TiVo : At last Sky Atlantic concrete news [Not] coming to Virginmedia [Anytime Soon]

[Dave42]

Originally Posted by spiderplant

So you'd rather have Bravo, Trouble and Virgin 1 than Sky Sports HD, Sky Movies HD, some Sky basics HD, Sky Anytime and Sky Sports Red Button?

exactly they would have been moaning more if VM didnt sell and never ever got them channels and as most people no they would never ever got them without selling the channels to sky

[alwaysabear]

Originally Posted by Dave42

exactly they would have been moaning more if VM didnt sell and never ever got them channels and as most people no they would never ever got them without selling the channels to sky

Unfortunately, it means VM have no leverage what so ever, so will either have to pay the going rate for the new channels that Sky will launch or probably go without.

[Dave42]

Originally Posted by alwaysabear

Unfortunately, it means VM have no leverage what so ever, so will either have to pay the going rate for the new channels that Sky will launch or probably go without.

they have got leverage in there broadband access if they chose to use it broadband access for channels but thats very unlikely indeed

[alwaysabear]

Originally Posted by Dave42

they have got leverage in there broadband access if they chose to use it broadband access for channels but thats very unlikely indeed

Sky do not need VM superfast Broadband access they already have access to super fast BB through BT. BT seem to hold all the aces when it comes to access to Sky channels now. We shall see in the next 12 months.

[Dave42]

Originally Posted by alwaysabear

Sky do not need VM superfast Broadband access they already have access to super fast BB through BT. BT seem to hold all the aces when it comes to access to Sky channels now. We shall see in the next 12 months.

was just making point they did have some leverage but sky made it clear they not gonna let anyone have the missing channels so not alot can be done sadly

[muppetman11]

Originally Posted by alwaysabear

Sky do not need VM superfast Broadband access they already have access to super fast BB through BT. BT seem to hold all the aces when it comes to access to Sky channels now. We shall see in the next 12 months.

Couldn't agree more , BTs fibre network will pass more homes than VM's within the next few years. I agree also that BT could gain access to some of Sky's channels through this premiership deal , it would certainly appear that these two are holding all the best cards however VM have pulled a trump card out before so who knows.

[OLD BOY]

Originally Posted by muppetman11

No you are a customer of VM , sky sell their channels to VM who in turn bundle them in packs and sell them to you.

Yes I know, muppetman, but most of the Sky TV subscription money goes to Sky. VM are acting as their agents in that respect. You'd think that Sky would have regard to that and not disadvantage us, wouldn't you?

---------- Post added at 19:59 ---------- Previous post was at 19:53 ----------

Originally Posted by muppetman11

Couldn't agree more , BTs fibre network will pass more homes than VM's within the next few years. I agree also that BT could gain access to some of Sky's channels through this premiership deal , it would certainly appear that these two are holding all the best cards however VM have pulled a trump card out before so who knows.

It's not beyond hope that, having succeeded to grab the football rights from ESPN, BT may decide to set up their own bouquet of channels, share them with Virgin Media and try to break Sky's stranglehold on everything you can possibly broadcast.

If BT win some of the studio rights from Sky in a bidding war next time, Sky will have to decide whether to have its satellite customers lose out or enter into a deal with BT to share channels.

That will help, but what I really want VM to be able to do is to enter into deals with the likes of Netflix and have up to date films and programmes streamed to us on TIVO rather than have to rely on Sky.

Sadly, I think that regulation is the only thing that will bring it about and the Competition Commission has let us all down badly in not taking decisive action.

[passingbat]

Originally Posted by spiderplant

So you'd rather have Bravo, Trouble and Virgin 1 than Sky Sports HD, Sky Movies HD, some Sky basics HD, Sky Anytime and Sky Sports Red Button?

I watched very, very little of the VM channels, but that's not the point; sky needed access to them, especially Living because of it's popularity. That gave VM some bargaining power.

And yes, personally, I'd rather have Atlantic than "Sky Sports HD, Sky Movies HD, some Sky basics HD, Sky Anytime and Sky Sports Red Button" I like HD channels, but I'd rather have access to a bigger channel selection than HD versions of existing ones, if that choice has to be made.

But why didn't VM see a Sky Atlantic type channel launch coming, or did they and just ignored it?

---------- Post added at 21:19 ---------- Previous post was at 21:06 ----------

Originally Posted by OLD BOY

.

That will help, but what I really want VM to be able to do is to enter into deals with the likes of Netflix and have up to date films and programmes streamed to us on TIVO rather than have to rely on Sky.
.

It would be good to have Netflix on Tivo, but unless, Netflix raise their prices, they won't be getting much up to date content.

If Sky's Now TV has an option for a Sky Atlantic subscription, maybe VM should add Now TV to Tivo? In fact, maybe VM could dump their current movies on demand PPV provider and people could buy PPV movies via Sky Now? They could also buy PPV sport via Sky now, which is something VM don't offer currently for Sky Sports content.

[spiderplant]

Originally Posted by passingbat

sky needed access to them, especially Living because of it's popularity. That gave VM some bargaining power.

The problem is it didn't. Remember Sky basics?

[passingbat]

Originally Posted by spiderplant

The problem is it didn't. Remember Sky basics?

If I remember correctly it did. Sky originally wanted to pay VM a pittance for the VM channels, but wanted to charge a lot for the Sky basics. In the end, Sky paid the same amount to VM for the VM basics as they charged VM for the Sky basics.

[andy_m]

Originally Posted by passingbat

If I remember correctly it did. Sky originally wanted to pay VM a pittance for the VM channels, but wanted to charge a lot for the Sky basics. In the end, Sky paid the same amount to VM for the VM basics as they charged VM for the Sky basics.

In other words they'd already used up the leverage the Virgin basic channels gave them. Can't exactly use them as a bargaining chip twice.

[denphone]

Originally Posted by muppetman11

Couldn't agree more , BTs fibre network will pass more homes than VM's within the next few years. I agree also that BT could gain access to some of Sky's channels through this premiership deal , it would certainly appear that these two are holding all the best cards however VM have pulled a trump card out before so who knows.

Such eloquent unbiased words MM.

[passingbat]

Originally Posted by andy_m

In other words they'd already used up the leverage the Virgin basic channels gave them. Can't exactly use them as a bargaining chip twice.

You can't be certain of that. Presumably the VM and Sky basics would have come up for renegotiation in the future. Sky Atlantic is a basic Sky channel, as it's available to all Sky subscribers. Therefore it could have been included in the negotiations.

When VM decided to sell the channels it was because they decided to focus on their core USP; fast broadband. With BT and Sky now offering that, fast BB is no longer a USP for VM. BT seem to have come to the conclusion that you need content to battle Sky. VM had content and sold it.

---------- Post added at 11:43 ---------- Previous post was at 11:30 ----------

Originally Posted by muppetman11

Couldn't agree more , BTs fibre network will pass more homes than VM's within the next few years. I agree also that BT could gain access to some of Sky's channels through this premiership deal , it would certainly appear that these two are holding all the best cards however VM have pulled a trump card out before so who knows.

Originally Posted by denphone

Such eloquent unbiased words MM.

But what MM says is true though. VM have lost what in my view was a massive USP i.e. fast broadband. And they don't appear to have anything to replace it as a compelling USP. Tivo does it for me, but I'm sure for most prople, Tivo is a preffered box rather than an essential box. And even with Tivo, they are taking so long to bring out the features that would make it more compelling as a USP (multi room streaming and iPad) that you wonder what is going on at VM. If Sky had a box with Tivo functionality, I would be tempted to move. It would be a very reluctant decision because I have been very happy with the service I have had from Telewest/VM over a lot of years.

[carlwaring]

Originally Posted by passingbat

You can't be certain of that. Presumably the VM and Sky basics would have come up for renegotiation in the future.

Given that VM didn't have any channels at all after Sky bought them I don't see how they could have possible "come up again in negotiations"

[passingbat]

Originally Posted by carlwaring

Given that VM didn't have any channels at all after Sky bought them I don't see how they could have possible "come up again in negotiations"

We were talking about the situation if VM had not sold the channels.