General : Coming soon to Virgin TV 2014

[1andrew1]

Originally Posted by denphone

Was there not a new contract signed about a year or so ago with ITV Andrew ?.

That's one for Media Boy.

[OLD BOY]

Originally Posted by 1andrew1

All three are on my retail YouView box too. It's strange that a premium service (Virgin) has fewer episodes than a free one (YouView). Hopefully, Virgin will add more content at the next contract renewal, I assume ITV charges Sky and Virgin whilst the content on YouView may be part of ITV's payment-in-kind for the platform.

It's quite annoying actually. First we fell behind with linear channels with the start of the digital age but we were good with on demand, and now we are letting others do better in that area as well.

I hope that Liberty's strategy of bringing us maximum content comes into play as contracts are re-negotiated. I'd hate to think that we are losing our way again with the TV offering from Virgin.

[Media Boy UK]

ITV 30 day on demand was axe on Virgin Media last March (2013).

http://mediaboyblog.blogspot.co.uk/2...on-demand.html

ITV did launch ITV2 - ITV4 HD Channels on Virgin Media that same month.

---------- Post added at 11:06 ---------- Previous post was at 10:54 ----------

Confirmed: Sky Basic NOT up until 2017.

Technix has confirmed the following:

Page 45 mentions carriage agreements of "3 and 7 years", but doesnt state which one runs out when. But this is made clear earlier on page 27 where it mentions the premium carriage runs out on June 30th 2013. So an educated guess would make that as June 30th 2017 for the basics.

http://forums.digitalspy.co.uk/showp...postcount=1236

Virgin Media did sign an new deal last year for Sky Movies and Sky Sports last year (rumoured to be up this year)

http://mediaboyblog.blogspot.co.uk/2...deal-with.html

[Ben B]

New deal usually means another price rise, I suspect a lot of people will be unsubscribing from Sports/Movies if that's to be the case this year

[Media Boy UK]

Originally Posted by Ben B

New deal usually means another price rise, I suspect a lot of people will be unsubscribing from Sports/Movies if that's to be the case this year

Sky put the cost of Sky Sports and Sky Movies up every year on all networks (Even Sky) in October.

You will find that:

Virgin only make up to £2 per viewer base on what that Viewer has got the rest goes to Sky.

And Virgin signs Sky Sports and Sky Movies deal on per head basis (If viewers numbers goes up Virgin will pay more).

[Ben B]

Hopefully it will be down on last year then, Sky Sports collection has gone up by £8.25 in a matter of a few years

[Media Boy UK]

Originally Posted by Ben B

Hopefully it will be down on last year then, Sky Sports collection has gone up by £8.25 in a matter of a few years

One thing I know will happen the cost of Sky Movies and Sky Sports WILL go up in Smallworld areas.

Smallworld areas are paying £3.25 per month less for both Sky Sports & Movies

http://www.smallworldcable.com/Cable-TV/Sky-Movies

[1andrew1]

Originally Posted by Media Boy

Technix has confirmed the following:
Virgin Media did sign an new deal last year for Sky Movies and Sky Sports last year (rumoured to be up this year)

Combining this information and the info from Technix gives us a renewal date of 30 June 2014 which is as you said earlier - the summer

[Media Boy UK]

Originally Posted by 1andrew1

Combining this information and the info from Technix gives us a renewal date of 30 June 2014 which is as you said earlier - the summer

But if you press that link to my blog story about Sky Sports you will see it happen in April 2013.

So maybe Virgin has signed the new deal with the missing Sky Sports HD channels coming as part of deal for all we know.

[1andrew1]

Originally Posted by Media Boy

ITV 30 day on demand was axe on Virgin Media last March (2013).
http://mediaboyblog.blogspot.co.uk/2...on-demand.html

I can see Virgin reinstating this soon, the pressures of ITV Encore and BT TV under a new chief executive should get Liberty Global reaching for its cheque book.

---------- Post added at 12:30 ---------- Previous post was at 12:27 ----------

Originally Posted by Media Boy

But if you press that link to my blog story about Sky Sports you will see it happen in April 2013.

So maybe Virgin has signed the new deal with the missing Sky Sports HD channels coming as part of deal for all we know.

Yes, I think you may be right.

---------- Post added at 12:35 ---------- Previous post was at 12:30 ----------

Originally Posted by Ben B

New deal usually means another price rise, I suspect a lot of people will be unsubscribing from Sports/Movies if that's to be the case this year

It's important to note that there is a limit to what Sky can charge for sports, it does not simply bid for sports rights then add a margin on top. Its largest expense is the Premiership whose costs went up by 71% at the 2012 auction. However, it's not increased subscription costs for Sky Sports by anything like this because it knows from research a lot of people would simply stop subscribing so its number of subscribers would reduce.

[Media Boy UK]

April List update - April 8th update.

Keep up-to-date on the latest news on upcoming channel launches and other important events across all platforms of Virgin TV and SmallWorld networks.

NOTE: I DO NOT WORK FOR VIRGIN MEDIA OR SMALLWORLD SO ALL THE INFORMATION ON THIS LIST IS STILL SUBJECT TO CHANGE

Colours on my list are as followed:

Media Boy = New Info just added.
Media Boy = Virgin Media or Smallworld News and links.
Media Boy = Other Media news/Things.

=== Coming up on Virgin's Digital TV ===
=== Freeviews on Virgin Media or Smallworld ===
???. ??th. (Put channel here) is having an freeview to all (Put package info here) ?? package on Virgin Channel ??? right now until 6am on (Put end date here).

=== April ===
14th. Sky Movies Greats rebrand as Sky Movies Superhero on Virgin Channel 410 and Smallworld Channel 309.
14th. Sky Movies Greats HD rebrand as Sky Movies Superhero HD on Virgin Channel 440 and Smallworld Channel 337.
27th. Sky Movies Superhero rebrand as Sky Movies Greats on Virgin Channel 410 and Smallworld Channel 309.
27th. Sky Movies Superhero HD rebrand as Sky Movies Greats HD on Virgin Channel 440 and Smallworld Channel 337.

=== May ===
No News...

=== June ===
2nd. STV to launch STV Glasgow on Virgin Channel 159 (STV West areas only.)

=== July ===
No News...

=== August ===
No News...

=== September ===
No News...

=== October ===
No News...

=== November ===
No News...

=== December ===
No News...

=== By 2015 ===
ITV to launch ITVBe on Virgin Media and Smallworld.

=== Autumn 2015 ===
-The BBC may close BBC Three on Virgin Media and Smallworld subject to approved by the BBC Trust.
-The BBC may close BBC Three HD on Virgin Media and Smallworld subject to approved by the BBC Trust.
-The BBC launch BBC One +1 on Virgin Media and Smallworld subject to approved by the BBC Trust.
-The BBC may add an extra hour per day (to 8pm) to CBBC and CBBC HD on Virgin Media and Smallworld subject to approved by the BBC Trust.

=== Local TV on Virgin Media ===
-Local TV broadcaster Made in Bristol hope to launch sometime in 2014 on Virgin Channel 159.
-Local TV broadcaster Made in Leeds hope to launch in Summer 2014 on Virgin Channel 159.
-Notts TV has confirmed that they are in talks with Virgin Media
-Local TV may launch on Virgin TV in some areas on Virgin Channel 159.
-Local TV Channels may also launch on Smallworld in some areas.

=== Unknown dates ===
-News 18 will soon launch on Virgin Media (No news in Months).
-Media Boy HQ has seen info that says an TV Channel is set to be close by it owner on Virgin Media.
-Rumours has reappeared that Sky to close Sky Livingit and Sky Livingit +1.
-The BBC to axe BBC Radio 4 LW on Virgin Channel 911 ''in the long term''.
-The BBC hope to launch English regional variants of its existing BBC One HD service as well as Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland editions of BBC Two HD - but still need to be approved by the BBC Trust.
-Virgin Media may renumber all of the Smallworld channel numbers.

=== Channels ONLY in Smallworld and UPC Ireland areas ===
List last updated on February 21st 2014.

ONLY TV CHANNELS THAT ONLY BROADCAST IN THE UK ON OTHER NETWORKS WILL APPEAR ON THIS PART OF THE LIST.

ALSO THE FOLLOWING LIST OF CHANNELS IS CURRENTLY BROADCASTING ON SMALLWORLD CABLE OR UPC IRELAND BUT NOT ON VIRGIN MEDIA:

Entertainment:
-Pick TV +1*
-MTV +1*

Documentaries:
-History HD**
-Nat Geo Wild HD**
-CI HD**

Lifestyle:
-Travel Channel +1*
-Food Network +1*
-Ideal Extra*
-Fashion TV**

Movies:
-Movies4Men*

Music:
-MTV Classic***
-Channel AKA*
-Now Music*

News:
-CCTV News*
-Sky News HD**

Sports:
-Sky Sports News HD**

Kids:
-Disney Channel HD**

Specialist:
-EWTN**

Radio:
-UCB Ireland**

*Only in Smallworld areas.
**Only in UPC Ireland areas.
***Only in both Smallworld and UPC Ireland areas.

©copyright 2014 Media Boy 2006 - 2014. An ''Keep it real and free'' Production.

==== Virgin Media's Deals with broadcasters ===
Full list now at: http://mediaboyblog.blogspot.co.uk/p...adcasters.html

This part of list has now moved to my blog - follow link.

=== What is Media Boy on about??? ===
Here is what I mean when I post the following on Cable Forum:

Virgin Insiders - means just that.
'Do Not Post' order - means an Virgin insider has given me some info on things that set to happen but has told me not to reveal it right now.

=== Media Boy Extra info: ===
Liberty Global - http://www.lgi.com/
Media Boy Blog - For all things Virgin TV - http://mediaboyblog.blogspot.com/
Follow Virgin Media on ''twitter'' here - http://twitter.com/virginmedia
Follow Smallworld Fibre on ''twitter'' here - https://twitter.com/smallworldfibre
See Nialli's blog on Virgin Media High Definition & TiVo Services here - http://vmhd.blogspot.com/

=== Ask Media Boy ===
Last updated February 3rd 2014.

Q: WHERE DO YOU GET YOUR INFORMATION ABOUT VIRGIN MEDIA FROM?
A: I get all my info from Virgin Media viewers, some Virgin Media workers (I called them Virgin Insiders) and Web Sites (NOTE: When I used web sites I will post an link to that web site).

Q: WHY HAVE YOU ADDED 'ONLY IN SMALLWORLD AREAS' AND 'ONLY IN UPC IRELAND AREAS' WHEN THIS THREAD IS FOR VIRGIN MEDIA?
A: Virgin Media, Smallworld and UPC Ireland are now ALL own by Liberty Global.

Q: WHY AM I NOT GETTING ''MTV CLASSIC'' OR ''DISNEY CHANNEL HD'' FOR?
A: MTV CLASSIC and Disney Channel HD is only broadcasting in Smallworld and UPC Ireland areas right now.

==== See you later ===
List last updated on April 8th 2014.

Next update: TBC - unless:

A) If Virgin Media are set to launch more than TWO channels (TV or Radio) in Virgin TV or Smallworld areas.
B) If Virgin Media are set to move more than TWO channels (TV or Radio) about in Virgin TV or Smallworld areas.
C) If Virgin Media are set to close or repackage more then TWO channels (TV or Radio) in Virgin TV or Smallworld areas.

Did I miss anything??? If I did tell me and it will appear on the next update.

©copyright 2014 Media Boy 2006 - 2014. An ''Keep it real and free'' Production.

[denphone]

Originally Posted by Ben B

New deal usually means another price rise, I suspect a lot of people will be unsubscribing from Sports/Movies if that's to be the case this year

Indeed once our contract finishes later this year we will be changing our package in order to get better value for our money.

[1andrew1]

Originally Posted by denphone

Indeed once our contract finishes later this year we will be changing our package in order to get better value for our money.

Now TV Movies at its current £9pm is less than half the price of a Sky Movies SD subscription on Virgin. Granted, it's another box but it's a £120 annual saving. Competition for sports and movie rights is often said to drive up subscriber costs. However, the competition from Netflix has actually driven down the costs of Sky Movies in this situation.

[theone2k10]

New sports channel could launch in UK by end of the year according to a source (50/50 on this) it will focus mostly on American sports, NBC apparantly are involved.

[denphone]

Originally Posted by theone2k10

New sports channel could launch in UK by end of the year according to a source (50/50 on this) it will focus mostly on American sports, NBC apparantly are involved.

One suspects it will be another subscription channel if it happens.