Virgin One to launch - cable & Freeview

[GuestUK]

I did a search and wasn't able to find anything about Virgin One recently on these forums, if it has already been posted, I apologise and please feel free to remove this thread.

According to an article on Broadcastnow it seems that Virgin is getting ready to start a new channel Virgin One to rival Sky, along with it's new Sports News channel. The channel is planned for launch on Freeview, as well as highly likely on cable. It's most likely going to replace the current offering as FTN, and seems to be going to carry mainly US imports.

Originally Posted by From the article

Talk of the offering, which Broadcast understands will be called Virgin One and be available on cable and Freeview, has been gaining momentum following frenzied bidding by the cable group for US shows from the LA Screenings.

One source said: "Virgin Media seems to be trying to buy everything [from the LA Screenings]. The word from the US is it is because they are launching a new channel to take on Sky One."

Virgin Media has also begun commissioning shows from UK indies for the new channel, which will be positioned between its female skewing offering Living and the male skewing Bravo. It is also likely to replace Virgin Media's Freeview channel FTN.

While this could be good news, I think it will be sad to see FTN go as they did carry some good programming and I thought it was quite a good channel (I guess I won't be seeing Crystal Maze on Virgin One on freeview anymore).

Plus, it almost makes one wonder whether they were truly serious about getting the Sky channels at all, or whether they had plans for all of this and getting rid of the Sky channels on the VM platform was part of the plan. Gives them the money to do these ventures and knocks out the competition on the platform so they get more viewers.

[popper]

http://www.waveguide.co.uk/news070611.htm#Virgin
"

Virgin To Launch On Freeview
Virgin Media TV could soon launch a general entertainment channel on Freeview.
The company has started to commission programmes from UK independents as well as making a number of acquisitions at the LA Screenings.
The new channel, thought to be called Virgin One, is likely to replace Virgin media's current Freeview channel FTN."

[Nikesh]

I doubt Virgin will launch a new channel because they want to keep increasing their On Demand content instead. That's why we've got the crappy Virgin Central "channel"...

[Stuart]

Broadcast is a well-regarded, and usually well researched trade magazine. If they had heard rumours that VM were bidding for the On-Demand rights to shows (which are different to the 1st and 2nd run rights needed for TV showing), then they would have said that.

[pacific202x]

Originally Posted by GuestUK

I did a search and wasn't able to find anything about Virgin One recently on these forums, if it has already been posted, I apologise and please feel free to remove this thread.

According to an article on Broadcastnow it seems that Virgin is getting ready to start a new channel Virgin One to rival Sky, along with it's new Sports News channel. The channel is planned for launch on Freeview, as well as highly likely on cable. It's most likely going to replace the current offering as FTN, and seems to be going to carry mainly US imports.



While this could be good news, I think it will be sad to see FTN go as they did carry some good programming and I thought it was quite a good channel (I guess I won't be seeing Crystal Maze on Virgin One on freeview anymore).

Plus, it almost makes one wonder whether they were truly serious about getting the Sky channels at all, or whether they had plans for all of this and getting rid of the Sky channels on the VM platform was part of the plan. Gives them the money to do these ventures and knocks out the competition on the platform so they get more viewers.

im not entirely confident we'll ever see the basic sky channels on the uk cable platform ever again...not that i care anyway i only really like sky sports but it goes to show their efforts are concentrated elsewhere ie. broadband upgrades, launching new on-demand/channels and bidding for us shows...doesnt look like they care about sky channels anymore

[andygrif]

Originally Posted by Stuart C

Broadcast is a well-regarded, and usually well researched trade magazine. If they had heard rumours that VM were bidding for the On-Demand rights to shows (which are different to the 1st and 2nd run rights needed for TV showing), then they would have said that.

I'm just wondering why there would be any rumours about bidding for on-demand rights? Generally these things are private discussions between two commercial companies (one of which is likely to be on the other side of the Atlantic) and covered by non-disclosure agreements.

[GuestUK]

It makes sense to go for a channel. VOD is somewhat limited, and content providers will never give new and fresh content to VOD nor allow it to be follow or comprehensive, and will tend to give priority to to channels over VOD. Plus, VOD doesn't return the costs well, unless they introduce advertising into the VOD streams.

The channel model works better in some respects, especially now that PVRs are becoming more abundant and more people can create their own VOD, select what they like and get it. Plus, channels encourage people to keep watching, when you see a show you might like to see, or an advert for something else on which you think sounds interesting, or the fact that if you like a lot of things on that channel, you are more likely to keep watching that channel to see what else there is. That, and it can make more money thrugh advertising and be available to more platforms.

Plus, don't forget VM's move to DTT. If Sky Three goes PayTV, VM's off-net DTT package will look rather unattractive with just the BBC, ITV, CH4, CH5 channels. If there's a "Virgin One" channel available to them, that may be good.

They have the space (FTN), and the FTN site has been taken down, and I get the feeling VM wanted to do something with FTN. Either rebrand it or relaunch it, and it sounds like they're going to relaunch with a totally different idea.

I think this might have been their plan all along though, as some people had already predicted. Remove the competition, start up their own channel, and use the costs they saved from the Sky channels for their own ventures.

It will be interesting to see how it pans out

[Stuart]

Originally Posted by andygrif

I'm just wondering why there would be any rumours about bidding for on-demand rights? Generally these things are private discussions between two commercial companies (one of which is likely to be on the other side of the Atlantic) and covered by non-disclosure agreements.

It's about as likely as rumours that VM were bidding frantically. Just because Virgin were there, it does not automatically follow that they were bidding frantically.

[Media Boy]

UPDATE: Virgin Media TV has confirmed it will launch a new entertainment channel, Virgin 1, which will be available on Sky, cable and digital terrestrial television in the autumn. The channel will mix newly commissioned and acquired programming with user-generated content and content from Virgin Media pay-TV channels. Catch-ups, previews and exclusive content will be available via broadband and Virgin Media on-demand. It is thought the channel will be pitched somewhere between its female-targeted channel Living and the male-targeted Bravo, and may replace Virgin Media TV's FTN channel on DTT. Celia Taylor has been appointed director of programming for the channel alongside her responsibilities for Bravo, Bravo 2, Challenge and Trouble. She will report to Claudia Rosencrantz, director of television. Jonathan Webb, managing director of Virgin Media Television, said: "I want Virgin 1 and the newly reinvigorated Living to be two of the top television channels by switchover. Virgin 1 will shake up multi-channel and free-to-air TV, and start liberating viewers from the linear schedule. It will be a creative tour de force and a cutting-edge example of any time, any place content. Virgin Media TV has huge support from Virgin Media and Richard Branson, who agree that Virgin 1 is what UK audiences have been waiting for." Programme acquisitions, understood to include US programming bought at the recent series of upfronts in Los Angeles last month, are expected to be announced soon. Info from Digital Spy.

[Stuart]

http://www.cableforum.co.uk/article/...nch-virgin-one

Well done Virgin

[mac1956]

I hope we can have some positive vibes now instead of all the negativity.
I look forward to seeing Virgin 1 and Virgin sport news on my screen.

[Nikesh]

Originally Posted by Nikesh

I doubt Virgin will launch a new channel because they want to keep increasing their On Demand content instead. That's why we've got the crappy Virgin Central "channel"...

Well looks like I've been proved wrong.

Good to hear that they are actually going to launch a channel.

[windy]

It sounds brill..i cant wait..WELL DONE VIRGIN..now sky might have something to worry about..

[prawncocktail]

im glad to hear we are launching a new channel, it will launch autumn time