General : Coming Soon to Virgin TV (2013) Vol. 5.

[spankysmagicpian]

It is true - it was confirmed this morning by BT

[Gavin-D]

Sky will be fuming at losing the champions league from 2015, Virgin media will be very happy as BT Sport is free in the XL pack till the end of the 2015 / 2016 season.

I can see Sky trying to get more mid week football from the football league for the 2015 / 2016 season

[harry_hitch]

Originally Posted by spankysmagicpian

Some or all channels are rumoured to arrive or not arrive on VirginMedia possibly sometime in the future.

That's summed it up pretty succintly I think.

very true!

This thread would be nothing without the speculation and rumours though.

---------- Post added at 11:47 ---------- Previous post was at 11:43 ----------

Originally Posted by spankysmagicpian

It is true - it was confirmed this morning by BT

Good for BT then. As much as I hate more money being lavished on the prima-donnas of modern football, BT are at least offering a pretty decent sporting service for free, if people wish to take that option. Long may it continue.

Edit - Just read BT Sports will need to charge for some games. So it won't be an entirely free service like it currently is.

[nstokes]

Originally Posted by denphone

Would you like to eat your hat again Mr Stokes.

No thanks

Originally Posted by harry_hitch

Edit - Just read BT Sports will need to charge for some games. So it won't be an entirely free service like it currently is.

Charge what and how? You mean it wont be free to BT Broadband customers anymore?

[denphone]

Sky passing on some savings to their customers would be like turkeys suddenly voting for Christmas Harry.

[ocav]

Originally Posted by harry_hitch

Edit - Just read BT Sports will need to charge for some games. So it won't be an entirely free service like it currently is.

I think you have misread. Basically they are making at least one game with a British Club FTA as well as the final so anyone can watch it free.

All other games will be available to those who subscribe.

---------- Post added at 12:29 ---------- Previous post was at 12:29 ----------

Originally Posted by nstokes

No thanks



Charge what and how? You mean it wont be free to BT Broadband customers anymore?

We don't know if BT Broadband Customers will be getting it free anymore, all the "free BT sport" clauses only state for 12 months. But with it on Virgin for free they will have to do something.

[nicko]

Originally Posted by ocav

I think you have misread. Basically they are making at least one game with a British Club FTA as well as the final so anyone can watch it free.

All other games will be available to those who subscribe.

---------- Post added at 12:29 ---------- Previous post was at 12:29 ----------
.

i read it as at least one game of each British club will be FTA and the final.

[Dave42]

sky will up the bid more for next premier league rights to make sure they win and be higher prices for customers

[denphone]

Originally Posted by Dave42

sky will up the bid more for next premier league rights to make sure they win and be higher prices for customers

Now for once Dave l agree with you utterly.

[alwaysabear]

Originally Posted by Dave42

sky will up the bid more for next premier league rights to make sure they win and be higher prices for customers

If the customer chooses to pay the higher prices. Football need to be careful or they risk ruining the goose that laid the golden egg.

[martin201002]

Very interesting times for sky and bt, seems bt are quite serious about sports rights. Personally I thought they were just doing it for the sake of their broadband product. Seems I was wrong.

Only thing is the bt sport coverage is very poor. micheal owen in particular. Hopefully with having a lot of football rights they will employ some more commentators.

[Chad]

Originally Posted by nstokes

Why you say that Den old boy? Wasnt this meant to arrive in September?

If you believe some of the stuff posted on here it was supposed to arrive in September 2012 along with the HD ITV channels

---------- Post added at 13:08 ---------- Previous post was at 13:01 ----------

Originally Posted by martin201002

Very interesting times for sky and bt, seems bt are quite serious about sports rights. Personally I thought they were just doing it for the sake of their broadband product. Seems I was wrong.

I don't think BT are being totally honest about their intentions. In terms of Premiership rights, Champions League rights, the purchase of ESPN rights and the FA Cup rights BT would have spent around £3 billion. Surely it would have been cheaper just to give everyone with either a BT phoneline or BT Vision completely free broadband instead of spending huge amounts of money on TV rights? Surely people wouldn't switch broadband provider it they where getting a great service completely free of charge?

[spankysmagicpian]

Originally Posted by Chad

If you believe some of the stuff posted on here it was supposed to arrive in September 2012 along with the HD ITV channels

---------- Post added at 13:08 ---------- Previous post was at 13:01 ----------



I don't think BT are being totally honest about their intentions. In terms of Premiership rights, Champions League rights, the purchase of ESPN rights and the FA Cup rights BT would have spent around £3 billion. Surely it would have been cheaper just to give everyone with either a BT phoneline or BT Vision completely free broadband instead of spending huge amounts of money on TV rights? Surely people wouldn't switch broadband provider it they where getting a great service completely free of charge?

Quick calc - BT Have 4.6m customers at the moment. multiply that by £15 a month for the BB offer they had on and that works out at £828m a year income from BB. Add in the Line rental which is required and that's £1.7b a year income so if you look at the latter, if they stopped everyone leaving with free BT Sport, they are quids in over three years.

[harry_hitch]

Originally Posted by denphone

Sky passing on some savings to their customers would be like turkeys suddenly voting for Christmas Harry.

I agree with you Den, but the onus should be on them to pass on the savings.

I will leave my comments at that on this thread

---------- Post added at 15:33 ---------- Previous post was at 15:31 ----------

Originally Posted by alwaysabear

If the customer chooses to pay the higher prices. Football need to be careful or they risk ruining the goose that laid the golden egg.

I tried to use that argument on the BT/Sky/ESPN thread. It did not work very well

---------- Post added at 15:40 ---------- Previous post was at 15:33 ----------

Originally Posted by spankysmagicpian

Quick calc - BT Have 4.6m customers at the moment. multiply that by £15 a month for the BB offer they had on and that works out at £828m a year income from BB. Add in the Line rental which is required and that's £1.7b a year income so if you look at the latter, if they stopped everyone leaving with free BT Sport, they are quids in over three years.

Yup, it has been very shrewd move by BT. They announced six month pre-tax profits £948 million. Not bad for a company giving away free premium sports content!

I am sure they will continue to offer BT sports free for many years to come as well.

[howardmicks]

Interesting times ahead me thinks,Bt nabbing more sports rights and netflix threating to nab more movies.Skys dominence is looking under threat and one would suspect its witholding channels is going to come back and bite them in the butt.