Could Virgin lose the right to offer Sky Sports 1 & 2?
 

This article refers to BT TV, but the removal of the 'Wholesale Must Offer Obligation' affects all competitors to Sky:

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/n...aps-rules.html

re: Could Virgin lose the right to offer Sky Sports 1 & 2?
 

Nothing will happen for several years as Virgin and Sky signed a contract a while back but when it ends then one suspects prices could rise quite a bit.....

re: Could Virgin lose the right to offer Sky Sports 1 & 2?
 

Good job that VM had the foresight to sign a contract.

re: Could Virgin lose the right to offer Sky Sports 1 & 2?
 

Its what might happen when the contract ends which will be interesting to see.

re: Could Virgin lose the right to offer Sky Sports 1 & 2?
 

Probably exactly the same as now , it's a completely different market now with the launch of BT Sport.

It's all about viewers and keeping people interested in subscribing , Sky Sports need VM just as VM need Sky Sports

re: Could Virgin lose the right to offer Sky Sports 1 & 2?
 

This thread's title is incorrect and misleading. Ofcom's press release on the ruling quite clearly says that

"The only supply arrangement for Sky Sports 1 and 2 under Ofcom's wholesale must-offer regulation is with BT for its YouView service." http://media.ofcom.org.uk/news/2015/wmo-statement/

So the ruling has nothing to do with Virgin's carriage terms for Sky Sports, which includes not just Sky Sports 1 and 2 but 3, 4, 5 and F1 too, all in HD

re: Could Virgin lose the right to offer Sky Sports 1 & 2?
 

Brilliantly dramatic headline.

re: Could Virgin lose the right to offer Sky Sports 1 & 2?
 

Well it's not like he hasn't had previous of being over dramatic or overstating the truth:rolleyes::rolleyes::rolleyes:

re: Could Virgin lose the right to offer Sky Sports 1 & 2?
 

Not quite true. If you read the Ofcom statement you will find that various appeals are still on going. Virgin is entitled to use the must-offer regulation, it just happens not to as its in Sky's interest to continue to supply all sports to them and others.

Re: Could Virgin lose the right to offer Sky Sports 1 & 2?
 

Re: Could Virgin lose the right to offer Sky Sports 1 & 2?
 

One of the reasons Sky relented & added the previously exclusive HD channels to VM's sports offering was due in part to them losing sports subscribers to BT.

Re: Could Virgin lose the right to offer Sky Sports 1 & 2?
 

I'mNope, VM will lose the right to carry Sky Sports 1 and 2 when their carriage agreement ends.

Carriage beyond this will be subject to normal commercial negotiation. VM can no longer use the must offer ruling and associated rate card for the fees.

Exactly.

I wonder if the sale of the VM channels to Sky played any part too.

---------- Post added at 02:57 ---------- Previous post was at 02:54 ----------

Examples of your allegation would be useful, as would a more polite posting style in general.

Re: Could Virgin lose the right to offer Sky Sports 1 & 2?
 

And you know this for certain? Of course you don't. The current Sky carriage deal with Virgin was renewed last year and runs until 2019 (http://gu.com/p/3p679?CMP=Share_iOSApp_Other).
Virgin Media is not a threat to Sky's TV content business and, with the exception of the withholding of Sky Atlantic, is its biggest customer in the wholesaling game. Why would Sky not extend existing and profitable agreements that add an audience of 4m homes to their core market? Sky makes more out of each VM Sky Sports subscriber than VM.
BT is different, a threat to Sky because it challenges them on those critical sports rights, pushing up the price at each negotiation and, with the Champions League, winning outright. Virgin is a commercial partner for Sky, BT a commercial threat.

Re: Could Virgin lose the right to offer Sky Sports 1 & 2?
 

Richard is technically correct that VM will lose the right to carry these channels. But VM have never used that right anyway - they have always negotiated separately for Sky content.

Move along, nothing to see here...

Re: Could Virgin lose the right to offer Sky Sports 1 & 2?
 

Agreed. Glad to see the moderator has retitled the thread - no point in alarmist headlines when the current contract has four more years to run.

Re: Could Virgin lose the right to offer Sky Sports 1 & 2?
 

'M could loose them but more than likely they won't.

Re: Could Virgin lose the right to offer Sky Sports 1 & 2?
 

A doomsday scenario as several say which is highly unlikely.

Re: Could Virgin lose the right to offer Sky Sports 1 & 2?
 

By the time the VM/Sky deal expires in 2019 the whole TV carriage landscape will have changed dramatically.

Re: Could Virgin lose the right to offer Sky Sports 1 & 2?
 

That remains open to debate...

Re: Could Virgin lose the right to offer Sky Sports 1 & 2?
 

Being that you have a blog and general interest in this area how do you think it will change ? I'm not disagreeing with you just interested in your views.

Re: Could Virgin lose the right to offer Sky Sports 1 & 2?
 

Probably via a Nowtv style app on Virgin so VM customers can deal directly with sky.

Re: Could Virgin lose the right to offer Sky Sports 1 & 2?
 

You don't even need that: the Now TV box is only £15 and is faster than any hypothetical TiVo Now TV app will be. Why wait?

---------- Post added at 14:09 ---------- Previous post was at 14:08 ----------

That's a small question that merits a big answer. I'll post something in the next few days if anyone's interested.

Re: Could Virgin lose the right to offer Sky Sports 1 & 2?
 

Agreed, my salient point was that VM will lose the automatic right to show these channels (along with all the other Pay TV providers).

I do feel that, despite this, it is likely that the channels will continue to be shown after the current contractual agreement ends, by way of a new contract being signed.

---------- Post added at 16:05 ---------- Previous post was at 16:00 ----------

The thread title was correct, however, I have been in contact with a moderator to support a change to avoid any assumptions that these channels would disappear from VM as the likelihood is that they won't.

Re: Could Virgin lose the right to offer Sky Sports 1 & 2?
 

I think the threat to Sky and any other PPV operator with the ease of access to the internet streaming services available should be their biggest concern... For punters like me who actually want to pay they want to grab them with both hands regardless of platform.
If you are any doubt, you just need to see Ebay and Android boxes...
Of course quality comes into it ... but price will always be top preference.

Re: Could Virgin lose the right to offer Sky Sports 1 & 2?
 

Yes, we'll have Now TV as a streaming service on our cloud based Tivo by then!

Re: Could Virgin lose the right to offer Sky Sports 1 & 2?
 

Oh dear more pie in the sky it seems.;)

Re: Could Virgin lose the right to offer Sky Sports 1 & 2?
 

For the simple reason that we don't want a plethora of boxes in our lounge!

Let's get all of our streaming services on just one (faster running) Tivo box!

---------- Post added at 19:05 ---------- Previous post was at 19:04 ----------

Well, if you say it often enough, Denmark, maybe some day someone will grasp the nettle!

Re: Could Virgin lose the right to offer Sky Sports 1 & 2?
 

Nowtv isn't even on Samsung smart tvs and Samsung are a lot bigger than VM also nowtv isn't on firetv either.
Nowtv will never be on vms tivo unless vm lose all the sky channels and that is a huge unless.

Re: Could Virgin lose the right to offer Sky Sports 1 & 2?
 

But what is happening now may be a lot different from what will happen in the future.

VM do not make a lot of profit from showing Sky channels, particularly the premium channels. Given the protests over the cost of VM TV, I suspect there will be a change of strategy in the future. VM subscribers to their television packages may well find themselves subscribing direct to Sky via Now TV, with an alternative option available which will include Liberty Global exclusives, such as those available from all3media, which is owned by John Malone's Liberty Global.

http://www.all3media.com/Content/CompaniesPageLan.html

Re: Could Virgin lose the right to offer Sky Sports 1 & 2?
 

That sounds a great business plan come to our platform then subscribe direct to Sky , where do you think these up.

Re: Could Virgin lose the right to offer Sky Sports 1 & 2?
 

Perhaps he has one of those dodgy crystal balls.;):D

Re: Could Virgin lose the right to offer Sky Sports 1 & 2?
 

Well, judging by many recent posts on this forum, people are seriously contemplating jumping ship anyway. Offering a large range of content via Sky, Netflix, Amazon, etc, coupled with Virgin's own exclusive mix of channels could stem the flow and actually encourage subscribers to the platform.

Only last year, people were ecstatic that VM had made great strides in providing us with so many missing channels, and yet this year, despondency has set in and people seem to be about to leave in their droves. Public opinion and technology are moving at a fast pace in this industry.

It is urgent that VM re-think their TV offerings or they will lose a lot of business unnecessarily. The strategy to ditch content to appease Sky has not worked as well as was expected IMHO and an alternative needs to be dreamt up without delay.

Some may scoff at my vision of the future, but remember that John Malone is on record as saying that content can be acquired from many different sources without having to own it yourself. My observations are completely in line with that way of thinking.

---------- Post added at 10:05 ---------- Previous post was at 10:03 ----------

My balls are remarkably clear, Den

Re: Could Virgin lose the right to offer Sky Sports 1 & 2?
 

If anything VM would be more likely to pull out of the tv market than allow nowtv on their devices.
Tbh though mate just get a ROKU box it has nowtv on it, netflix, amazon instant video it is much faster and stabler than the clinky tivo and cheaper too if you think about it.

Re: Could Virgin lose the right to offer Sky Sports 1 & 2?
 

I think there are three main things responsible for the despondency with the Virgin TV offering:
1. Price rises, including the mandatory one for XL customers regardless of whether we wanted BT Europe or not. News of yet another rise early in 2016 is hugely unpopular (see the poll on VMHD).
2. TiVo looking distinctly last decade now, with overall performance still laughably slow and Apps increasingly unreliable; iPlayer, YouTube and Netflix all still have issues.
3. Now TV now a reliable and cheaper option, offering pay per view Sky Sports and movies when you want them, rather than tying you into a minimum of a year's contract. Also it has the missing ITV Encore, Sky Atlantic, and with Sky box sets and on demand content it makes the VM TV offering overpriced and underwhelming by comparison.
I'm on Big Kahuna until February but will downsize sooner if I get the chance. I don't use the home phone line nor do I watch over 200 of the channels I pay for.

Re: Could Virgin lose the right to offer Sky Sports 1 & 2?
 

I have a Roku stick already, theone, and I concur with you that Roku is a good way to go.

But this doesn't mean that VM have to stick with their current way of doing things, which is not working - they are falling behind.

They need a new, updated and fast box and they need as many streaming services as they can muster. I don't believe that there is the reticence at VM to embrace the Now TV app on the Tivo as some are suggesting. VM know that the absence of Sky Atlantic is a big problem for them, and this is probably the best way of bringing that channel to VM subscribers.

---------- Post added at 12:20 ---------- Previous post was at 12:18 ----------

I don't disagree with your sentiments, Nialli, which is why I believe that VM need to think (to some people's minds) the unthinkable.

Re: Could Virgin lose the right to offer Sky Sports 1 & 2?
 

Another price rise will make customers evaluate their options and, frankly, there are much better and cheaper alternatives out there now. It's no longer "Sky or Virgin" - TV has moved on, just not at Virgin.

Re: Could Virgin lose the right to offer Sky Sports 1 & 2?
 

True, I received a letter today that said my package is increasing by £5 per month in return for absolutely nothing as far as I can tell. They're taking the urine now and I will certainly be considering my options.

Re: Could Virgin lose the right to offer Sky Sports 1 & 2?
 

This is all very well, but if you are a sports fan and have been used to watching your sport in HD, and lets face it sport really shows the benefits of an HD broadcast, then it's a big step backwards in PQ having to watch it in SD, so that would be a no no for me for a start, and probably many other people too.

Re: Could Virgin lose the right to offer Sky Sports 1 & 2?
 

Their picture quality is crap pure and simple.

Re: Could Virgin lose the right to offer Sky Sports 1 & 2?
 

Short answer to this question: no. Virgin media and sky are not at war. Virgin media is a kitten currently rolling on its back and wanting dominant companies to scratch it's belly. Sky have the advantage over Virgin media due to the fact virgin media don't care whatsoever about their tv packages. They haven't got Atlantic. They're not prepared to pay for Atlantic. Yet keep putting prices up.

Sky know virgin medias game. Maximise profits to sell ASAP. To withhold sky sports to a non threatening organisation like virgin media would be suicide since virgin media are not a threat whatsoever. There will always be some people who will never go to sky and get a satellite dish. Sky created now tv for people like that.

We are completely irrelevant to sky. Sky need help paying off the huge EPL bill. No chance this will happen.

If it does I'll strip naked for this forum whilst quacking like a duck

Re: Could Virgin lose the right to offer Sky Sports 1 & 2?
 

Well said.
I think Now TV is a masterstroke and the only thing that can hold it back is Sky getting over-protective about its core satellite revenues. If they keep the pricing reasonable, make the right level of back-end investment and take the streaming channels at least to 720p it has the potential to be a considerable player in the years ahead.

Re: Could Virgin lose the right to offer Sky Sports 1 & 2?
 

l remember some wise venerable old boy saying he would eat his hat if BT Sport arrived on the XL pack so its unwise Vince to make pledges somehow you might find hard to keep on this forum.;):D

Re: Could Virgin lose the right to offer Sky Sports 1 & 2?
 

I seem to recall a member having to eat their underpants a while ago. :D

Re: Could Virgin lose the right to offer Sky Sports 1 & 2?
 

I don't think Sky or VM's current way of bundling channels is sustainable long term.

VM once led the market with On Demand , now you could argue they're playing catch up with the rest.

Re: Could Virgin lose the right to offer Sky Sports 1 & 2?
 

Can you tell us why you think that MM?.

Re: Could Virgin lose the right to offer Sky Sports 1 & 2?
 

Agree the live channels are not very good quality unless they are via apple tv which is hd.
For live sport i use the American channels i get NBCsports streams at 1080i with no problems on all my devices, most of the us channels also stream at either 720p or 1080i.
I think we will see nowtv up their quality in time especially as they have already launched a 1080p capable nowtv box too.

Re: Could Virgin lose the right to offer Sky Sports 1 & 2?
 

Hahah yes I remember it too. Well it wouldn't bother me. We're all friends here ;) haha