UTV Ireland will replace 'old' UTV on UPC 110

coylemj

UTV Ireland will be on Saorview from Jan 1st and today they tweeted as follows....

UTV Ireland will be available on Sky channel 116, UPC channel 110 and eVision channel 108. The Saorview channel will be allocated shortly.

This means that they will be replacing ITV (Ulster) or the 'old' UTV as we may now call it.

http://www.utv.ie/

Official Saorview announcement....

The Minister for Communications, Alex White, T.D., today signed the order designating the new UTV Ireland television service for carriage on SAORVIEW. The decision means that Irish television viewers who rely on the SAORVIEW platform will be able to view the new service when it launches on New Year’s Day 2015.

The designation was made following a determination that UTV Ireland “is a television service having the character of a public service.” The designation was made under section 130(1)(a)(iv) of the Broadcasting Act 2009.

http://www.dcenr.gov.ie/Press+Releases/2014/Minister+designates+new+UTV+Ireland+channel+for+carriage+on+SAORVIEW.htm

7upfree

coylemj wrote: »

UTV Ireland will be on Saorview from Jan 1st and today they tweeted as follows....

UTV Ireland will be available on Sky channel 116, UPC channel 110 and eVision channel 108. The Saorview channel will be allocated shortly.

This means that they will be replacing ITV (Ulster) or the 'old' UTV as we may now call it.

http://www.utv.ie/

Official Saorview announcement....

The Minister for Communications, Alex White, T.D., today signed the order designating the new UTV Ireland television service for carriage on SAORVIEW. The decision means that Irish television viewers who rely on the SAORVIEW platform will be able to view the new service when it launches on New Year’s Day 2015.

The designation was made following a determination that UTV Ireland “is a television service having the character of a public service.” The designation was made under section 130(1)(a)(iv) of the Broadcasting Act 2009.

http://www.dcenr.gov.ie/Press+Releases/2014/Minister+designates+new+UTV+Ireland+channel+for+carriage+on+SAORVIEW.htm

WTF.

former legend

Great news for anyone relying on Saorview. The net effect for UPC customers will be zero.

mackersdublin

UPC could move UTV/UTV HD up the EPG and have both UTVs on the EPG

The Cush

What happens with UTV on analogue cable?

twinklerunner

mackersdublin wrote: »

UPC could move UTV/UTV HD up the EPG and have both UTVs on the EPG

See here from Michael Wilson of UTV confirming that only UTV Ireland will be available on UPC
https://twitter.com/mw_utv/status/539542105761542144

MarkK

twinklerunner wrote: »

See here from Michael Wilson of UTV confirming that only UTV Ireland will be available on UPC
https://twitter.com/mw_utv/status/539542105761542144

He doesn't mention UPC at all in that tweet!

icdg

MarkK wrote: »

He doesn't mention UPC at all in that tweet!

Indeed, and he wasn't even being asked about UPC, but rather whether UTV Ireland would be available in NI (it won't).

Nonetheless, I'd expect it to be the case that it will be removed.

former legend wrote:

The net effect for UPC customers will be zero.

Up until the Champions League returns and UPC customers realise they can no longer watch Tuesday Champions League in HD. Or England games at all. Or ITV's coverage of the Rugby World Cup.

twinklerunner

MarkK wrote: »

He doesn't mention UPC at all in that tweet!

It's clear what's meant - further tweet here
https://twitter.com/utvireland/status/539796410217291777

lertsnim

icdg wrote: »

Up until the Champions League returns and UPC customers realise they can no longer watch Tuesday Champions League in HD. Or England games at all. Or ITV's coverage of the Rugby World Cup.

That's easily and cheaply resolved.

Infoanon

icdg wrote: »

Indeed, and he wasn't even being asked about UPC, but rather whether UTV Ireland would be available in NI (it won't).

Nonetheless, I'd expect it to be the case that it will be removed.


Up until the Champions League returns and UPC customers realise they can no longer watch Tuesday Champions League in HD. Or England games at all. Or ITV's coverage of the Rugby World Cup.

UPC have confirmed via their boards account that UTV NI will be removed, expect a backlash over this.

kooga

bad move ..................................no champions league in 2015 or rugby world cup

in addition where will that leave tv3

ftakeith

TV3 will gain sports viewers for live champions league games between Feb 2015-may 2015
and Rugby 2015 world cup in sep 2015-oct 2015

TV3 will also gain viewers for britains got talent, 'the x factor' broadchurch, downton abbey as they are non ITV Studios content

Judge

I suspect that one of the outcomes of this will be that a significant chunk of the UPC subscriber base will move to Sky, especially since UTV Ireland will be on the EPG.

twinklerunner

Judge wrote: »

I suspect that one of the outcomes of this will be that a significant chunk of the UPC subscriber base will move to Sky, especially since UTV Ireland will be on the EPG.

That's possible as UPC will lose part of its unique selling point .. given that UTV will be recordable on Sky.

7upfree

Judge wrote: »

I suspect that one of the outcomes of this will be that a significant chunk of the UPC subscriber base will move to Sky, especially since UTV Ireland will be on the EPG.

Not a deal breaker. Most of the stuff I watch is on Sky1, Living, etc.

former legend

Judge wrote: »

I suspect that one of the outcomes of this will be that a significant chunk of the UPC subscriber base will move to Sky, especially since UTV Ireland will be on the EPG.

Why would they?

Judge

former legend wrote: »

Why would they?

1. You can manually tune UTV NI (albeit you can't record on the Sky+ box) with a Sky dish, so you can still watch Champions League, Rugby, X-Factor, Downton etc. on UTV if you want.

2. UTV Ireland will be on the Sky EPG, the first time an ITV network franchise has been available on the platform, albeit with some programmes missing (per 1, above). This will make Sky more attractive to UPC subscribers who, up to now, didn't want to lose the ability to time-shift commercial breaks, assuming content is 75-80% the same as UTV NI and is simulcast with the main ITV network.

3. Sky Atlantic.

4. Sky+ has a better user interface than UPC, especially Horizon.

Delta2113

Utv Ireland is not an ITV network franchise.

deanh

Still haven't seen where it was confirmed, by UPC, that UTVNI will be removed from. Disappointing if true but, as UTV Ireland have an exclusive contract to broadcast most ITV programmes in the Republic, it would make the status of 'old' UTV legally difficult

icdg

Delta2113 wrote: »

Utv Ireland is not an ITV network franchise.

No, it's not a Channel 3 licensee. But it's aim is to behave as if it were one as much as is practicable given the more limited rights it holds.

The recent changes in the ITV network structure make the distinction between the type of affliation UTV has and that which UTV Ireland has less clear cut and if UTV Ireland becomes a success I anticpate the differences will decrease over time.

icdg

deanh wrote: »

Still haven't seen where it was confirmed, by UPC, that UTVNI will be removed from. Disappointing if true but, as UTV Ireland have an exclusive contract to broadcast most ITV programmes in the Republic, it would make the status of 'old' UTV legally difficult

Seemingly the only confirmation is here:
http://www.boards.ie/ttfthread/2057325603

former legend

Judge wrote: »

1. You can manually tune UTV NI (albeit you can't record on the Sky+ box) with a Sky dish, so you can still watch Champions League, Rugby, X-Factor, Downton etc. on UTV if you want.

2. UTV Ireland will be on the Sky EPG, the first time an ITV network franchise has been available on the platform, albeit with some programmes missing (per 1, above). This will make Sky more attractive to UPC subscribers who, up to now, didn't want to lose the ability to time-shift commercial breaks, assuming content is 75-80% the same as UTV NI and is simulcast with the main ITV network.

3. Sky Atlantic.

4. Sky+ has a better user interface than UPC, especially Horizon.

Yeah, but 1, 3 and 4 are not new developments.

Re: Champions League, this might be a factor but the ITV rights expire at the end of the season anyway; it is rumoured that Setanta will get Irish rights, in which case you're much better off on UPC. ITV coverage of the rugby world cup will be just as crap as TV3...

So basically you're left with #2, the ability to time-shift on UTV Ireland. I'd say that will be a deal-breaker for about six people.

People are always going to move TV supplier but this won't make any odds.

Infoanon

former legend wrote: »

Yeah, but 1, 3 and 4 are not new developments.

Re: Champions League, this might be a factor but the ITV rights expire at the end of the season anyway; it is rumoured that Setanta will get Irish rights, in which case you're much better off on UPC. ITV coverage of the rugby world cup will be just as crap as TV3...

So basically you're left with #2, the ability to time-shift on UTV Ireland. I'd say that will be a deal-breaker for about six people.

People are always going to move TV supplier but this won't make any odds.

Champions League would probably end up on Setanta Sports 1, and given that BT is part of the Setanta pack it is unlikely that Setanta would show the same games.

icdg

We have a thread in Broadcasting discussing the Champions League media rights

ftakeith

former legend wrote: »

Yeah, but 1, 3 and 4 are not new developments.

Re: Champions League, this might be a factor but the ITV rights expire at the end of the season anyway; it is rumoured that Setanta will get Irish rights, in which case you're much better off on UPC. ITV coverage of the rugby world cup will be just as crap as TV3...

So basically you're left with #2, the ability to time-shift on UTV Ireland. I'd say that will be a deal-breaker for about six people.

People are always going to move TV supplier but this won't make any odds.

ITV's rugby union coverage at the last 2 world cups was very good

Many people that have UPCtv are not aware that from late february 2015 there are no live champions league games on utv ireland and are not aware of different regional tv sports right

watty

But isn't regular UTV FTA on Satellite. I'm sure I have UTV.

icdg

It is. But most UPC viewers don't have satellite. An unintended consequence of this move could be an increase in satellite installations - I myself will be considering either switching to Sky or getting free to air satellite as an addition to UPC ahead of the Rugby World Cup.

icdg

We might continue all discussion of UTV Ireland here:

http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2057324314&page=25