazon are the obvious choices for that. However, some of the film studios clearly do want to go it alone and others may follow if the Disney experience proves to be successful.

Either way, Sky, Virgin and BT almost certainly will be showing films via streaming services rather than Sky-owned channels in the foreseeable future. Once Disney does it in the UK, big changes will be made across the board, I think.

Re: Netflix/Streaming Services
 

Crickey OB no wonder Denphone pulls you up so much your views change more than that of a politician.

The link above confirms Sky has just extended its deals with 2 other studios and Universal are owned by Comcast so I'd expect Sky Cinema to stay even if it loses Disney/Fox content in 2020.

The studios going alone eventually will see content removed from Netflix and Amazon.

Re: Netflix/Streaming Services
 

Well, they may show films via streaming services, if the streamer gets placed onto the platforms.

If you think about Amazon, after books and music, its origins were in DVD sales. With DVD sales on terminal decline and Amazon only dipping their toe into streaming, I'm not sure how Amazon fits into the streaming world yet. They're certainly not copying Netflix and spending several billion on content. They could, but for now, they're not.

Re: Netflix/Streaming Services
 

l always thought he was a politician in disguise.:D

Re: Netflix/Streaming Services
 

But Disney/Fox content accounts for a third of all stuff on Sky's films channels. That's a massive loss. Lose another studio and then it will be up to almost a half of content lost.

Re: Netflix/Streaming Services
 

Strange how that is forgotten somehow.;)

Re: Netflix/Streaming Services
 

Agreed but they'll obviously have to change how they sell it , wasn't Sky Movies originally included with Sky TV years back ?

Content lost money saved to invest elsewhere haven't they ready dabbled with original movies ?

I suppose another option is making the Movies be part of the Ultimate On Demand package it now sells.