Sky Atlantic, Red button, Sports 3&4(HD), Sky 3D

[Chartwell]

A copy of a letter to Neil Berkett. No doubt I will get a bland, non-commital response from his team.

I will let people know the answer if anyone is interested...

Dear Mr Berkett and your team,

Sky basic channels

I have resisted emailing you since the Sky Sports/Movies HD channel launch on Virgin because I really wanted to give Virgin a chance to back-up its press release claims that it has “the option of carrying any of Sky's basic HD channels”
(source: http://pressoffice.virginmedia.com/p...556&highlight=) This was announced on 4 June 2010, and to date the following Sky basic HD channels are still to appear on Virgin Media:

• Sky Sports News HD
• Sky News HD
• Sky Arts 1 HD
• Sky Arts 2 HD

These are all within Sky’s basic package range. As Virgin has an option of carrying these, why are you depriving your customers of these channels?

In the very same press release, Virgin said: “New carriage agreements will secure wholesale distribution of Sky's basic channel line-up, including Sky1 and Sky Arts, and the newly acquired VMtv channels, on Virgin Media's cable TV service”

Why is Sky Atlantic, and Sky Atlantic HD being allowed to be a Sky exclusive channel? Sky Atlantic is free to all Sky customers, and therefore is a Sky basic channel. Virgin have a wholesale distribution agreement for Sky’s basic channel line-up. Therefore you have a wholesale agreement for Sky Atlantic, and by definition therefore, Sky Atlantic HD.

I am intrigued as to why these six channels (counting Sky Atlantic and Sky Atlantic HD as separate channels) are not on Virgin Media (from 1 Feb 2011). Your press release of June 2010 states you have the option and carriage agreements to have these channels, so why are they not available? Was the negotiation of the deal for the sale of the VMtv channels so poor on Virgin’s part that what you thought and claimed to have signed in June 2010 turned out to be very different to the actual terms and conditions?

Sky Sports red button

The very same press release of June 2010 states: “Virgin Media will make available through its on-demand TV service a range of content from Sky's basic and premium channels, including the newly acquired VMtv channels. Virgin Media will also have access to red button interactive sports coverage and the opportunity to deliver selected standard definition programming over the internet.”

When will the red button facility become available to Virgin customers? I presume that the Virgin negotiators ensured that Virgin customers will get the full service rather than a watered down service? This was seven months ago – why have Virgin been idle for seven months?

Sky Sports 3 & 4 in HD, plus Sky 3D

I realise that Sky are not obligated (via Ofcom) to provide these channels to Virgin. However, have you and your team tried to explore avenues whereby Virgin could provide these channels at an incremental cost? Whilst more expensive, surely giving subscribers the option is of benefit to all concerned – the subscriber, Virgin (happier subscribers, no cost as the fee is passed straight to Sky) and Sky who will receive extra revenue from this arrangement.

I look forward to hearing from you or one of your team soon – and more importantly I look forward to Virgin carrying the Sky basic HD channels in the very near future.

[johnasimmons]

[ottoni]

your wasting your time, good email, but chance of a satisfactory answer, ??????? nil.

[Peter_]

I do hope that you did not send that email with the red text as above as it looks a bit strange and possibly could stop someone from actually taking time to read the text.

[borrissey]

Good questions!!!

Nice one...

[Digital Fanatic]

Chartwell is asking a lot of commercially sensitive questions from VM, also comes across a little rude/patronising?

[HDFootyMan]

What, did people think that the deal would cover all future Sky basic channel launches? Seriously?

Sky Atlantic didn't even exist when VM did the deal with Sky.

To be honest, I'm surprised that people are surprised. What business would do a deal with a rival which gives that rival access for future content/products as soon as their released?

Its like Sony asking Microsoft for Fable Basics on the PS3, and then being annoyed 3 months later when Fable III launches as an exclusive for the Xbox 360.

Originally Posted by Digital Fanatic

Chartwell is asking a lot of commercially sensitive questions from VM, also comes across a little rude/patronising?

He/She is a paying customer like the rest of us. He/She has the right to ask what direction Virgin Media are going in terms of TV.

And just lately Virgin seem to be standing still, so I am with the op as it has plenty of valid points.

[howardmicks]

Originally Posted by winkle

He/She is a paying customer like the rest of us. He/She has the right to ask what direction Virgin Media are going in terms of TV.

And just lately Virgin seem to be standing still, so I am with the op as it has plenty of valid points.

Do agree with some of the comments myself and its does appear that vm in terms of tv are starting to take the wrong direction again and seem to be concentrating solely on tivo and trying to get more money out of us v+ customers,Doesnt matter how good tivo looks it needs the channels to support it and at the minute it is looking like sky is controlling what channels we have and dont.Sky have the technology but they have the channels to support it and they appear to grasp that is what customers want more than vm at the min,I really do hope i am wrong

[Henkesghost]

Looking forward to seeing their reply, didn't realise it was as far back as June they promised a lot of that. Pathetic! Great e mail mate

[muppetman11]

Excellent email , the majority of these issues have been raised more than once on here. Let us know if they bother to reply.

[Chartwell]

Originally Posted by Digital Fanatic

Chartwell is asking a lot of commercially sensitive questions from VM, also comes across a little rude/patronising?

VM have the option to not respond - and perhaps it is slightly patronising, but when a company takes seven months to deliver on its promises, perhaps stakeholders are entitled to be somewhat frustrated, as VM could be seen as holding customers in contempt by saying one thing and not delivering.

Originally Posted by HDFootyMan

What, did people think that the deal would cover all future Sky basic channel launches? Seriously?

Sky Atlantic didn't even exist when VM did the deal with Sky.

To be honest, I'm surprised that people are surprised. What business would do a deal with a rival which gives that rival access for future content/products as soon as their released?

Its like Sony asking Microsoft for Fable Basics on the PS3, and then being annoyed 3 months later when Fable III launches as an exclusive for the Xbox 360.

VM said in their press release the wholesale agreement covered any of Sky's basic HD channels. As for SD, they claim a wholesale agreement for Sky's basic channel line-up, of which Sky Atlantic is about to be one of them.

As I intimated, perhaps VM thought any meant any, and the basic line-up meant the basic line-up, but their lawyers ballsed up and it doesn't mean anything of the sort.

This has been discussed many times on here by many of us who know nothing of the details. I have asked the people that know. Of course they will only disclose what they want to, and I suspect I will be none the wiser. It cannot hurt to (a) ask the question and (b) register my displeasure at the below par tv offering from VM.

As for your analogy, that isn't quite analogous as Fable III is not a basic product free to all Xbox subscribers like Sky Atlantic is for Sky. If Xbox gamers got Fable and all of the future Fable games for free as part of a "Xbox basic" package and Sony secured access to this package for their PS3 gamers too, then Sony would be entitled to be agrieved if the Xbox basic package changed to have a game different to Fable, but the PS3 gamers were left with nothing. The Xbox basic pack still exists, but the ingredients have changed.

[Peter_]

Originally Posted by Chartwell

VM have the option to not respond - and perhaps it is slightly patronising, but when a company takes seven months to deliver on its promises, perhaps stakeholders are entitled to be somewhat frustrated, as VM could be seen as holding customers in contempt by saying one thing and not delivering.

I did ask the question above about certain sections being highlighted in red, now did you do that in the email or have you left it black as per normal as that would look more professional and that would probably get a better response as you have asked valid questions.

[zantarous]

I realise that Sky are not obligated (via Ofcom) to provide these channels to Virgin. However, have you and your team tried to explore avenues whereby Virgin could provide these channels at an incremental cost? Whilst more expensive, surely giving subscribers the option is of benefit to all concerned – the subscriber, Virgin (happier subscribers, no cost as the fee is passed straight to Sky) and Sky who will receive extra revenue from this arrangement.

Now that you have pointed that I am sure they will be kicking themselves for not having thought of it before.

Originally Posted by zantarous

Now that you have pointed that I am sure they will be kicking themselves for not having thought of it before.

To true.