Will VM do deal with Setanta for FA cup / England !!!

[THUNDER1]

'The Football Association announced today that ITV and Setanta have signed a four-year deal to broadcast the FA Cup and England's home games from August 2008.'

THis could be spot on for VM IF they can strike a deal with setanta for rights to show the matches along with them helping create a rival to sky sports news !!

IF this can happen sky will be well Peeved!

[Media Boy UK]

Originally Posted by THUNDER1

'The Football Association announced today that ITV and Setanta have signed a four-year deal to broadcast the FA Cup and England's home games from August 2008.'

THis could be spot on for VM IF they can strike a deal with setanta for rights to show the matches along with them helping create a rival to sky sports news !!

IF this can happen sky will be well Peeved!

I read the few weeks ago that Virgin may takeover Setanta and rename it to 'Virgin Sports'.

[cimt]

I think it is true that VM and Setanta are teaming up for a sports news channel. I doubt VM will buy them out but they will do a deal for more channels.

[daveetwo]

Originally Posted by THUNDER1

'The Football Association announced today that ITV and Setanta have signed a four-year deal to broadcast the FA Cup and England's home games from August 2008.'

THis could be spot on for VM IF they can strike a deal with setanta for rights to show the matches along with them helping create a rival to sky sports news !!

IF this can happen sky will be well Peeved!

I would think its a dead cert if reports are correct they are in discussions with sentana to set up a sports (news?) channel. It could well be that this helped justify whatever the bid is worth for the football.
It could also strengthen virgins hand in any negotiations over sky channels because they could argue that they simply dont really need sky sports news.

[arobbins]

Setanta are huge - I doubt Virgin could take them over.

Virgin could, though, do an exclusive deal so Setanta is only shown on Virgin (and Freeview), so Sky viewers would lose out on FA Cup and England

[Downloads]

Thinking longer term i wouldn't be surprised if... when the current deal for Sports and Movies runs out, that Virgin drop Sky Sports for Setanta Sports, and people have to subscribe to Sky as a separate package which won't be included in any Virgin deals. Basically a swap of what we have now.

That's why i wouldn't expect a deal to happen between Setanta and VM right now, but maybe expect a bigger deal in the future?

Pie in the sky?

[grabbi]

The Sports and Movies Contract doesn't run out.

Sky are OBLIGATED to supply Movies and Sports to Cable customers to soften Skys Stranglehold on the Pay TV market.

Virgin will never Buy Setanta. Its just too massive for a start, and is worth a shed load of money to buy, for a start.

It wouldn't be in the best Interests of the company to spend all that money on FA Cup rights and Premiership Rights, just to sell the company, thus losing money.

There is a 'good, working relationship' between Setanta and Virgin Media, said a spokeswoman last week, and Setanta are looking to 'improve their service to Cable Customers' according to a Setanta spokesman.

Being that they have a good working relationship, this could benefit Virgin Media Customers, but as of yet, offers are unknown.

Virgin have come out and said that there isn't a deal with Setanta for a Sports News Channel (see Virgin Sports News thread) but the likelyhood looks to be that Setantas Subscription prices could drop for Cable Customers, as it should, as seen as an extra £15 a month is lot for people who also want Sky Sports in their package.

The major news here is the unlikelyness of Sky dropping their prices... even though that from 1st August 2008 Sky Sports won't be showing England and FA Cup games, so, to combat this, it would make sense to reduce the price of Setanta Sports offering, to soften the blow (albeit on Skys behalf) of Sky loosing out.

Plus, don't forget, that a takeover of ITV is still on the cards by August 2008, and that could result in VoD offerings of Champions League, FA Cup, England, UEFA Cup, Football League Highlights plus all the Dramas and Soaps on there.

Let me reiterate, that although it would be a sound investment, Virgin will NOT buy Setanta, as the Setanta Shareholders would lose money.

[Downloads]

Originally Posted by grabbi

The Sports and Movies Contract doesn't run out.

Sky are OBLIGATED to supply Movies and Sports to Cable customers to soften Skys Stranglehold on the Pay TV market.

I knew they were obliged to make them available, but i thought that there would be a point when the prices have to be relooked at, Sky won't be forced into keeping the same price forever?

Regardless, this would make it even more likely that a separate Sports package between Virgin and Setanta occur, undercutting the Sky Sports pack within Virgin actively promoting Setanta's over Sky no?

[starsailor123uk]

Originally Posted by grabbi

Virgin have come out and said that there isn't a deal with Setanta for a Sports News Channel (see Virgin Sports News thread) but the likelyhood looks to be that Setantas Subscription prices could drop for Cable Customers, as it should, as seen as an extra £15 a month is lot for people who also want Sky Sports in their package.

That is too true. Used to have NASN for £10 to watch NHL/MBL which is slightly expensive but not too expensive. it then became bundled with setanta and offer little extra that I either wanted or did not get through my Sky Sports subscription.

I think that a number of customers were lost at that stage. I know a lot of hockey fans who cancelled their subscriptions or will do at the end of may after the stanley cup finals