SKY F1 HD Channel, Any Chance?

[muppetman11]

Originally Posted by andy_m

This.

Eh ?

[denphone]

Originally Posted by muppetman11

People need to realise how good an offer VM are giving them with XL , free ESPN which costs £9.00 or £12.00 on Sky , free TV choice OD and a decent variety of HD channels also included , that said VM can only add so much before they are forced to increase subs.

l am very happy with getting ESPN on the XL pack but like most customers we are always looking for something else to be added as a extra or for more channels to be added.

Originally Posted by muppetman11

It will arrive in some form however I'd be amazed if it was included in the XL pack.

I tend to agree muppetman,sky have not gone to the expense of buying the rights to F1 and setting up their own F1 channel to let VM have it as an inclusive with TVXL channel like ESPN,it will offer added value to skys own suscribers to maybe increase take up,but in my opinion it will be a subbbed channel on VM just a feeling.

Otherwise i would say TVXL even if it was incusive would be facing a massive increase were the F1 channel to be included,after VM have paid sky for the option of showing it,which knowing sky will not come cheap.

[andy_m]

Originally Posted by muppetman11

People need to realise how good an offer VM are giving them with XL , free ESPN which costs £9.00 or £12.00 on Sky , free TV choice OD and a decent variety of HD channels also included , that said VM can only add so much before they are forced to increase subs.

I agree entirely-TV XL is excellent value for money as it stands. I'd love to continue to watch F1 for "free", but I'd have no complaints if Virgin were in a position where they had to charge for it. It is, after all, my choice not to be a Sky customer and one I'm generally very happy with.

[dav]

IF virgin managed to add this to TV-XL for nowt I'd be over the moon.
If it's to be paid for then I won't be having it.
Things are too tight and, even though I really enjoy my F1 weekends, F1 just isn't that important to splash cash on.

Listen-up Bernie!

[Gavin-D]

People who subscribe to the Sky sports pack sould get the F1 channel regardless and for those that don't then maybe the XL pack.

[m419]

Originally Posted by Simon G

Just looking at the new Sky F1 site http://f1.sky.com/#home It mentions the brand new Sky F1 HD channel they are launching which looks and sounds great! But..just how likely, with the Sky Atlantic fiasco are we to get to see this channel on virgin, and are we even less likley to see it in HD?

I'm sure it will, think it will be a premium channel or part of Sky Sports or Sky Movies and Sports collection.

[nstokes]

Originally Posted by m419

I'm sure it will, think it will be a premium channel or part of Sky Sports or Sky Movies and Sports collection.

i reckon that as well, still no news from SKYf1 twitter, i doubt we willl hear anything anytike soon

[alwaysabear]

For VM to make a statement that they are already talking to Sky about acquiring this channel speaks volumes to me . I cannot remember them making any statements before about acquiring a channel so soon after it was announced. They are obviously desperate to get the channel as they know full well that if they do not have it, they would be in danger of losing many petrol head customers to SKY!

[joff81]

Originally Posted by alwaysabear

For VM to make a statement that they are already talking to Sky about acquiring this channel speaks volumes to me . I cannot remember them making any statements before about acquiring a channel so soon after it was announced. They are obviously desperate to get the channel as they know full well that if they do not have it, they would be in danger of losing many petrol head customers to SKY!

F1 is a die hard spot and 95% of fans will look to keep watching F1 live.

F1 on the BBC averaged 10.5 million viewers over its 2 years with a peak of 13.5 million for both Monaco and the British GP. I don't care who you are that is a massive number of viewers and if you don't carry the new F1 channel for an acceptable price then you have the potential to loose a massive customer base to Sky.
the other side of it is that you also loose the chance to uptake some of them viewers who will be looking to bite the bullet and move to a pay tv option to get the new F1 channel which will be pretty decent numbers.

with SKY now promoting the channel both in papers and on their tv channels Virgin media are loosing potential customers everyday as F1 fans look to keep their sport live to view.
virgin media need to get something sorted sharpish and to the most customers possible as cheap as possible as waiting till march is far too late as most F1 fans will have sorted viewing plans out before then by either moving to SKY or by using less popular/legal means.

[Mobes]

Originally Posted by alwaysabear

For VM to make a statement that they are already talking to Sky about acquiring this channel speaks volumes to me . I cannot remember them making any statements before about acquiring a channel so soon after it was announced. They are obviously desperate to get the channel as they know full well that if they do not have it, they would be in danger of losing many petrol head customers to SKY!

On the flip side, Sky also know that they will be losing a lot of money and will ensue the annoyance of F1 if they don't let other platforms have the channel.

There is NO way that this will be an exclusive Sky channel and I doubt very much even the HD channel will be exclusive.

It wouldn't surprise me if there wasn't a little clause in Sky/F1's contract making it clear it must be offered to other platforms at a reasonable price.

Total conjecture from me though.

[Hom3r]

I have V+ and have both Sports & Movies (SD).

I will only watch the Britsh GP next year, and I know Sky will have advers every 5 minutes before the race, and the second the winner crosses the finish line "advert".

So I will not bother with the others.

BYE BYE F1.

[andy_m]

Originally Posted by joff81

F1 is a die hard spot and 95% of fans will look to keep watching F1 live.

F1 on the BBC averaged 10.5 million viewers over its 2 years with a peak of 13.5 million for both Monaco and the British GP. I don't care who you are that is a massive number of viewers and if you don't carry the new F1 channel for an acceptable price then you have the potential to loose a massive customer base to Sky.
the other side of it is that you also loose the chance to uptake some of them viewers who will be looking to bite the bullet and move to a pay tv option to get the new F1 channel which will be pretty decent numbers.

with SKY now promoting the channel both in papers and on their tv channels Virgin media are loosing potential customers everyday as F1 fans look to keep their sport live to view.
virgin media need to get something sorted sharpish and to the most customers possible as cheap as possible as waiting till march is far too late as most F1 fans will have sorted viewing plans out before then by either moving to SKY or by using less popular/legal means.

Great post, and spot on. I have no doubt that this channel WILL come to Virgin one way or another, but I am also sure that any announcement/agreement will be almost at the last minute. Sky will want to ride this particular pony for months before they have to let the cat out of the bag that it won't be exclusive to their platform. The fact that they aren't advertising it as such, and that Virgin made an immediate, unprecedented, announcement, point to this being the case.

[Alan Fry]

Originally Posted by andy_m

Great post, and spot on. I have no doubt that this channel WILL come to Virgin one way or another, but I am also sure that any announcement/agreement will be almost at the last minute. Sky will want to ride this particular pony for months before they have to let the cat out of the bag that it won't be exclusive to their platform. The fact that they aren't advertising it as such, and that Virgin made an immediate, unprecedented, announcement, point to this being the case.

Lets hope you are right!

[chrisjones]

Originally Posted by andy_m

Great post, and spot on. I have no doubt that this channel WILL come to Virgin one way or another, but I am also sure that any announcement/agreement will be almost at the last minute. Sky will want to ride this particular pony for months before they have to let the cat out of the bag that it won't be exclusive to their platform. The fact that they aren't advertising it as such, and that Virgin made an immediate, unprecedented, announcement, point to this being the case.

Bang on, I said pretty much the same a few pages back last week.