US Cable Giant Liberty Global buys Virgin Media

[nodrogd]

The march into Europe goes on for Liberty. They have just bought a stake in Dutch cable operator Ziggo.

http://www.france24.com/en/20130328-...cable-operator

[denphone]

Liberty Global's $15.8 billion Virgin Media deal cleared in EU.

http://uk.reuters.com/article/2013/0...93E0CP20130415

[BexTech]

Originally Posted by Bogof

I was surprised to see Liberty-cable only have 25 million customers over 14 countries with 50 million homes passed, well I guess it's 62 million million homes passed now they own Virginmedia. But yet Sky have 12 million customers in 1 country.

Sky didn't have to cable up street after street, they just lease capacity on a few satellites along with other broadcasters.

There are many people who don't want to pay for subscription TV, I know many people who are happy with just Freeview and were happy with just the 5 channels before they had no choice but to have Freeview if they wanted to keep watching TV. A few others I know are happy with just Freesat.

[nodrogd]

Originally Posted by BexTech

There are many people who don't want to pay for subscription TV, I know many people who are happy with just Freeview and were happy with just the 5 channels before they had no choice but to have Freeview if they wanted to keep watching TV. A few others I know are happy with just Freesat.

Got a neighbour with Virgin BB & Phone, but who refuses to pay for TV. Says he pays out enough for a TV licence so why should he pay more. Then he moans on about all the stuff he's missing on GOLD

[tvtimes]

So what do people see as the benefits of Liberty Global taking over Virgin? It just seems to be business as normal. It looks like they just acquired Virgin for the assets it has to me.

Are they going to invest anywhere?

[denphone]

Lets give it a bit of time before we start making assumptions about what might or might not happen.

[Stuart]

Originally Posted by tvtimes

So what do people see as the benefits of Liberty Global taking over Virgin? It just seems to be business as normal. It looks like they just acquired Virgin for the assets it has to me.

Are they going to invest anywhere?

How fast do you expect them to change? While they may have been discussing doing this for months (or possibly years), the deal has only just (in the past few days) received the approval from the EU it needed.

Even assuming Liberty wish to make major changes (and that is by no means a given), it will, at the very least, take them months (if not years) to implement them.

[passingbat]

Originally Posted by Stuart

Even assuming Liberty wish to make major changes (and that is by no means a given), it will, at the very least, take them months (if not years) to implement them.

If Liberty are planning to swap TiVo for the Horizon box, let's hope it takes them decades

[denphone]

Originally Posted by passingbat

If Liberty are planning to swap TiVo for the Horizon box, let's hope it takes them decades

Indeed as it would feel like a death in the family if we had to give up our beloved TiVo.

[toonlight]

Originally Posted by nodrogd

Got a neighbour with Virgin BB & Phone, but who refuses to pay for TV. Says he pays out enough for a TV licence so why should he pay more. Then he moans on about all the stuff he's missing on GOLD

All I say to that neighbour Nodrogd, is if he went to catch up TV service only (non live broadcast); which he wouldn't have to pay for a TV licence then, upgrade with some of the money saved from the TVL **** fee to upgrade his internet package & buy a IPTV set top box to view all better quality services online without any problems. You don't need a new digital TV to view the online services either, you can use a analogue TV set if you wish; which many do..... LLF

All of this would pay for it's self within a single year of starting the whole project + save money to be spent else where.. hell even a new IPTV box each year if one worked the figures & still have a few pound to spare each year. Who needs to watch repeats all the time.... I don't; Just watch what I want when I want to watch it.....it's as simple as that You can plan your viewing time around your day & not worry you missed all the rest of the rubbish that's on TV.

Toonlight

Could be more changes afoot.

http://www.cityam.com/article/vodafo...ad-liberty-bid

[pk1]

Originally Posted by Top banana

Could be more changes afoot.

http://www.cityam.com/article/vodafo...ad-liberty-bid

Now that would be interesting.

[denphone]

Originally Posted by Top banana

Could be more changes afoot.

http://www.cityam.com/article/vodafo...ad-liberty-bid

Somehow l cannot see this happening.

Originally Posted by denphone

Somehow l cannot see this happening.

Well you're wrong about most things, so I don't see why this will be any different.

[MalteseFalcon]

Hopefully he is right about this. Had past problems with Vodafone so if they bought out Virgin then I would look into going without BB, TV and phone. CS @ Vodafone is rubbish, wouldn't touch them with a 10000 foot barge pole.