General : ESPN may lose EPL Football(Update)

[Chad]

Seems BT are manouvering themselves to become big players:

"BT already has a TV service delivered over broadband connections through a set-top box. It says it will also be launching a “football-focused” channel for its games and will aim to provide access from “as many platforms as possible”. It will even entertain sub-contracting the rights back to Sky but BT will not be a benign bedfellow: it aims to use football to become the nation’s predominant media presence."

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/foo...lion-deal.html

Also noticed some interesting announcements on BT's news and media site including National Geographic Channel, Nat Geo Wild, FX channel, Watch, Gold and Alibi all launching soon as linear channels. Lets see what BT do over the next 12 months. Looks like the pay TV market is about to become more competitive. Now would be the perfect time for Virgin to signal their intent by agreeing deals for all the non-SKY missing HD channels.

[freakgirl]

I'd be happy if Virgin got Sony Movies, some of the missing music channels, Al Jazerra etc

[Chad]

Originally Posted by freakgirl

I'd be happy if Virgin got Sony Movies, some of the missing music channels, Al Jazerra etc

Can't disagree with you there. I'd also like to see more On Demand content.

I've noticed in the past Virgin and BT have a tit for tat mentality, especially when it comes to broadband. One company makes and announcement regarding their prices for broadband going down or speed increasing then within days the other fires back with their own alternative deals etc....

Let's just hope this major announcement from BT regarding TV rights pushes Virgin to make some announcements about their own TV offerings. Seems very unlikely though I'd say this is the start of BT becoming a very credible alternative to Virgin.

[MaverickJesus]

I can see ESPN making a play for full premiership/european rugby rights, and perhaps some of the NFL when that gets renewed.

I have no idea what BT are going to fill out the rest of their schedule with, mind.

[Telly_]

Originally Posted by Emel

I agree entirely, but, if they are getting half the big games i.e. one of the City v United one of the Arsenal v Chelsea one of the Everton v Liverpool etc. etc. it could be interesting especially if they could get some other decent content which, as has been pointed out, may not be just sport.

But are those games worth £10 a month or would it be better just to go down the local and buy a coke or a pint and watch be best games for £3.50?

---------- Post added at 07:07 ---------- Previous post was at 07:05 ----------

Originally Posted by MaverickJesus

I can see ESPN making a play for full premiership/european rugby rights, and perhaps some of the NFL when that gets renewed.

I have no idea what BT are going to fill out the rest of their schedule with, mind.

Well ESPN have stated they made a serious offer so they must have 1 or 2 hundred million pound they had ear marked for EPL that's now freed up.

[davidthornton]

Originally Posted by Telly Bear

I think my Sky 80Mbdown 20Mb up fibre connection will handle VOD fine as my current 16Mb Sky connection handles HD movies streamed from Sky anytime just fine.

Remember that the speed you receive with FTTC, whomever the provider, is dependent on how far you are away from the fibre cabinet (I'm very close to mine so usually see 74Mbit/17Mbit on both connections). One possible reason to avoid Sky for fibre broadband, unlike their ADSL product in certain areas, is because Sky make the use of MER for authentication compulsory hence customers are currently forced to use the Sky router in the chain of equipment.

[andy_m]

I certainly won't pay approx. £10 for a BT "football focused" channel. I wouldn't have ESPN if it didn't come with xl, and that's despite the fact that it offers 4 channels and MLB, but it's inclusion on xl has saved me from wanting to subscribe to Sky Sports and I suspect Virgin will feel the need to do what they can to offer this channel to their xl customers either for free, or at least at a reduced rate. I'm not sure, given the amount BT have paid for the rights (and I consider this to be more about driving you view than BT Vision, Btw) that they'll be able to achieve this. You then have to consider that Sky Sports, with three times the football, f1, two hd channels and 5 channels full of 24/7 sport content would be much better value at just under £30/ month than a stand alone BT channel at £10.

I can't get BT fibre optic in my area, they give no expected date and given that we're already heavily cabled I doubt we're much of a priority. Opening up rights sales to competition without ensuring that the end user is also able to benefit from competition doesn't achieve the intended consequence-which is a fair deal for the consumer. After all, it seems clear to me that it will now be BT's platforms, and not Virgin's, which will be the home of free Premier League football.

[Emel]

Originally Posted by Telly Bear

But are those games worth £10 a month or would it be better just to go down the local and buy a coke or a pint and watch be best games for £3.50?

---------- Post added at 07:07 ---------- Previous post was at 07:05 ----------



Well ESPN have stated they made a serious offer so they must have 1 or 2 hundred million pound they had ear marked for EPL that's now freed up.

Yes, but as most people are mainly interested in the big games then it is either half of them for £10 with BT (and maybe some other goodies too) or half of them with Sky for £30 including HD. Choices, Choices.

ESPN's issue is which of the rights available would make a return for that kind of money. Would any of them persuade Virgin to renew their current XL pack deal?

[Arthurgray50@blu]

I see that Sky and BT won the rights for EPL rights, l don't know why BT got involved, they plan on starting up a new channel to accomadat the football, BUT why, the subs base is quite small compared to VM and Sky, total waste of money in my view.

---------- Post added at 10:29 ---------- Previous post was at 10:24 ----------

With all the hype going on about these contracts, Where does this leave ESPN, will there be continued coverage for the forseeable future or does it mean that ESPN will no longer show EPL.

[andy_m]

They've still got next season, BT (or possibly Sky, having sub let the rights, believe it or not!) start 2013-14.

[spiderplant]

Originally Posted by HDFootyMan

....and feature what music each player listened to their iPod on the way to the game and what they like to eat and what video games they like to play after the game and what their high score was in Call of Duty.

Sky Sports News has managed to become the most popular sports channel without having any content. The club-specific channels appear to make a living, too. There's a market for this stuff.

[one2escape]

Like a said a couple of years ago its becoming a content game rather than a broadband speed game. This is a major problem for Virgin now if Infinity is in the same area which it is for me it will have me looking over to BT. They are bound to being a offer of either free for Infinity user or minor add on price for the football now.

[Telly_]

Originally Posted by one2escape

Like a said a couple of years ago its becoming a content game rather than a broadband speed game. This is a major problem for Virgin now if Infinity is in the same area which it is for me it will have me looking over to BT. They are bound to being a offer of either free for Infinity user or minor add on price for the football now.

This is a good point, BT can't really charge much for just 1 live game a week on a channel but bundling it free with a BT-Infinity connection with phoneline which will retailfor around £35-£40 could pay off. Setanta over paid but never had anything else to offer.

BT Really are going to change the pay TV landscape and personally I feel it will hurt VM the most.

[one2escape]

Virgin need to come out swinging. They bet big on broadband speed and for the forseeable future its much of a plateau as in while I expect speeds to increase but theres going be no real gain as there no real need now for faster broadband speeds. With the 100mb connection I have 2 people streaming netflix, someone on Onlive, Console gaming / streaming and normal internet use all going at the same time and there are no problems. It will be interesting how Virgin come out after this. While Tivo is good for me its not killer as we are moving towards to a no cable box due to Netflix. If BT offer this football by legal streaming on a pay per match possible basis then that would be game changing.

[denphone]

Originally Posted by Telly Bear

This is a good point, BT can't really charge much for just 1 live game a week on a channel but bundling it free with a BT-Infinity connection with phoneline which will retailfor around £35-£40 could pay off. Setanta over paid but never had anything else to offer.

BT Really are going to change the pay TV landscape and personally I feel it will hurt VM the most.

Whether this changes the pay TV landscape we shall have to see but my hunch says that this will not change it as much as people imagine it will.