The Virgin Media Television thread

Dindane

Delta2113 wrote: »

Yes Personally If I could have Utv back on Virgin would be great but it will never happen.

A big own goal.

It's said that UTV were looking at how many slots they were selling on their northern service to companies south of the border, and saw dollar signs. Well, Euro signs.

And all they had to do was relay all their ITV content in the Republic.

But they never realised that ITV Studios had a contract with TV3, and even worse, they presumed they could show all of ITV's sport on their new channel in the Republic. Nope.

icdg

To be fair they were well aware on both counts. They secured the contract which TV3 had for ITV Studios content.

On ITV Racing, although I don’t watch it very much, they do seem to get a feed which is slightly different to what airs on ITV - in particular it uses totally different opening titles and bumpers but also seems to cut to an overhead of the course at times.

iseegirls

Noticed in the schedule for Saturday and Sunday week on Virgin Media Two at around 11am, that they're showing WWE Raw and WWE Smackdown.

Thats an odd one. First time WWE has been on TV3/VMTV.

Maz2016

See Eir are set to cease sport broadcasting. I’ve watched a few things on eir sports over the years. I have often wondered how virgin sports going? Surely people aren’t paying €20 a month for it like it was in the beginning? so would their only viewers be VM customers?

Eir set to cease sports broadcasting after major loss of revenue
https://www.the42.ie/eir-sport-5385845-Mar2021/

Elmo

Dindane wrote: »

A big own goal.

It's said that UTV were looking at how many slots they were selling on their northern service to companies south of the border, and saw dollar signs. Well, Euro signs.

And all they had to do was relay all their ITV content in the Republic.

But they never realised that ITV Studios had a contract with TV3, and even worse, they presumed they could show all of ITV's sport on their new channel in the Republic. Nope.

I don't think UTV Ireland considered sport at all when the set up, it was a separate service to UTV proper. UTV Ireland's problem that it was unable to increase its share and that TV3 had a loyal audience for studio based local programming, their mistake was not using the UTV Radio network and UTV Live for news and creating an expensive news programme for UTV Ireland, fortunately that has helped VMTV news improve. But UTV Ireland and Proper when from a 3% share in 2014 to a 7% share in 2015 and 2016. TV3 went from 11% to 7% and even when it had the Rugby WC it still didn't dent UTV Ireland's share in 2015.

An Ciarraioch

Maz2016 wrote: »

See Eir are set to cease sport broadcasting. I’ve watched a few things on eir sports over the years. I have often wondered how virgin sports going? Surely people aren’t paying €20 a month for it like it was in the beginning? so would their only viewers be VM customers?

Eir set to cease sports broadcasting after major loss of revenue
https://www.the42.ie/eir-sport-5385845-Mar2021/

And the Sunday Independent reported yesterday that Virgin lost the Irish rights to the Champions League and Europa League, but said the new rights holders hadn't been revealed yet - Premier Sports, perhaps?

icdg

An Ciarraioch wrote: »

And the Sunday Independent reported yesterday that Virgin lost the Irish rights to the Champions League and Europa League, but said the new rights holders hadn't been revealed yet - Premier Sports, perhaps?

Reported by the Irish Times some weeks ago and being discussed in this dedicated thread:

https://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2058165012

KildareP

Did a double take when flicking past VM1 who were showing The Voice UK final "live" last night, despite the fact the winner was announced (actually) live on ITV Saturday night, when VM1 was showing the 8PM Six Nations game.

Assuming they didn't want to compete with themselves with Six Nations coverage on Saturday by showing the voice on VM2 or VM3 nor leave a large hole to fill in the VM1 Sunday evening schedule.

Seems bizarre though, surely it would have been all over social media who had won by the time VM announced the winner "live"!

Maz2016

KildareP wrote: »

Did a double take when flicking past VM1 who were showing The Voice UK final "live" last night, despite the fact the winner was announced (actually) live on ITV Saturday night, when VM1 was showing the 8PM Six Nations game.

Assuming they didn't want to compete with themselves with Six Nations coverage on Saturday by showing the voice on VM2 or VM3 nor leave a large hole to fill in the VM1 Sunday evening schedule.

Seems bizarre though, surely it would have been all over social media who had won by the time VM announced the winner "live"!

The “live” dog is put on by itv. Even when itv are showing repeats, the live is still there. It would ha e made sense as you say to run both over 2 channels bits it’s virgin media after all. We should just be glad it wasn’t red rock on , again

thesultan

They will surely go for some national league games

icdg

Of what sport? (I’m not being fictitious, it may be obvious to yourself what the “national league” is but to me it could be one of the two GAA Allianz Leagues or the League of Ireland but it equally be any one of a number of other leagues).

The League of Ireland is struggling to get anyone to show its games. Eir Sport are gone and RTE are only committed up till June and more interested in their subscription streaming service. VMTV will have no interest in that.

As for the GAA Leagues, they commit the cardinal sin of being up against the crucial ITV Saturday night schedule and are badly timed from VMTV’s POV.

iseegirls

The last 6 Nations match on Friday night is being shown on Virgin Media Two, and not on their main channel Virgin Media One. A sign maybe that they've not got Six Nations next year or am I looking into that way too much.

AJB39

I think it has more to do with wanting to keep Coronation Street on VM1. They presumably think it will bring in higher ratings then the rugby because it doesn't involve Ireland.

Elmo

iseegirls wrote: »

The last 6 Nations match on Friday night is being shown on Virgin Media Two, and not on their main channel Virgin Media One. A sign maybe that they've not got Six Nations next year or am I looking into that way too much.

I think VMTV could be moving away from sport slowly, they may be working towards selling off the TV group.

https://www.ft.com/content/e3893643-15ef-48b6-b3b1-3082b23d1a16

The company has however turned its immediate attention to its cable-only assets in Ireland and Poland.

iseegirls

AJB39 wrote: »

I think it has more to do with wanting to keep Coronation Street on VM1. They presumably think it will bring in higher ratings then the rugby because it doesn't involve Ireland.

It's a big match in terms of who's going to win the Six Nations championship. Ratings are pretty decent for Saturday and Sunday games even without Irish games. Plus they're airing Coronation Street a half an hour later than when it starts on ITV anyway, which they've been doing for most of Friday's.

roadmaster

Elmo wrote: »

I think VMTV could be moving away from sport slowly, they may be working towards selling off the TV group.

https://www.ft.com/content/e3893643-15ef-48b6-b3b1-3082b23d1a16

If Virgin tv is sold hopefully the new owner will go away from the itv repeats schedule

channelsurfer2

roadmaster wrote: »

If Virgin tv is sold hopefully the new owner will go away from the itv repeats schedule

Is there money in linear TV anymore? Just wondering who would stump up for it?

roadmaster

Considering the amount of utter scutter channels on sky/freeview there must be some money in it

Billy Ocean

AJB39 wrote: »

I think it has more to do with wanting to keep Coronation Street on VM1. They presumably think it will bring in higher ratings then the rugby because it doesn't involve Ireland.

Pretty much none of their soccer coverage is virgin media one these days too.

Omar C

roadmaster wrote: »

If Virgin tv is sold hopefully the new owner will go away from the itv repeats schedule

Hopefully ITV could by virgin media as it would easy for them to get broadcasting into Ireland as virgin media has the rite to pretty of all ITV's programming.

Àll ITV have to do is buy out virgin media broadcasting licence away they go. Also for markerting revenue just show Irish add instead uk adds.

Sorted.... hopefully we get the full suit of ITV channels on sky Ireland....

lertsnim

Omar C wrote: »

Hopefully ITV could by virgin media as it would easy for them to get broadcasting into Ireland as virgin media has the rite to pretty of all ITV's programming.

Àll ITV have to do is buy out virgin media broadcasting licence away they go. Also for markerting revenue just show Irish add instead uk adds.

Sorted.... hopefully we get the full suit of ITV channels on sky Ireland....

I remember this kind of wishful thinking before Granada had a share in TV3 and nothing changed then either.

bk

Omar C wrote: »

Hopefully ITV could by virgin media as it would easy for them to get broadcasting into Ireland as virgin media has the rite to pretty of all ITV's programming.

An interesting wrinkle, is that Liberty Global, Virgin Media's parent company, actually owns 9.9% of ITV.

Elmo

Honestly I think VMTV are very luckly, how often can you repeat the same episode of one show in one month on the same channel.

The Hotel Inspector about the old fashioned family friendly hotel, must be on its fifth repeat at this point.

twinklerunner

Elmo wrote: »

Honestly I think VMTV are very luckly, how often can you repeat the same episode of one show in one month on the same channel.

The Hotel Inspector about the old fashioned family friendly hotel, must be on its fifth repeat at this point.

We must be a fairly unsophisticated market to put up with such nonsense.

Delta2113

twinklerunner wrote: »

We must be a fairly unsophisticated market to put up with such nonsense.

- Like with everything else in this Country no proper regulation and they know it.

Johnboy1951

Elmo wrote: »

Honestly I think VMTV are very luckly, how often can you repeat the same episode of one show in one month on the same channel.

The Hotel Inspector about the old fashioned family friendly hotel, must be on its fifth repeat at this point.

If no one watches that channel then I guess no one notices

iseegirls

Looking at their Virgin Media Solutions page, they describe the channels as the following:

• Virgin Media One leads and reflects on conversations happening all over Ireland. Our content is designed to get the nation talking; big marquee events, high quality Irish and UK dramas, and 8-10 hours of home-produced programming daily.
• Virgin Media Two is the home of entertainment and drama.
• Virgin Media Three gives us the variety we didn’t know we needed.

Taking the above into consideration - Touching Evil (first shown in 1997 on ITV, and 1998 on TV3) - Series 1 was broadcast on Virgin Media One, Two and Three this month. The exact same 6 episodes. And it'll be shown 8 times over the next 2 years, similar how all other dramas have been broadcast.

marclt

iseegirls wrote: »

Looking at their Virgin Media Solutions page, they describe the channels as the following:

• Virgin Media One leads and reflects on conversations happening all over Ireland. Our content is designed to get the nation talking; big marquee events, high quality Irish and UK dramas, and 8-10 hours of home-produced programming daily.
• Virgin Media Two is the home of entertainment and drama.
• Virgin Media Three gives us the variety we didn’t know we needed.

Taking the above into consideration - Touching Evil (first shown in 1997 on ITV, and 1998 on TV3) - Series 1 was broadcast on Virgin Media One, Two and Three this month. The exact same 6 episodes. And it'll be shown 8 times over the next 2 years, similar how all other dramas have been broadcast.

That description for VM3 must be a breach of advertising standards!!!!

Dindane

It's very frustrating. But it's been like this for quite a while.

They used to have a lot more studio output during the day, but have obviously settled on slots where they think they will get an audience.

I've often wondered what the point is of showing Graham Norton the night after it's been on BBC1.

As for the mass repeating of the same shows over and over... Genuine question. What would people like them to show instead?

lertsnim

Dindane wrote: »

What would people like them to show instead?

They could try being innovative with some new home grown content of their own or show a broader range of programming and not rely on the same rubbish being shown ad nauseam but that wont happen as it would require spending money.