General : Virgin TV (2024)

[RichardCoulter]

Originally Posted by epsilon

Overnight changes
Channel Update slates being prepared for channels 587, 588, 589, 590 & 591.
Those channel numbers don't mean a lot in isolation but deduct the number 60 from them and they bear a remarkable resemblance to the TNT Sports channel numbers!!!
Also a couple of promotional rebrands.
For full details of these and other changes see: https://ukcabletvchanges.blogspot.com/
Although, perhaps not full details of the 587-591 channel numbers as there is no speculation on the blog.

I remember you posting that they did this before the UKTV channels were withdrawn. Looking like Virgin mean business.

[epsilon]

Just a cautious approach I suppose. If the negotiations go bad they will have closure slates prepared. If all goes well, the slates won't be needed. I'm not sure about the details of what happened with the UKTV channel removal farce. I was, sort of, following the narrative but was tied up doing technical analysis for a couple of European companies 2018 - 2020. The pandemic ended that line of work.

[Itshim]

Originally Posted by TimeLord2018

U&W as a trademark has been opposed by Utility Warehouse (UW)
https://trademarks.ipo.gov.uk/ipo-tm.../UK00003983838

Would be funny if they have to rebrand it.

You have really weird sense of humour

[vincerooney]

Originally Posted by RichardCoulter

I remember you posting that they did this before the UKTV channels were withdrawn. Looking like Virgin mean business.

what would they be replacing it with? some snide deal with premier sports or something to go

"Yep we lost tnt sports butttttttt heres some premier sports"

its what they did when they lost the uk tv channels isn't it. cant remember what they replaced them with mind. maybe mediaboy can remind me!

[epsilon]

Originally Posted by vincerooney

what would they be replacing it with? some snide deal with premier sports or something to go

"Yep we lost tnt sports butttttttt heres some premier sports"

its what they did when they lost the uk tv channels isn't it. cant remember what they replaced them with mind. maybe mediaboy can remind me!

Stuff like Horse & Country and Blaze and a lot of free channels which Virgin had previously not provided. I seem to remember that they also put duplicate versions of some random, supposedly similar, channels on the old UKTV EPG slots. It was a mess but not something they could really repeat with this situation.

[Media Boy UK]

From July 31st at 10am Adult Phone in channel 'Meets the Babes' is set to close on Virgin Media UK.

Source: V6.

---------- Post added at 02:51 ---------- Previous post was at 02:36 ----------

Originally Posted by epsilon

Stuff like Horse & Country and Blaze and a lot of free channels which Virgin had previously not provided. I seem to remember that they also put duplicate versions of some random, supposedly similar, channels on the old UKTV EPG slots. It was a mess but not something they could really repeat with this situation.

All of the following channels did launch on July 21st 2018 a day before UKTV was axe for about three weeks.

Paramount Network HD
Paramount Network
YourTV
Vice
True Entertainment +1
Crime + Investigation HD
Crime + Investigation +1
Lifetime +1
Love Nature HD
Love Nature
ZooMoo HD
Horse + Country
HISTORY HD
Now 80s
FreeSports

---------- Post added at 02:55 ---------- Previous post was at 02:51 ----------

Originally Posted by vincerooney

what would they be replacing it with? some snide deal with premier sports or something to go

"Yep we lost tnt sports butttttttt heres some premier sports"

its what they did when they lost the uk tv channels isn't it. cant remember what they replaced them with mind. maybe mediaboy can remind me!

Nothing is set to happen on August 1st if TNT Sports UK is removed (Info was right at time of posting).

---------- Post added at 02:58 ---------- Previous post was at 02:55 ----------

MTV Hits UK is set to merge with MTV Hits World from August 1st.

Some MTV Hits UK shows will stay.

[epsilon]

Funny how most of the channels added after the UKTV dispute didn't stick around for very long. Didn't Virgin also add Quest HD or something before its official public launch and had to take it off until the official launch date? It seemed to be very chaotic.

MTV consolidation makes sense. With global interest in such channels in decline there's no real reason to run multiple different versions for each international market.

As for Meets the Babes closing, good! Can it also take Babenation/Babestation with it please?

[Media Boy UK]

Originally Posted by epsilon

Funny how most of the channels added after the UKTV dispute didn't stick around for very long. Didn't Virgin also add Quest HD or something before its official public launch and had to take it off until the official launch date? It seemed to be very chaotic.

A) Some of the channels only signed a one year deal or rumours at the time did say the channels got on Virgin for free.

B) You are right on Quest HD.

[epsilon]

Originally Posted by Media Boy UK

A) Some of the channels only signed a one year deal or rumours at the time did say the channels got on Virgin for free.

B) You are right on Quest HD.

One year deals sounds about right, so they filled the EPG in the short term with cheap content to give them an excuse when customers complained about losing channels.
Blue Ant Media's ZooMoo and Love Nature were quite decent channels in their own right so a pity they didn't stick around for longer. That's not a cue for Virgin TV to bring them back to replace TNT Sports.

[Media Boy UK]

Meets the Babes also broadcast under other names:

Astra UK - Get Lucky
Freeview - Smile TV3*
Virgin UK - Meets the Babes

*Maybe sister Channel Babestation will move into Smile TV3 slot on Freeview on COM5.

So that Babestation can give up it slot on COM6 as channel do Timeshares with PBS America, Together TV +1 and Jewellery Maker.

Rumour online months ago did say that Xpanded TV was set to close on Freeview but that did not happen.

[Media Boy UK]

RUMOUR:

I have just been given unconfirmed post on X that says 'TNT will still be available next month, don't worry'

I am still waiting to get this rumour confirmed.

If anyone can help me - PM me.

[OLD BOY]

Originally Posted by Media Boy UK

RUMOUR:

I have just been given unconfirmed post on X that says 'TNT will still be available next month, don't worry'

I am still waiting to get this rumour confirmed.

If anyone can help me - PM me.

Was this from a usually reliable source or did it come out of nowhere?

If a deal cannot be struck, I wonder if VM will settle for Discovery+ instead?

[1andrew1]

Originally Posted by Media Boy UK

RUMOUR:

I have just been given unconfirmed post on X that says 'TNT will still be available next month, don't worry'

I am still waiting to get this rumour confirmed.

If anyone can help me - PM me.

Sounds like a Retentions source.

[TimeLord2018]

It appears it's based on this article published on Monday which is advertising August.
https://www.virginmedia.com/virgin-t...rts-this-month

Not that I think that necessarily means anything since there has no been announcement about a new deal either.

[jfman]

Originally Posted by OLD BOY

Was this from a usually reliable source or did it come out of nowhere?

If a deal cannot be struck, I wonder if VM will settle for Discovery+ instead?

Why would Virgin agree to an average streaming app over the premium linear channels?