From http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2010/apr/28/virgin-media-sky-sports:
Virgin Media has pledged to launch cheaper TV packages for football fans in time for next season, if the Competition Appeals Tribunal enforces a cut in the amount BSkyB charges rival broadcasters for Sky Sports, but believes that access to HD offers it the biggest potential rewards.
Berkett [said] that while the wholesale price cuts will "definitely benefit customers", for Virgin Media the real long-term financial benefit will be gaining access to high definition versions of Sky Sports channels. Part of Ofcom's ruling states that HD versions of Sky Sports 1 and 2 must be offered to rivals on "fair, reasonable and non-discriminatory terms".
"The real issue is access to HD, it is more important to us than the economics in sports packages," he said. "Customers will definitely benefit [from pricing cuts to sports packages] but in terms of financial performance this is more important. Now in 2010 us not getting access to HD supply [channels from Sky] is going to start to make a difference.
I think he is spot on with his comments, its the only thing keeping me and im sure many others with sky for my main tv subscription. Im paying over the odds for tv just for the hd sport as im using virgin for telephone and broadband.
ReplyDeleteit's quite a turnaround, it was not that long ago he was saying HD was not a priority for Virgin and not a big deal for consumers!
ReplyDeleteThis has cheered me up no end.
ReplyDeleteDon't get me wrong, I'm loving the new HD channels Virgin have added, but imo the killer move is to get Sky sports and movies in HD.
@Krankor "I'm loving the new HD channels Virgin have added". What new HD channels? I only have ITV HD, which, to be frank, is compelte garbage.
ReplyDeleteBungled roll outs aside, it's good to see Virgin FINALLY waking up to HD, but they're still miles behind Sky. That I still can't see big shows like Lost or 24 in HD on Virgin, is inexcusable.