Thread: General Coming Soon to Virgin TV (2013) Vol. 5.
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Old 07-11-2013, 14:48   #2682
OLD BOY
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Re: Coming Soon to Virgin TV (2013) Vol. 5.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Chad View Post
The channel is coming up for it's 3rd anniversary, with only 2 years left under the existing HBO deal.

Let's see what happens. The channel might not have a long term future
I can see Netflix getting the next HBO exclusive deal, which will be good for us. Sky's own business plan must be identifying this changing market and they will need to be extremely smart to adapt over the next few years without losing a shed full of money in subscriptions and advertising revenue.

Without HBO, Sky Atlantic is in trouble, and if Netflix and others also grab the film rights from studios as existing deals come up for renewal, Sky will have to think about the implications of that for Sky Movies.

I'm sure they will come up answers as they usually do! As far as Atlantic is concerned, I expect they will put all their US dramas on there in the future and put home made shows on Sky 1 to replace US programming on that channel. If the 'Strikeback' series is anything to go by, this could be a successful strategy.

Sky 2 needs a re-think and I wouldn't be at all surprised to see a re-branding here. Pick TV should start showing more good programmes during peak hours that were shown on Sky 1 up to 10 years ago. That wouldn't cost them too much and would enlighten non subscribing viewers to what they have been missing on Sky without existing subscribers being resentful and wondering what they were paying for if newer programmes were shown on that channel. This would reward Sky with increased advertising revenues emanating from the bigger Freeview audience.

Sky Movies is different though, and will require an alternative solution. Although they could just rely on showing more films over two years old, they would need to lower their prices, which would be a good idea anyway, given the introduction of Netflix (and Lovefilm at a later date) on VM. Lower prices, in turn, would increase subscriptions.

Incidentally, if I were making these decisions at Sky, I would ensure quality British programming during peak hours on Sky 1, and Sky Arts 2 would be the new Sky 2, with a few changes. This would be a bit more in keeping with the BBC 1/2 model and would transform the perception of Sky for the better in terms of quality broadcasting. It would be a good way of encouraging customers who do not currently go for pay TV to take the plunge.

---------- Post added at 13:48 ---------- Previous post was at 13:45 ----------

Quote:
Originally Posted by bamav View Post
The unique selling point is drying up fast, if it hasn't already, imho.
That's right, and they are paying an awful lot for it, with diminishing returns in terms of new subscriptions. I am sure we must have reached the point by now where additional increased revenues available from advertising when VM viewers are given access will outweigh other considerations.
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