Full details below:
"Virgin Media, one of the UK's leading entertainment and communications companies, will be making the new Formula 1 channel from Sky Sports available to Virgin Media customers, ensuring they will be able to watch every possible minute of the Formula 1TM Grand Prix 2012 season.
"The new channel, Sky Sports F1, will join Virgin Media’s TV service from its launch in March. The channel will be dedicated to comprehensive reporting of the world's most prestigious and popular motorsport series, including live coverage of every race, practice, and qualifying session. Martin Brundle, David Croft, Georgie Thompson, Ted Kravitz, Simon Lazenby, Natalie Pinkham and Steve Rider will bring viewers all the news, views and live action from the start of the new Formula 1 season.
"The channel will be added to the complete Sky Sports package available through Virgin Media, alongside Sky Sports 1, Sky Sports 2, Sky Sports 3 and Sky Sports 4. Subscribers to this package will have the channel added automatically at launch. Sky Sports News is separately included in all pay TV tiers.
"Cindy Rose, executive director of digital entertainment at Virgin Media, said: “We’re delighted to be able to offer this new channel right from the off as it’s certain to be an exciting Formula 1 season with a record number of races and six former or current world champions racing for the title.”
"Rob Webster, director of Sky’s commercial group, adds: “As the new home of the world’s most exciting motorsport series, Formula 1 is going to get the full Sky Sports treatment. Extending the distribution of our dedicated channel is great news for all Sky Sports subscribers, enabling millions of pay TV homes to enjoy the benefits of our innovative coverage and investment in must-see content.”
68 comments:
So what's the chances of getting this in HD by or around then? I'm surprised it's not, as a minimum, been lumped in the premium HD pack with HD Sports and Movies.......
Because Sky have not offered it to VM, its that simple!!!
Very dissapointed that this channel will not be available in HD as i pay for Sky Sports 1 and 2 HD. I really think that as i am paying the extra for HD we should be getting this channel in HD.
not being offered by Sky - not available
Paying seven quid extra per month, I would expect to have this channel in HD.
The fact that Sky did not offer it to VM is not my problem. I am a customer of VM and expect to get what I pay for.
I agree with Oblonger the fact that i am paying an extra £7 a month for Sky Sports in HD i would expect to have this channel in HD. The fact that Sky did not offer the channel in HD is not my problem. I just want what im paying for.
I am (was) a massive F1 fan I have literally bought the t-shirt. I will not be watching any F1 this year in protest of the sky deal. Highlights are just not good enough. You cannot watch them with the live time and thus you cannot watch the strategies develop. Shame on BBC for not letting ITV, C4, C5 a chance of bidding. I really hope this becomes a hugh flop.
The people moaning about not getting it in HD even though you pay for it, you don't get Sky Sports News HD, Sky News HD, Sky Sports 3 HD or Sky Sports 4 HD either.
What have you done about it so far?
I'm not blaming VM in making the point I made. I'm just saying I'm surprised it wasn't lumped in with the premium HD. Whether that be Sky not offering, VM not paying, whatever. I'm just surprised. Not even that fussed about F1, only watch it if im in when its on, but still surprised and can see why many will be gutted.
@Nick - yes, we don't get all those channels and i think most would have moaned about that over the last couple of years as well - myself included at times. But I'm unsure what we can do about it?
@Nick yes i have made my opinions about HD to Virgin Media. But all they say is that there are no deals in place. There is not much else that i can personally do.
So what is the reason as to why ITV 2,3,4 HD , Universal HD , ESPN America HD , Nat Geo Wild HD , History HD , Bio HD , CI HD are still not on Virgin Media ?
Can not to blame Sky for that.
Frustrating as not getting it in HD is, I'm still pleased that VM will be carrying Sky Sports F1 and live racing after all.
The alternative - watching the highlights package on the BBC - was too upsetting to consider....!
Oh well... £270 to watch 10 f1 races? Not really a good deal if you dont watch football.
I would have upgraded to XL... But not this.
@Oblonger
do you pay the £7 or are you just moaning for the sake of moaning.
If you do pay the £7 extra for the HD, then you do get what you pay for, so that does not include the Sky F1HD.
Sky have not offered it to VM, it has nothing to do with VM not wanting it, we do, it was not put on the table and when asked about simple answer - NO
So fo those again who are getting another new channel at no extra cost - stop your moaning, be happy with getting the SD version.
And like I said months ago with Sky Atlantic, there would be another channel that launches which most of you would all start going on about, well glad to see I was right.
Like I keep saying if you are unhappy with VM why stay, and for those who say Sky is not an option so I have to have VM, well there is always FREEVIEW or BT Vision.
I agree it's bad (but unsurprising) that Sky won't supply in HD.
What I find wholly strange is how some people have stamped their foot in a very childish manner by saying "I want what I paid for" and the fact Sky won't give HD to VM is "no my problem".
Well, here are two problems with that:
1) The £7 you paid was never a guarantee for F1 in HD. I'm not happy either, but I can't say I paid for something and didn't get it, when that ISNT what the £7 offered.
2) If Sky won't give it to VM, there is NOTHING VM can do about it. You saying you want it regardless is just...erm... unreasonable? odd? downright bizarre?
Square eyes,
If you think the way to temper your customers' dissatisfaction at perfectly reasonable expectations is to lecture them, then I would suggest your attitude and lack of discretion do not make you a particularly strong candidate for employee of the month.
Lee,
I agree with your points generally. But surely a company like VM have to take responsibility for what they offer. I pay ninety quid a month (with 10mb internet) and just feel a little bit short changed at the minute.
Anyway, I'm becoming one of those people that argue on the internet so I'll stop there and go and eat a flapjack.
Whell here we go again,. Sky hold all the cards in UK Pay TV. Murdochs media empire launched Sky with a bigger bankroll in the 90s than BSB, then when they merged, created a huge customerbase that just kept growing. Cable handt got a chance, given that it was limited geographically and the huge cost of digging up roads to cable areas, and again to put in fibre.
Now Sky have not only have the platform but hold most of the content that isnt made by the big four terrestrial TV stations.
Sky1 has turned ito a graveyard with all this stillborn 'comedy' they are filling the schedule with, inbetween countless repeats of crap 'Drama' and the odd import.
Skjy Adlantic is being stuffed with all the quality stuff, simply so they can keep it off Virgin Media and Talk Talk TV, not to mention helping HD versions of channels from tohers with incentives to keep them off Virgin Media..
Virgin can only compete if they invest billions into programming - and paying stupid money on the hope that someone watches. Given that Virgin 1 was a flop and the rest were loss making except for Living, that obviously failed.
So we have a choice - either put up without the handful of Sky exclusive channels that they are deliberatly keeping to themselves, or get Sky.
I'm chosing a third option. Rather than pay the Murdoch emprire any money, I'm cancelling VM and not even going Sky. it's all iTunes/Blinkbox/Netflix/Lovefilm with Freesat HD for me. Yep, I'll have less TV, but at least I wont be pauying tens of quid a month only to see all the best stuff kept to a platform that doesnt have TiVo.
@Square eyes this blog is not just about you and your opinions. Every body is entitled to their own opinion without being put down by you. Every body else is free to state their opinion as are you.
Square Eyes, i love your insider info, you always come up with the goods and we all appreciate it. And we now understand not having it in HD is down to Sky as they are 'beep'. But can we not still be a little disappointed? Not necessarily at VM just generally. My point was just that. Aim it at Sky if needs be. Im surprised Sky didnt say SD version to all with sports but HD to those that pay the extra premium. Even then many would be disappointed i know. But at least there would be an option for everyone to get it each we don't have now.
I mean yeah, at least we get it in SD. That's more than Atlantic. But most of us on here I would imagine love watching HD now on our large screen TVs. We get it, it's not VMs fault. I generally love VM. Love broadband, love TiVo. Just gutting that's all mate.
Having acquired an IPad before Xmas, im actually more gutted about all the apps for Sky customers that we don't have at the moment (again, not blaming VM, just gutting and would love to see it). Sky customers can get iPad apps for sports, movies, news all on the go. Would love to see VM be able to pull that off. But I assume it would be down to Sky allowing VM to have it which is probably never gonna happen - short term anyways because again they are 'beep'.
If I already had Sky Sports & got F1 in SD then couldn't grumble when it got added for nowt, and, I probably would have paid the extra £7 to get it in HD. But, I don't have the sports channels and to be asked to pay £270 a year to watch 10 races in SD (when the other half are on the Beeb in HD) is simply, in my opinion, disgusting. An option to take it as a separate channel would have been better.
I'm not blaming VM completely - more just another example of Sly flexing those big muscles that no one with any power has the guts to do anything about.
I won't be paying the extra £270 and I hope many others don't either. As I said if you have the sports package all well & good but for the rest of us the deal sucks big time.
OK so I would have probably taken on the Sky sports HD channels, but now I won't.
It is Sky missing out on a customer for their premium product, which doesn't upset me too much! If that is their policy then so be it.
I'll watch the F1 live & highlights for free on BBC in HD.
Looking forward to the multi-streams for the olympics available through the TiVo box too.
DaveM:
It will be 24 live streams in HD.
http://forums.digitalspy.co.uk/showpost.php?p=55917286&postcount=1
Why are people been Hypocrites and going to watch half the races, I for one will not be watching any due to the greed that involved in the new deal.
I have watched F1 for years but will never watch it again till it comes back to FTA
@devilincarnate
I'm sorry but that's absurd... how is it being hypocritical to watch the races for free on the Beeb, along with the highlights?
I love F1, used to getting up at ridiculous times in the morning to watch the races but this year I can't have my cake & eat it (well I could for £270 but that a seriously expensive cake) so I'm gonna do the next best thing & watch half the races live in HD and highlights of the other half, again in HD, for free.
As I have said I don't have Sky Sports but I still watch the Premier League highlights on a Saturday night, or should I not be doing that either. Seriously, some people...
Can I just remind folk to be civil to their fellow visitors when posting comments? Some responses to this particular post have been out of order. And no-one is forced to take out Virgin Media's TV services: if you don't like it, don't buy it. If you insist on having all of the Sky channels, buy Sky. But buying one service then demanding what's on another makes no sense to me whatsoever...
to all intrested - so vm are getting skyf1 in sd -which either your samsung v+hd or your tivo hd or your vhd upgrades to better than sd in any case and your getting for free if you subscribe to sky sports collection which is exactly same deal sky customers are getting whats the fuss about . btw sky boxes sd pixel rate is lower than 576 according to their own customers -makew up your own mind on that point -also if vm wernt offer hd then they can only give you what they can negoite on - just wait and see what happens with premiership once goes to bids in next few months - it looks like sky is hedging its bets on whether espn will out bid or something
if anyone is wanting help drop me a line and will see about some options for deals for vm svs -yesx this means you OBLONGER speak soon
To be honest I am just pleased that VM have actually got F1 at all, I go to many races throughout the year and it was a close call whether or not VM would be getting it at all. Think of all the advertising Sky has done prior to launch to tempt more customers to come to sky...let's be content for now...
Nialli,
"But buying one service then demanding what's on another makes no sense to me whatsoever..."
Your June 16 2011 on Sky Atlantic seems to be similar to what I was doing with the F1 thing.
Anyway the SD Channel's enough for me to stick with VM. Half the races in HD is not the end of the world.
Sky have never been good at looking after their customers. There's a certain arrogance that seeps through everything they do.
If I were Sky, i'd be making the content available on Virgin Media the best it could be, and hoping to convert these users to the full Sky setup off the back of the service. Users would convert based on quality and value of the offering rather the exclusivity.
I don't think it's clicked with Sky yet that they should be treating their customers on Virgin Media as customers!
@oblonger: At least with Sky F1 we're getting the SD version, whereas with Sky Atlantic we don't even get that. I take your point (and I am inconsistent at times) but also understand that Sky develops services for its own platform customers first.
As long as people keep feeding Murdoch his blood money, the wretched hateful little parasite will live on.
If everyone stopped subscribing to Sky Sports and the like, it would quickly whither and die and return to free to air TV. But hey, that would require people to actually use their brains, so that will clearly never happen.
Sky are shooting themselves in the foot by not offering HD services to rival systems, not only will they (and me) watch half the races on BBC HD now because of this, advertisers will be annoyed at the already low ratings, they could have gained viewers by offering HD to all and gained loyalty and fans....not this way they wont.
The advertisers more than likely steer Sky. If i was paying for an advertising slot on Sky sports F1 I would want the customers from both Sky and VM to see it.
This may be the reason VM got it at all,nothing to do with Sky being generous or VM being good negotiators.
Just to give you a heads up, Sky are cancelling 3 channels
Diva TV
Current TV
Sky Living
dates to be announced
I don't think you mean Sky Living - isn't it "Sky Living Loves" or "Sky Living It" ?
Don't know, all I have heard s Sky Living, to be honest can't really see it being Living, it's got to be one of the others
for all the people moaning at SkySports F1 HD, its true we should be getting in HD as we should get Sky Sports 3, 4 AND Sky Sports News all in HD, but sky being sky will not offer it to VM. Yes i do pay a extra £7 for the SKY HD channels but there is bugger all i can do about it.
Belive you me if sky gave us full access to all of the HD and re button i would pay extra for it.
So get own with ya lives and stop moaning. If you want Sky Sports F1 HD than go to sky. Simple as that
Jeannette: Cheers Virgin you have done your best. Even if you could not HD its good to know that we will get live uniterrupted races plus practice sessions. Shame on the BBC. Who wants to watch 10 races live and 10 highlighted. Whats the point of highlights people will know the result long before they come on.There are lots ways now of knowing results.
petehbsn:
Virgin Media have the option to carry any of Sky Basic HD channels for a incremental wholesale fee.
So Virgin Media could get Sky Sports News HD and Sky News HD if they wanted to.
Just to say That agreement was signed before Sky Atlantic launched so Sky Atlantic is not icluded.
http://forums.digitalspy.co.uk/showpost.php?p=56015214&postcount=425
18 months contract is why I'll stay with Virgin ;-) If I knew that F1 and S4C would not be broadcast I'd not have joined. Its a shame because now they have got rid of my niggles with TiVo I love it.
Hi all,
HD or not HD, that is the question... on everyone elses lips, but not mine. Generally I don't like sports & I don't subscribe to any sports channels. So, here is the question on my lips... "Why can't VM charge just for the F1 Sport Channel on it's own?"... I don't mind paying for the one channel, but I cannot and will not pay for all sports channels just so I can watch the only one that is lumped in with the rest... Shame, shame, shame, shame, shame... Ultimately this is all Bernie Ecclestones fault, and common greed...
But I don't want the other 4 sports channels! I've gone without them for 10yrs, why should I contribute to the already massive footballers wage packets! I'd pay if knew money was going into just making F1 coverage better.
This deal sucks.Many people may not want all the other sports channels.And if you are only into F1 then £22.50 at the cheapest is incredibly exspensive for VM customers.The channel should also be made available seperately,like ESPN or something.
So, basically, Sky Sports F1 has been confirmed by Virgin Media to be not available on F1 for a significant proportion of F1 fans on their platform.
Who can rationally justify a full Sky Sports subscription for the 10 race weekends not on the BBC? I certainly can't. And whilst I am a big F1 fan, I also can't justify swapping to Sky, since that would involve a significant downgrade to my broadband.
I have no interest at all in subscribing to Sky Sports, just Sky Sports F1. Were I a Sky subscriber I wouldn't be forced to pay for a sports package - I'd be forced instead to pay £10.25 per month for HD channels, which I'd be paying anyway.
So why can't Sky and Virgin make Sky Sports F1 HD available on Virgin as a stand-alone subscription for £10.25 per month? Whilst it would be an expensive subscription, as an F1 fan I'd be willing to pay that.
So shame on FOM, FOTA, BBC, Sky, and Virgin Media for creating this situation. You should all be thoroughly ashamed of yourselves.
The only thing to "look forward to" here is the fact that Rupert and Bernie are both very old men and won't be around to control their empires forever.
Why do you blame Virgin Media? Sky only make the channel available to their Sky Sports and HD customers, and as VM doesn't charge extra for HD (except for the Sky Sports and Movie channels, as stipulated by Sky) this was always going to a requirement of Sky. Blame the F1 folk, the government, the BBC, Sky or whoever, but I fail to see why some folk think VM are to blame.
@steve s
what are talking about?
The F1 channel will run from the 9th March and show exactly the same programming as Sky.
Where do some people get their info!!!
@Nialli I understand your points.But you can't honestly say that £22.50 a month is value for money to watch F1.Having to take out the full Skysports package to watch F1 is very exspensive especially if you aren't into other sports.The F1 channel should have been available seperately as either a channel you subscribe to for say £8,or XL customers should be given the choice of either the F1 channel or ESPN.Peoples budgets are tight right now,and the last thing people need is to be having to shell out on a whole Skysports package just to view F1!
@moonbam
This is a channel which Sky have set some restrictions on when letting VM show it - VM customer can only view this channel if they subscribe to sports.
comparing it to the deal with ESPN, well lets just say - ESPN wanted a platform in the UK and a deal was done with VM and part of the terms - VM XL customers get it for FREE
There is no point in pointing fingers at VM, we have done everything possible, but at the end of the day it is all down to Sky. VM understand that not everybody likes all sports, but hey our hands are tied, it was that or no F1 channel at all.
But one more thing for you to think about, if you were a Sky customer that did not have HD, you would have to subscribe to the sports channels with Sky as well, so now I ask you this - would you moaning about having to subscribe to the sports with Sky to watch F1?
I'm 58 years old, have followed F1 since age 10 but now thanks to Sky getting F1 am resigned to giving up on it. It seems to me that the only people getting value from Pay to view sports are Foorball fans, that's definitely not me! I will have to pay an large fee for the F1 Series and an occasional Test Match that I can stay up for!
Just spoken to someone who was at the Sony Trade Fair yesterday and they were talking about apps for the new generation of TVs. Apparently the beeb will stream all F1 races and these will be available via a new "Sports iPlayer" - Hopefully this means it will also be available to the Tivo?
@Square eyes
I got my information right here on this blog.
Re-read, and re-consider what I wrote. I'll even re-write the pertinent part right here for you.
I am a VM subscriber. Sky Sports F1 is, practically speaking, not being made available to me. Sky Sports F1 HD is absolutely not being made available to me.
As I stated previously I have zero interest in a full Sky Sports subscription since I would not watch anything at all besides F1, and cannot justify the expense. I am more than willing to pay for a Sky Sports F1 HD only subscription, without the other sports channels. I'm even willing to pay over the odds for it - 20 races with 3 day race weekends makes for 60 days, or 2 months. IIRC it's £29.50 per month for a Sky Sports HD subscription on VM, making for a total cost of £59, whilst I've indicated I'm willing to pay £10 per month which is about twice the amount.
Practically speaking, VM have confirmed that they will not make Sky Sports F1 available to me. And they have absolutely stated they will not make Sky Sports F1 HD available to anyone.
@Nialli
I cannot help but think that VM are partially to blame, since they are the ones negotiating with Sky to carry the channel. IMHO it shows a lack of competence on their part in their negotiations.
Of course VM have a long history of incompetence in their dealings with Sky, and they gave up any leverage they may have had when they sold their channels to Sky.
I'm sure I'm not alone in being willing to pay for a Sky Sports F1 only subscription. VM should have negotiated this as an option. I'm sure that it would have been a win-win for VM and Sky to do this, sharing revenue they would otherwise not receive.
As for all of this BS talk about "not being offered by Sky - not available" is IMHO just that - pure BS. Sky are in the business of making money. I have no doubt at all that they would have been willing to sell Sky Sports F1 HD. If they weren't VM should be running to the Competition Commission about it. VM just weren't willing to pay for it.
I don't doubt at all that Sky acted the bully here, and took the opportunity to screw over VM in an effort to attempt to persuade customers to jump ship.
As I said, shame on all of them.
@Steve S I have to agree with you,all this deal is about is greed.Making people subscribe to a whole skysports package is a disgrace,and quite frankly a rip off.
How come VM allow you to just pay for Skysports 1 or skysports 1+2 yet cannot offer a similar deal for F1?......As F1 only shows 2 races per month i think £10 a month is plenty when you consider it's only 2 long weekends per month.
This isn't a good deal for VM customers in any way having to shell out £22.50 at the cheapest to watch F1 is a joke.Virgin have to offer their customers a better deal,as this is simply not good enough.
I've been a lifelong F1 fan,but i've had enough of this whole SKYF1deal.All this deal is about is greed greed and more frickin greed.And sadly it's us in the u.k who are being screwed over.How much more money do Ecclestone and Murdoch need?........I'll miss a full years coverage of F1 ON THE BBC(who i must say did a fantastic job)now thanks to the greed of Ecclestone Murdoch and FOM.
As for Virgin,all this deal has done is make customers switch to sky,as if you have the HD package without sports channels you get the F1 channel free.I mean come on it's a joke!
Bout time Virgin and Sky realised theres a recession on and many people are struggling.The one little pleasure they had like F1 has been taken from us.And for what GREED!
@Steve S
Fact 1
Firstly I work VM, the F1 channel starts broadcasting 09/03/2012, guess what - thats the same day it starts on Sky & VM.
Whoever you have been speaking to at VM needs to pay more attention to the briefs that get sent on a daily basis, because as it sounds he need to be doing a different job.
Fact 2
The HD version of the channel has not been made available to VM, it was not brought to the table, VM asked about the channel - simple answer not available.
Because Sky were offered the rights to F1 they can do whatever they please. VM would love to have the HD, but because it is a Sky owned channel there is nothing that can be done.
***************************
Now you may think that all this is BS as you put it, but because Sky own the channel, they can place whatever restrictions on it when it comes to other service platforms. With VM these are what Sky have insisted on as part of the deal - must subscribe to sports.
If VM had not agreed to this, everyone would be moaning that VM had not done emough to get the F1 channel.
So we damned if we don't & damned if we do
rimizichi; You are talking about the BBC Sport App which will be on TiVo this quarter which will have 24 live HD streams
I very very much doubt the BBC Sport App will stream all F1 races.
In your dreams.
Fair enough Square eyes.But if VM think that F1 fans are going to pay £22.50 at the very cheapest just to watch F1 then they are are having a laugh.
I respect VM for getting the F1 channel i really do.But theres no way i can justify paying £22.50 to watch 2 grand prixs a month.For me it's not value for money no matter how much i love F1.And i think alot of will feel the same!
No more comments on this thread please.
I want to view the live F1 races.
I don't give a stuff about HD or not (though nice if available).
I also don't give a hoot about other sports.
I'd like VM to offer it as a single additional channel, for which I would be happy to pay a proportionate amount.
I think that's entirely reasonable.
What are the chances of that happening?
One thing I find fascinating is this notion that one can no longer watch F1, at all.
It will STILL be on the BBC. For those that love the sport, they can watch half the races in full, live, as per normal, and would be cut down to a highlights (although lots of highlights) package for the other half.
Not perfect, and not full, but still totally watchable and FREE (obv with a license fee).
You cannot claim to love the sport, and then stop watching it. You have a choice not to watch, but you can't then claim to be an avid supporter if you don't take up BBC's free, FULL (albeit reduced) coverage of every race. And the half they are showing will be in HD, for FREE, as well.
Are people upset? YES, I'm one! I'd have loved HD, however I'll watch what I can get because I do love the sport, and accept it will be in SD (although tbh, I never really saw such a huge difference between SD and HD F1, like you do with say SD and HD football).
So watch, or don't watch - I have no issues which you choose. But whilst you can of course complain at the lack of ability to pay a small surcharge for just that one channel (a complaint I fully support), please don't argue that because you can't get it on Sky you can't watch it, or more ludicrously, refuse to watch it AT ALL (like, for free, on the Beeb) in protest at coverage problems or lack of HD channel.
Have just been quoted an extra £29 a month to add sky F1 channel with HD to by Virgin XL package. I don't watch any other sport and find this impossible to afford. So very disappointed to be losing covage of a sport I have followed for 50years.
i pay 80 odd quid a month for the XL package and sky movies and sky sports both in hd,its all a con to get money out of u there not bothered what customers want
Why on earth would you want to watch sky news in HD?Or SKY sports news in HD.I like many others have watched F1 since i was about 7 years old and watched the rating go down over the years.I think the poaching by sky for F1 then to ask customers to pay for something we have had free for years is terrible.Like many others i will watch all ten races on BBC HD and the extended highlights on bbc for each race we are not showing.
Just to end the bill is also going up another 4.10 a month.Freeview HD the way forward not as many channels but no rising bills and you can still watch the bbc channels and match of the day
very interesting reading all the comments,i have an e mail from customer service team saying "we are happy to confirm if you have subscribed to the sky premium hd you will be able to view the channel in hd format".Needless to say i cannot,yet i have this e mail from them!
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