Guardian: "Sky Atlantic won't be on Virgin Media soon, says BSkyB boss"

[Perfect Choice]

The trick Sky have with Atlantic is that they heavily promote key new series like Boardwalk Empire and the latest series of Mad Men, the rest in in-fill really. Lets face it most digital channels these days only have 2 or 3 good new series running at a time, the rest are repeats or just padding.

It is those key series which attracts the viewers, not the channel because it just "seems new". TV viewers therefore want to see these award winning series and they can only do this through Sky Atlantic right now.

Cannot see how such leading series can be seen early through any form of on demand unless there is a loop hole on Internet based access in the Sky deal and Tivo gives VM a way to agree access???

Waiting a year for on demand access is just not going to win, if it was a week or 2 delay then I would say that is fine, but as the Lost Sky 1 episode shows, once a series becomes popular and fans want to see the next series, they will not be patient enough to wait until VM can finally do a deal.

Now if DF is indicating VM are working on a way round these exclusive linear rights which means they can do on demand near (meaning a week or 2) or even before (Hawaii Five O comment above) then that would really set the cat amongst the pigeons! IPTV via Tivo Internet interface anyone?

[Ignitionnet]

Originally Posted by Tod

Surely Virgin can have the new Sky Atlantic instead of Sky giving a discount for closing Bravo and Channel One (virgin One)!!

Oh no.....Sky make the rules as they are a monopoly!

Well no, Sky make the rules as they are selling the product. Last I checked it was generally the seller, not the buyer, who decides what is being sold.

[muppetman11]

Originally Posted by Perfect Choice

The trick Sky have with Atlantic is that they heavily promote key new series like Boardwalk Empire and the latest series of Mad Men, the rest in in-fill really. Lets face it most digital channels these days only have 2 or 3 good new series running at a time, the rest are repeats or just padding.

It is those key series which attracts the viewers, not the channel because it just "seems new". TV thereforeviewers want to see these award winning series and they can only do this through Sky Atlantic.

Cannot see how such leading series can be seen early through any form of on demand unless there is a loop hole on Internet based access in the Sky deal and Tivo gives VM a way to agree access???

Waiting a year for on demand access is just not going to win, if it was a week or 2 delay then I would say that is fine, but as the Lost Sky 1 episode shows, once a series becomes popular and fans want to see the next series, they will not be patient enough to wait until VM can finally do a deal.

Now if DF is indicating VM are working on a way round these exclusive linear rights which means they can do on demand near (meaning a week or 2) or even before (Hawaii Five O comment above) then that would really set the cat amongst the pigeons! IPTV via Tivo Internet interface anyone?

Agree the potential would be good but cant see there is a loophole there otherwise it would have been exploited by now.

[WillPS]

Originally Posted by Perfect Choice

The trick Sky have with Atlantic is that they heavily promote key new series like Boardwalk Empire and the latest series of Mad Men, the rest in in-fill really. Lets face it most digital channels these days only have 2 or 3 good new series running at a time, the rest are repeats or just padding.

It is those key series which attracts the viewers, not the channel because it just "seems new". TV thereforeviewers want to see these award winning series and they can only do this through Sky Atlantic.

Cannot see how such leading series can be seen early through any form of on demand unless there is a loop hole on Internet based access in the Sky deal and Tivo gives VM a way to agree access???

Waiting a year for on demand access is just not going to win, if it was a week or 2 delay then I would say that is fine, but as the Lost Sky 1 episode shows, once a series becomes popular and fans want to see the next series, they will not be patient enough to wait until VM can finally do a deal.

Now if DF is indicating VM are working on a way round these exclusive linear rights which means they can do on demand near (meaning a week or 2) or even before (Hawaii Five O comment above) then that would really set the cat amongst the pigeons! IPTV via Tivo Internet interface anyone?

This is exactly my point. If Virgin Media can pick up content for On Demand access that renders a linear channel obsolete - all power to them, drop that channel, market the hell out of it and reap the rewards of a better service overall.

Until then though, just 'working towards that' isn't enough.

[Ignitionnet]

Originally Posted by Sirius

Sky's over hyped under performing channels are of no consequence to me, I have many ways and means of obtaining any program they carry on SA. I have no intention of getting worked up over a channel that by next year will be as crap as sky one.

Here's hoping not too many people do that else we won't be getting much crap to watch full stop, regardless of how we watch it.

[WillPS]

Originally Posted by Ignitionnet

Here's hoping not too many people do that else we won't be getting much crap to watch full stop.

This happens to be my attitude to some extent, but I also think for those paying a comparable price to Sky customers should expect a similar standard of content. Not having access to a channel (or the majority of its content within a reasonably short period of time) isn't acceptable.

Sky clearly are playing hard-to-get with this, and hopefully a compromise can be found. I wholeheartedly reject the notion that VM billpayers should accept their monthly TV subscription is an investment in a platform that'll be brilliant one-day though, which seems to be what some are saying.

[Mobes]

Originally Posted by BenMcr

Although just been told it may be one off to tempt people into Sky Atlantic (sorry)

Luckily for me im not too interested in any of the Atlantic programmess ;0)

[Digital Fanatic]

Originally Posted by WillPS

Yeah - you rejected my arguement that customers want Sky Atlantic based on 'indicators shoving people moving towards ondemands/tivo'. Well TiVo is only any good if there's a linear channel showing the content in the first place!!

As for On Demand, I repeat my argument that it's useless unless it can beat or at least match the delay between US broadcast and UK linear-channel broadcast. See my example re:LOST.

A year would be too long, I agree. VM's digitally connected, two way, high speed fibre optic network is the key to it's future.

Watch this space!

Originally Posted by Digital Fanatic

VM doesn't need Sky Atlantic, Sky want you to think you need it on VM. They are doing their usual tricks of saying "VM won't pay our reasonable offer"

That would be just like the 'reasonable offer' they made to VM when re-negotiating the Sky Basics package ... and we all know how that turned out.

When it comes to these sorts of things, Sky man speak with forked tongue.

[Digital Fanatic]

Originally Posted by Chris

That would be just like the 'reasonable offer' they made to VM when re-negotiating the Sky Basics package ... and we all know how that turned out.

When it comes to these sorts of things, Sky man speak with forked tongue.

Yep, they have form for sure

If they were honest and said they didn't want anyone to have it yet, then that would be fine. But making out they selling at a reasonable price? c'mon Sky! lol

[Perfect Choice]

Think I know what you are getting at DF as indicated in my earlier post. Well will wait and see what happens then.

I'm going to watch that one-off first episode of Broadwalk Empire to be shown on Sky 3 as a colleague at work said they liked it better than they expected. If hooked it will be either (1) get Sky, (2) see if VM have a get around to bypass exclusive linear content short term, (3) find out how to do something illegal, which I've not done so far!

[WillPS]

Originally Posted by Digital Fanatic

Yep, they have form for sure

If they were honest and said they didn't want anyone to have it yet, then that would be fine. But making out they selling at a reasonable price? c'mon Sky! lol

It doesn't excuse VM from neglecting to include future channels in the same agreement all their present channels are in (the one agreed along with the VMTV sale).

[Digital Fanatic]

Originally Posted by WillPS

It doesn't excuse VM from neglecting to include future channels in the same agreement all their present channels are in (the one agreed along with the VMTV sale).

If you were Sky, would you have agreed to let your competitor have all future channels? For ever? for Living TV/Bravo/Challenge and Channel one?

Especially when you've just given them Sky1HD, Sky Movies HD, red button access & Sky VoD.

(Sky Sports HD as a seperate deal from Ofcom pressure)

[clinteastman]

Originally Posted by WillPS

It doesn't excuse VM from neglecting to include future channels in the same agreement all their present channels are in (the one agreed along with the VMTV sale).

Even if they did we still wouldn't have Sky Atlantic as it's only being offered free at the moment, it goes behind a pay wall in August, making it not a basic channel. ersonally I don't give a hoot about Sky Atlantic.

Also it's good to hear that VM are looking to use there networks bigest plus over Sky to bring about my utopian dream, the death of linear TV, it's so old hat

[Digital Fanatic]

Originally Posted by Ignitionnet

Here's hoping not too many people do that else we won't be getting much crap to watch full stop, regardless of how we watch it.

Yes, I agree.


This is where exclusive channels don't work as is some cases it forces the customer to look elsewhere for their programming.