General : ESPN, BT, Euro, Premier and Sky Sports news

[alwaysabear]

Originally Posted by thenry

Good! How about they get rid of Owen altogether.

[andy_m]

I must admit I'm a secret Michael Owen fan. I think he was a genuine World class player who's played at three of the world's most famous clubs and at international level, is almost uniquely placed to offer insight and actually isn't frightened to say what he thinks. But he does sound boring. A lot of people I know don't watch BT Sport because of him. I think he's potentially a bar to future growth and, since they've shown that they're prepared to make tough decisions with the reaction to the failed Halsey experiment, I've come round to the argument that they need to get rid of Owen (Michael and Hargreaves) now.

[OLD BOY]

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/rug...lub-rugby.html

'BSkyB and BT, the UK’s two warring media giants, were on Thursday night in advanced negotiations over an extraordinary deal to share the television rights for European club rugby and remove the biggest hurdle to a successor for the Heineken Cup.'

I speculated a few weeks back that BT and Sky would have to get together eventually because the cost of battling it out for football rights would ultimately become prohibitive.

To my mind, this is the first sign that these two bitter rivals are coming to terms with the need to bite the bullet.

A small start, but I think this will pave the way for the future.

[Mad Max]

Originally Posted by OLD BOY

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/rug...lub-rugby.html

'BSkyB and BT, the UK’s two warring media giants, were on Thursday night in advanced negotiations over an extraordinary deal to share the television rights for European club rugby and remove the biggest hurdle to a successor for the Heineken Cup.'

I speculated a few weeks back that BT and Sky would have to get together eventually because the cost of battling it out for football rights would ultimately become prohibitive.

To my mind, this is the first sign that these two bitter rivals are coming to terms with the need to bite the bullet.

A small start, but I think this will pave the way for the future.

So when is Atlantic coming OB??

[denphone]

Originally Posted by Mad Max

So when is Atlantic coming OB??

When Aliens invade earth.

[OLD BOY]

Originally Posted by Mad Max

So when is Atlantic coming OB??

Ha, ha!

I've not heard anything new other than the rumour that VM may be looking at a deal with HBO for an on demand service. Whether that means that VM has found another (cheaper) way of giving us the HBO shows and is once again playing hardball with Sky, I don't know.

I did speculate that Sky Atlantic would be with us by now, and it seemed to be a reasonable suggestion at the time with the reports that I had read. However, the best laid plans can go awry and things are moving at such a pace that of course alternative solutions can become available over time.

Personally, I don't care whether I get Sky Atlantic or HBO On Demand, as long as the latter is subscription based and not PPV. One way or another, I am personally convinced that a solution will be available to us soon. But don't tell Justabloke as he will turn this point of view, which is what it is, into a firm prediction....

Getting back on topic, I do think that Sky's predominance over our broadcasting industry is now set to wane, and they will be forced into compromises which will ultimately lower prices. The fact that they are even contemplating a deal with BT is quite a transformation in their attitude in a surprisingly short time.

[denphone]

Originally Posted by OLD BOY

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/rug...lub-rugby.html

'BSkyB and BT, the UK’s two warring media giants, were on Thursday night in advanced negotiations over an extraordinary deal to share the television rights for European club rugby and remove the biggest hurdle to a successor for the Heineken Cup.'

I speculated a few weeks back that BT and Sky would have to get together eventually because the cost of battling it out for football rights would ultimately become prohibitive.

To my mind, this is the first sign that these two bitter rivals are coming to terms with the need to bite the bullet.

A small start, but I think this will pave the way for the future.

That remains to be seen l think personally as although there are negotiations over the Heineken Cup they will not sit at the same table as they are using a go between and l cannot see this spreading to any type of deal over the Premier League at all.

[harry_hitch]

Originally Posted by OLD BOY

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/rug...lub-rugby.html

'BSkyB and BT, the UK’s two warring media giants, were on Thursday night in advanced negotiations over an extraordinary deal to share the television rights for European club rugby and remove the biggest hurdle to a successor for the Heineken Cup.'

I speculated a few weeks back that BT and Sky would have to get together eventually because the cost of battling it out for football rights would ultimately become prohibitive.

To my mind, this is the first sign that these two bitter rivals are coming to terms with the need to bite the bullet.

A small start, but I think this will pave the way for the future.

I (personally) won't get too excited about any possible future deals. A brief look at the articles states that this is a one-off situation for one tournament. I can not see Sky reaching terms with BT to share any other sports, equally I can not see BT sharing their Premiership Rugby rights.

BTW, I noticed a pop up on TV Anywhere earlier stating BT Sports is free for a day tomorrow (15/2). Forgot to take a picture, sorry.

[OLD BOY]

Yes, this is just a one-off deal. The point I'm making is that it shows that two bitter rivals can come to an arrangement when it suits them.

As for Premiership sports, I just think there is a financial ceiling beyond which prices cannot go without driving viewers away. That means something has to give. Eventually.

[muppetman11]

Originally Posted by OLD BOY

Ha, ha!

I've not heard anything new other than the rumour that VM may be looking at a deal with HBO for an on demand service. Whether that means that VM has found another (cheaper) way of giving us the HBO shows and is once again playing hardball with Sky, I don't know.

I did speculate that Sky Atlantic would be with us by now, and it seemed to be a reasonable suggestion at the time with the reports that I had read. However, the best laid plans can go awry and things are moving at such a pace that of course alternative solutions can become available over time.

Personally, I don't care whether I get Sky Atlantic or HBO On Demand, as long as the latter is subscription based and not PPV. One way or another, I am personally convinced that a solution will be available to us soon. But don't tell Justabloke as he will turn this point of view, which is what it is, into a firm prediction....

Getting back on topic, I do think that Sky's predominance over our broadcasting industry is now set to wane, and they will be forced into compromises which will ultimately lower prices. The fact that they are even contemplating a deal with BT is quite a transformation in their attitude in a surprisingly short time.

Why don't you try emailing HBO and asking how you can watch HBO subscription On Demand content in the UK , they'll tell you via Now TV or Sky TV. This is just another pipe dream granted you didn't start it. Sky has paid £275 million for HBO content as opposed to £150 million in 2010 do you really believe they'd pay all that if other broadcasters could also offer the subscription On Demand service ?

Who says Sky are the ones making all the compromises , last time I looked the BT Youview service didn't contain one Sky entertainment channel which according to BARB are some of the best viewed Entertainment pay TV channels nor did it carry any Sky Sports programming.

A wholesale deal and a better working relationship is mutually beneficial to both and will happen at some point in my opinion.

[andy_m]

Ahem, told you so!

[muppetman11]

UK pay-television broadcaster BSkyB has snatched the rights to cricket’s Indian Premier League, TV Sports Markets understands, beating off competition from rival pay-television operator BT and commercial broadcaster ITV, the UK rights-holder for the last four seasons.

http://www.sportbusiness.com/tv-spor...cricket-rights

[1andrew1]

Th

Originally Posted by OLD BOY

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/rug...lub-rugby.html

'BSkyB and BT, the UK’s two warring media giants, were on Thursday night in advanced negotiations over an extraordinary deal to share the television rights for European club rugby and remove the biggest hurdle to a successor for the Heineken Cup.'

I speculated a few weeks back that BT and Sky would have to get together eventually because the cost of battling it out for football rights would ultimately become prohibitive.

To my mind, this is the first sign that these two bitter rivals are coming to terms with the need to bite the bullet.

A small start, but I think this will pave the way for the future.

This is nothing to do with cost and the two broadcasters have not got together. It's because Sky has a deal to show the Heineken League and BT has a deal to show a new, unnamed alternative European tournament. Because the two opposing tournaments have joined together to become one they are left with two broadcast partners, hence a need to resolve the situation.

[thenry]

BT need to stop standing outside the grounds.

[denphone]

Originally Posted by thenry

BT need to stop standing outside the grounds.

Yes it looks stupid and amateurish.