Acquisition by Sky of Virgin Media Television

[mertle]

this reminds me the prem giving a carrot(money) to football league for parachute and rule changes. Sell your soul for few wad.

Sky carrot was HD and red button for the right down the line to Screw Virgin.

Well done virgin you lost the only bargaining tool when things go sour again and you can bet a bottom dollar Sky will try and crush you.

You might got stay excusion as I hope you made some safeguards of timeframe but your dead meat afterwards.

Surely the dipsticks in virgin boardroom see what will happen down the road. I dont trust Sky there evil twisted empire and atitude towards rivals stink. I bet Sky laughing that all it cost to kill virgin was 160m and few gimicks of giving away HD and red button.

Virgin may as well go and sell the whole platform to that greedy money grabbing evil man.

Where Virgin gonna advertise for new customers without dedicated stations its one of the most craziest stupidest thing they done since they rebranded.

I feel very angry at them and no doubt prices will go through the roof for content now sky own them. wonder if content will get removed from VOD.

Sold us down the river virgin

[WillPS]

I take it there's nothing to stop VM starting a new content division? Seeing as Living is a very channel to what it was 10 or even 5 years ago (all they do is purchase content, remember) there's nothing to stop VMtv from rebuilding itself in a few years?

[joff81]

Originally Posted by WillPS

I take it there's nothing to stop VM starting a new content division? Seeing as Living is a very channel to what it was 10 or even 5 years ago (all they do is purchase content, remember) there's nothing to stop VMtv from rebuilding itself in a few years?

i doubt that BSKYB would leave a loose end like like that. i bet there is a clause in the contract to stop VM setting up a new content/tv devision while BSKYB are still supplying VM with tv content.

[v0id]

Originally Posted by joff81

i doubt that BSKYB would leave a loose end like like that. i bet there is a clause in the contract to stop VM setting up a new content/tv devision while BSKYB are still supplying VM with tv content.

VOD or the (part owned) UKtv channels aren't a part of the deal though are they?

[Azza88UK]

Heres a link about it all from BSKYB http://corporate.sky.com/page.aspx?p...b10a1e7a2024e5

Ive got Sky, so what types of channels will we be getting from Virgin Media?

[BenMcr]

Originally Posted by v0id

VOD or the (part owned) UKtv channels aren't a part of the deal though are they?

Nope. This is purely about the VMtv stuff. G.O.L.D, Watch etc stay exactly as they are

[Felim_Doyle]

Originally Posted by Rob

This actually makes a lot of sense for VM. They can concentrate on what they should be doing, providing a good distribution network for content, leaving others to be providers of the content.

The situation with VM and VMTV was no different than having BSkyB as a delivery platform and Sky as a broadcaster. It works fine for them!

Originally Posted by Rob

I do wonder though if VM safeguarded access to any future premium stuff for example 3D channels (if they happen).

Originally Posted by Rob

The risks are perhaps long term when carriage agreements come up for renewal. If a content provider has an increasing monopoly, as Sky will undoubtedly have, who is to influence the pricing? In the standoff only a couple of years ago when Virgin stopped carrying any Sky basic channels, VM placed a lot of reliance on their Virgin1 TV channel. I hope that someone has thought it all through, for the long term and not just a short term cash flow.

Well that has been the big concern in all of these discussions. Hence some people's (my) grave concerns about the deal.

---------- Post added at 14:52 ---------- Previous post was at 14:31 ----------

Originally Posted by Digital Fanatic

You are right on this one Arthur... I'll give you that

Originally Posted by Arthurgray50@blu

and we should now get all the HD channels that Sky have - see l am always right.

I don't think that we are getting all of the HD channels that Sky have, or may have in the future, just yet!

---------- Post added at 15:01 ---------- Previous post was at 14:52 ----------

Originally Posted by mertle

Where Virgin gonna advertise for new customers without dedicated stations ...

AFAIK, Virgin 1 was the only VMTV channel available on DTT (FreeView) where Virgin might have been seriously targeting new customers.

I guess they'll pay to advertise on other channels, as they already do, and use leafleting campaigns in areas that are being newly cabled.

---------- Post added at 15:07 ---------- Previous post was at 15:01 ----------

Originally Posted by gadge

So when do sky take over the channels?.

More content to offer, acquisition of contracts with producers of popular programming, access to the Virgin 1 EPG slot on DTT (FreeView), potential increase in share of advertising revenue.

[Sirius]

VM have made a massive mistake here. Sky sports 1 and 2 in HD however you can see it now


SKY exclusive Watch ****** only on Sky sports 3 or 4 HD, Exclusive to SKY only******

Can you imagine the drinks in the bar after the deal was signed.

Sky negotiator on the phone to Murdock. "Yes boss they fell for it, You can start to move the main content from Sky sports 1 and 2 HD onto Sky sports 3 and 4 HD from today"

Murdock "now we have them " Well done i will give you a big fat bonus for that

Originally Posted by Sirius

VM have made a massive mistake here. Sky sports 1 and 2 in HD however you can see it now


SKY exclusive Watch ****** only on Sky sports 3 or 4 HD, Exclusive to SKY only******

Can you imagine the drinks in the bar after the deal was signed.

Sky negotiator on the phone to Murdock. "Yes boss they fell for it, You can start to move the main content from Sky sports 1 and 2 HD onto Sky sports 3 and 4 HD from today"

Murdock "now we have them " Well done i will give you a big fat bonus for that

That would suit me...all the tennis will be in HD :p

[Sirius]

Originally Posted by Mobes

That would suit me...all the tennis will be in HD :p

However Sky are already moving more and more of the Super League games on to sky sports 3 and 4 which does not help me at all

[CardinalGold]

This seems like a good deal in terms of access to HD Content and on demand, although I'm a little concerned some of my favourite programmes may disappear, such as Drop Dead Diva on Living, White Collar and Leverage on Bravo and Chuck on Virgin 1.

On the plus side I guess they may appear on a new rebranded Sky Channel in the future, maybe the recent changes to Sky 2 are a sign that this might be used, perhaps we might see a Sky Living Channel for the shows above and things like The Ghost Whisperer, Cougar Town etc

If I am being honest both Living and Sky One could do with strengthening and so a combined channel that could offer more high quality US Comedy and Drama would be really worth watching and we might not need quite so much filler rubbish and repeats.

If the carriage deals are in place for 9 years as stated elsewhere as well, hopefully this will limit the increases in costs over this period as well, although realistically I think Virgin customers would have to expect to pay more for Sky Movies HD for example in the future.

[donkbong]

Originally Posted by Sirius

However Sky are already moving more and more of the Super League games on to sky sports 3 and 4 which does not help me at all

Hello that what bothers me sky might move all premier league games on sky sports hd 3 or 4, if that the case i won't be bothering getting sky sports in hd.

[Sirius]

Originally Posted by donkbong

Hello that what bothers me sky might move all premier league games on sky sports hd 3 or 4, if that the case i won't be bothering getting sky sports in hd.

Are we the only 2 that has seen this. No way could the negotiating team have missed this, But there again

[donkbong]

Originally Posted by Sirius

However Sky are already moving more and more of the Super League games on to sky sports 3 and 4 which does not help me at all

Hello that what bothers me sky might move all premier league games on sky sports hd 3 or 4, if that the case i won't be bothering getting sky sports in hd.

[mersey70]

The situation with VM and VMTV was no different than having BSkyB as a delivery platform and Sky as a broadcaster. It works fine for them!

The situation IS completely different. Sky hold very lucrative premium content and VMtv do not and never have, or shown any signs of wanting to.

I think most people will now accept what some of us accepted long ago that VM do not want a future in content, as per Berkett's statement in the press release.