Thread: General Changes to Virgin TV (2021)
View Single Post
Old 31-07-2021, 15:37   #1050
jfman
Architect of Ideas
 
Join Date: Dec 2004
Posts: 11,146
jfman has a nice shiny star
jfman has a nice shiny star
Re: Changes to Virgin TV (2021)

Quote:
Originally Posted by RichardCoulter View Post
It could be that BT want to extend the contract for a relatively short time for the reasons you say (or because they intend to go down the streaming route), but VM want a longer term contract??

I wouldn't pay for it as a standalone product and I agree that most other people wouldn't either.

Since LG bought the company, Virgin have made it clear to channel operators that if things don't go their way, that they are prepared to withdraw channels.

Also, if VM have got wind of a definitive plan to go streaming, they will eventually have to face any backlash from customers anyway, so why not sooner rather than later?
BT won’t have definitive plans for anything re BT Sport - you can’t put half of your business up for sale and commit your as yet unidentifiable business partner to your business model. It only decreases the pool of potential investors.

The most obvious reason to accept a short term contract (over none) is that taking a hit later rather than now is an improved financial outcome. Regardless of how many people genuinely have BT Sport as a factor for subscribing tens of thousands, if not hundreds of thousands, will be onto retentions.
jfman is offline