General : Coming Soon to Virgin Media TV (2016) Vol 2

[RichardCoulter]

Sky Sports Mix has now been added to the EPG.

If the HD variant is there as well, could someone with and someone without XL possibly check for us?

Edit: Apparently, on Sky, Sky Sports Mix SD is available to SD & HD subscribers, with SSM HD only being available to HD subscribers.

On this basis, I expect the SD version to be on the 'More TV' pack upwards, with HD being only available to XL customers.

Be useful to know for sure though.

[Rob King]

Originally Posted by RichardCoulter

Sky Sports Mix has now been added to the EPG.

If the HD variant is there as well, could someone with and someone without XL possibly check for us?

Edit: Apparently, on Sky, Sky Sports Mix SD is available to SD & HD subscribers, with SSM HD only being available to HD subscribers.

On this basis, I expect the SD version to be on the 'More TV' pack upwards, with HD being only available to XL customers.

Be useful to know for sure though.

its not showing up on my tv even the HD version is missing too

[RichardCoulter]

Originally Posted by Rob King

its not showing up on my tv even the HD version is missing too

Sorry, I got this information from Chad another thread- I forgot he's now with Sky

It has been added to the VM system, but it's not yet on the EPG.

As subscription requirement levels often vary during 'testing' periods, so it's probably not worth checking this yet.

When it does appear on the EPG, i'll check myself unless nobody else does so first

Originally Posted by RichardCoulter

When it does appear on the EPG, i'll check myself unless nobody else does so first

As stated previously, Sky Sports Mix HD shows as being allocated to TSID 23 which is currently carrying 4 Olympics HD channels. A low bitrate information video slate could probably be added to get this onto the EPG but it would make more sense to wait and add Sky Sports Mix HD when the Olympics video streams are removed.

[RichardCoulter]

Originally Posted by jj20x

As stated previously, Sky Sports Mix HD shows as being allocated to TSID 23 which is currently carrying 4 Olympics HD channels. A low bitrate information video slate could probably be added to get this onto the EPG but it would make more sense to wait and add Sky Sports Mix HD when the Olympics video streams are removed.

I agree. Only then can we test my theory that the SD version will be available in More TV upwards and that the HD version will be available only to XL customers.

The off EPG Sky Sports Mix SD channel is now carrying an encrypted video stream.

[RichardCoulter]

There's now a promo for Sky Sports Mix in the Discovery Bar.

I guess the launch of this channel sees the end of temporary free periods on the main Sky Sports channels.

Nothing on the EPG yet, do we know where these channels will go?

Sky have it on 106 in another country, but due to the EPG regulations, it will probably have to go in the sports section in the UK.

---------- Post added at 17:51 ---------- Previous post was at 17:50 ----------

Originally Posted by theone2k10

Yes but keep in mind sometimes the grass is not greener on the otherside.
Contact VM retentions and see what they can do for you in my past experience retentions have always been pretty good to give a decent deal.

Cheers

Originally Posted by richardcoulter

nothing on the epg yet, do we know where these channels will go?

507 hd & 517 sd

[dodo1]

Any more news on the other channels that r testing launch?

[RichardCoulter]

Originally Posted by jj20x

507 hd & 517 sd

Ta

[RichardCoulter]

As well as VM Ireland falling out with BT resulting in the removal of BT Sport, VM UK have now had an almighty row over BT Sport in the UK:

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/business/...-ee-gives-cha/

Could this mean the removal of BT Sport in the UK too?

I know that VM customers were keen to get the channel; but the new VM management really are squaring up to BT.

Interesting to find out that during the negotiations VM agreed/offered to pay the carriage costs upfront (cable companies normally pay monthly- just like us!). Perhaps this was the leverage that finally got us the channel all that time ago.

The carriage costs are currently £120m per year.

Are there any current figures available that show how many TV customers VM have in the XL pack (or even the total number of TV customers), so that we can try to work out how much the hidden cost is within the XL pack?

I know that some on here resent paying for it, but it might only equal pennies!

[denphone]

BT Sport is going nowhere l can assure you Richard.

[passingbat]

Originally Posted by denphone

BT Sport is going nowhere l can assure you Richard.

Your opinion or an informed source?

[1andrew1]

Originally Posted by RichardCoulter

As well as VM Ireland falling out with BT resulting in the removal of BT Sport, VM UK have now had an almighty row over BT Sport in the UK:

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/business/...-ee-gives-cha/

Could this mean the removal of BT Sport in the UK too?

I know that VM customers were keen to get the channel; but the new VM management really are squaring up to BT.

Interesting to find out that during the negotiations VM agreed/offered to pay the carriage costs upfront (cable companies normally pay monthly- just like us!). Perhaps this was the leverage that finally got us the channel all that time ago.

The carriage costs are currently £120m per year.

Are there any current figures available that show how many TV customers VM have in the XL pack (or even the total number of TV customers), so that we can try to work out how much the hidden cost is within the XL pack?

I know that some on here resent paying for it, but it might only equal pennies!

VM did not fall out with BT Ireland as they did not have a relationship with them. VM's contractual relationship was with Setanta Sports which was acquired by Eir. VM felt it should get a reduction for the loss of the 3:30pm EPL matches; Eir disagreed.
There are about 1.8m XL customers. I doubt VM paying upfront would make much difference to BT.

[TMLeafs]

Originally Posted by 1andrew1

There are about 1.8m XL customers. I doubt VM paying upfront would make much difference to BT.

Do you have a source for that number been looking this morning.

120M/1.8M/12 = £5.56 per XL sub per month

BT sport pay close to 1 Billion pounds per year for all their sport. That fixed money from virgin per year definitely helps them out otherwise all other ways of subbing BT sport will increase in cost.

To get it on sky without BT Broadband it's already £21.99 SD £26.99 HD when it started it was around 15 pounds.

If XL lost BT sport and lets say they start charging 20 pounds per month they would need at least 500,000 subs to get the same amount of money. With Sky Sports take up is low on virgin media, though it has been along time since we have seen any figures it's definitely the best option for BT.

Anyone know how many subbed setanta before it was added to the XL package?

[1andrew1]

Originally Posted by TMLeafs

Do you have a source for that number been looking this morning.
120M/1.8M/12 = £5.56 per XL sub per month

It was in the original BT Sport threads in Digital Spy when BT Sport first came to VM. Posts by mlt11 are particularly authoritative. The price per XL subscriber then was stated as £3.50pm and there was an increase when VM renewed to add BT Sport Europe last year and I think your figures look fine. I think some of this data came from press reports particularly the FT and Daily Telegraph though websites may have reported on the press reports. The XL subscriber numbers came from a VM annual report and I don't believe this level of information is now reported by VM since its acquisition by LGI but that would be my first port of call, say look at the 2012 report. The trouble with forums is that they can contain some great information but retrieving it from historical posts is notoriously difficult.
It's not that BT Sport accounts for a high proportion of the content in the XL pack. It just accounts for the most expensive content per hour in the pack.