Quote:
Originally Posted by Ignitionnet
Sky haven't done that so far, no reason to think they would now.
Sky have every right, given they are the ones investing in the content, to expect a return from it. If things were all that bad Sky would have no regulation at all and would be able to completely withhold all their content.
That Virgin Media are able to offer some HD for free, are paying down their debt and are quite robustly cash flow positive indicates the money is there if they choose to invest in content however the clear direction of the company has been towards being a carrier rather than provider of content.
It's pretty rich of Virgin Media to ask for access to anything given they refuse to offer either active or passive access to their network. Sky's content is their network really, they are a content business.
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Sky have never started up a general entertainment channel with the intentiion of keeping it purely to customers of the Sky platform before. That is new. This is in addition to customers paying Sky for sports but Sky keeping some content from them which is a spiteful act IMO. To get any access to Sky's premium HD VM had to sell their channels to them. Now customers are paying £7 a month for premium HD but Sky is still holding back some HD. From a customer/consumer point of view, this is wrong.
Access to VM's network is another matter. I am argueing this purely from a customer/consumer rights position. It doesn't harm the customer considering that one of their competitors has such dominance. I think I read that Ofcom had investigated this and come to that very conclusion.
I don't accept the rosy picture you paint of VM's financial position and giving some HD for free is to compete with Sky. It is actually things like this that I like about competition. The longer VM don't charge for HD the more pressure will be on Sky to drop the charge.
How much cash have Sky got and how much are VM in debt? Trying to compete with Sky on content would be like me going up against Lord sugar at a sotheby's auction.
I am arguing all this from a consumer/customer pov. If the position reversed tomorrow and VM started to act like sky, which I have no reason to believe they wouldn't, I would immediately start posting in favour of Sky customers rights. That is the thing though it will never happen becayuse although to an extent the cable industry has started to get it's act together, we have long since passed the tipping point where anyone can compete with Sky on a level playing field.