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Originally Posted by muppetman11
I made the point a few weeks ago on here that adding OTT providers added an element of risk in my opinion , as it stands now there's many people don't know about Netflix and Lovefilm instant however I'm sure they will when its showcased on their pay tv providers STB , someone signing up and finding there mainly watching the OTT content could take the view it would be cheaper to downgrade or cancel and stream it on another device your post seems to suggest that some will consider these options.
Most sports fans will stay loyal however its a move that could also impact Sky , Netflix and Lovefilm instant is £10.98 and both include HD compare that too around £25 for Sky Movies with HD fee on VM and you can certainly see people moving to the cheaper option.
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If you think this is likely to be a serious issue, then surely it's evidence in favour of the suggestion that these services will be bundled free of charge in the higher TV packs?
I'm not so sure. The way I see it is (and I'm guessing here) that the majority of people still choose Virgin for broadband first and end up with TV as part of the deal, rather than with Sky where they choose TV first and then take their broadband product. If that's correct, then it stands to reason that the vast majority of Virgin customers (and generalising here, but especially those with a TiVo that have arguably demonstrated a liking of tech by having got one) already have devices capable of accessing Netflix and the like. Couple that with the inertia that customers in this country are renowned for, and I think it unlikely that providing OTT apps will create any significant dent in Virgin's top tier subscriber base.
That said I will certainly be reviewing my options. I have said elsewhere that BT Sport's lunchtime Premier League matches don't suit my work schedule in the same way that ESPN's early evening matches used to (and that's before we get in to a discussion about the quality of their offering), and I gave up on Sky Sports as poor value for money some time ago. I do find myself paying for TV XL now almost solely for Fox and to get HD variants which I really can live without. With shows like Walking Dead are finding their way to LoveFilm, albeit slowly, I really could see me dropping my TV package by a tier and using any saving towards an OTT subscription which will provide me with more content.
We'll see. I certainly intend to subscribe to Netflix as and when it arrives on TiVo, and I'm out of contract in December, which is roughly when I expect to receive notice of any price increases from Virgin. I shall probably use the one or two months in between to make a detailed analysis of exactly what I make most use of and what I can do without and will go from there.
BUT, isn't it great that I'll have these decisions to make. You can't fault Virgin for the choice they're trying to offer.