Re: Coming Soon to Virgin TV (2019)
 

We agree on that point, jfman. I can't remember if the number of Sky Sports channels increased at the time, but if they did, a simple amendment clause would have been all that was required. After all, there was no additional charge for those channels.

Re: Coming Soon to Virgin TV (2019)
 

As for Sky Sports Racing if it’s from a contract dating back to Attheraces it’s probably a long (and uncontroversial) contract. I’m sure ATR was always available on all cable packages, at the end of the day the courses (and bookmakers) want exposure.

It’s probably virtually free and VM don’t feel the need to do anything in respect of HD.

Re: Coming Soon to Virgin TV (2019)
 

Looks like you were right - 5STAR HD has now been removed from the list of forthcoming changes on VM.

Shame, that would have been useful.

Re: Coming Soon to Virgin TV (2019)
 

They just changed the names of the full package of sky spirit channels though? If they had kept some channels from launching on virgin media then they would have lost fairly crucial money from virgin media customers and I believe sky sports is already a loss maker

Re: Coming Soon to Virgin TV (2019)
 

I don't think they would combine the Premium channels deal with the Sky Basics one. They might negotiate them at the same time, but they would keep them separate deals.

As for new channels amending the date, I don't think they would, unless the contract was within final year of the current contract expiring. They would have a bolt-on amendment either already written in or added on saying something like "by mutual agreement additional services can be added on the same terms".

Obviously all of the above is just my opinion.

Re: Coming Soon to Virgin TV (2019)
 

That sounds completely pausible, cheekyangus. Expect an announcement about Virgin's carriage deal with Sky fairly soon now.

Re: Coming Soon to Virgin TV (2019)
 

Rumour: Zing, Living Foodz HD and &TV set to close?

Bizasia is reporting that ZEE TV owners is set to close Zing, Living Foodz and &TV in the UK.

With some shows set to move to Zee TV. Full story @

https://www.bizasialive.com/why-zee-...written-on-it/

Re: Coming Soon to Virgin TV (2019)
 

History HD is moving to Channel 270 from May 14th according to my V6 box.
Maybe History SD is going from VM ?

Re: Coming Soon to Virgin TV (2019)
 

Bound to be, that's the SD channel number, and there are no package availability differences to complicate things.

Wonder if Crime+Inv HD will be next, it is in similar situation.

Maybe we are on another wave of HD swap-outs. Channel 5 HD, 4Seven HD, Quest HD are obvious candidates.

Re: Coming Soon to Virgin TV (2019)
 

Just had a look, that HD Channel moves to Chanel 209, Lifetime HD moves to 208 so there is a round of changes planned that just popped up.

Quest HD, 5 HD, and 4 Seven HD say nothing at the moment.

Re: Coming Soon to Virgin TV (2019)
 

Looks like Lifetime going to 208, Crime to 209, History to 270 and History 2 to 273. So the SD’s closing.

Also found Crime +1 moving to 222

I guess Lifetime HD will retier to whatever pack the SD is in too

Re: Coming Soon to Virgin TV (2019)
 

Probably VM has renewed its deal with A&E Networks UK, the operator of those channels, which is why these swaps are happening.

For those that don't know, A&E UK has just undergone a "few" changes. The parent A&E (American) company is a joint venture between Disney and Hearst and that remains the case, but A&E UK was a joint venture between A&E and Sky.

To appease European regulators to get its takeover of Murdoch's companies cleared, Disney had to sell its stake in the European A&E channels, including the A&E UK ones and it sold its share to Hearst. Additionally, Sky has been taken over by Comcast, so these channels are now a joint venture between Comcast and Hearst, or something like that!:)

Re: Coming Soon to Virgin TV (2019)
 

I didn't know, but that's very interesting. Thanks, Horizon.

---------- Post added at 00:14 ---------- Previous post was at 00:09 ----------

Are you saying History 2 is doing an HD swap out too? If so that would mean a retier for that too. (As an aside I've always thought it strange H2 was available on more tiers than History.)

Re: Coming Soon to Virgin TV (2019)
 

What about 271 and 272?

History +1 on 271 maybe but it would be strange to leave 272 blank, are you sure History 2 is closing, or could it be there?

Re: Coming Soon to Virgin TV (2019)
 

Possible, but 272 has been blank for a while to my (limited) knowledge. Not much reason to change that, it's not like they need a number for a History 2 +1, because 274 could be freed up from an HD swap, and 275 is free already anyway if H2 wasn't swapped out.

History ,+1 and 2 would still be right next to each other on the EPG, and VM wouldn't put another channel from a rival in that slot so it wouldn't matter. Plus it would have the bonus that the number would be familiar already, customers prefer things not to change as they'd have to rememorise them.

It's quite possible VM have a Sky-style mass renumbering (i.e. what Sky did with +1 channels) in mind in a few months time. Why cause unnecessary hassle in the mean time? Multiple HD swaps will create spaces that make a large renumbering easier later on and waiting until the swaps are complete will annoy customers less.