Broadcast News

Bookmark and Share
07/06/2010

BSkyB Buys Virgin Media

There's a major shake-up underway in broadcasting with news that the satellite broadcaster BSkyB has bought Virgin Media TV.
The £160m deal will allow Virgin Media to offer some Sky HD channels for the first time, crucially to include Sky Sports HD1 - as the World Cup Looms - and Sky Movies HD.
Virgin's four million TV customers will also start getting access to Sky content through the On Demand service.
The deal brings to a close many inter-channel arguments that culminated in Sky stopping transmitting the Sky One and Sky Sports News channels on Virgin's service.
For Virgin, the deal generates what it called "substantial value" and signals a further move towards distributing TV content rather than owning it.
This latest deal centres on basic channels, in which Sky has a small market share.
Last year Ofcom ordered Sky to sell its premium channels available to rival broadcasters for 25% less than it currently does. The satellite broadcaster is appealing against the decision.
Meanwhile, loss-making Channel Five may be about to be sold-off in a move that may also help to consolidate the British television industry.
The London Times said earlier this month that potential buyers include ITV, Channel 4 and BSkyB, which is 39% owned by News Corporation, parent company of The Times.
The Virgin Media and BSkyB deal was also predicted at the same time with 4RFV.co.uk reporting that the two were "close to a deal that could presage the biggest shake-up in the commercial television sector for almost a decade" as they worked out ways to survive the digital age and the economic downturn.
See: Loss-Making Channel Five 'For Sale?'
VMI.TV Ltd

Top Related Stories
Click here for the latest broadcast news stories.

18/10/2023
Sky Ireland And Virgin Media Ireland Announce Wholesale Network Access Deal
Sky Ireland and Virgin Media Ireland have announced a wholesale network access deal, that will significantly enhance broadband services available to S
09/02/2024
Sky Brings Together Sky Content And Sky Studios
Sky has announced that all of its non-sports content teams in the UK & Ireland, will come together under one leadership structure, led by Cécile Frot-
24/07/2019
Production News : Sky And Virgin Media Announce New Partnership
Virgin Media and Sky have agreed a new, multi-year partnership that will see the two pay TV companies strengthen their track-record of collaboration a
23/08/2023
Virgin Media Unveils New FAST Channels
Amagi has announced that UK telecoms, media, and internet company, Virgin Media, has used its integrated solution to launch and monetize a new line-up
18/06/2012
Virgin Media Delivers 24 Channels of Live, HD Olympic Games Coverage With Harmonic Video Solutions
Harmonic Inc has announced that Virgin Media, the United Kingdom's leading provider of cable television, broadband, phone, and mobile services, has se
02/03/2007
National Consumer Council Warn Digital TV Giants Could Face Complaint
Virgin Media and BSkyB could face an official complaint following a row between the two companies which has left hundreds of thousands of customers wi
04/07/2024
Sky Media Announces Sky Zero Footprint Fund
Sky Media, the advertising arm of Sky, has announced that its award-winning Sky Zero Footprint Fund is launching an additional initiative dedicated to
04/07/2019
Production News : Sky Media To Rollout Sky Analytics
Sky Media will rollout Sky Analytics to both media agencies and advertisers, opening-up direct access to plan, report and evaluate elements of their T
18/02/2010
Sky Movies Showcase HD Channel
Sky Movies have now announced a number of changes to its channel line-up in a bid to make it easier for viewers to find the movies they want to watch
30/07/2024
Sky TV Launches New FAST Channels
Sky TV has unveiled even more content at no extra cost with the launch of six new Sky Free Ad-supported Streaming Television (FAST) channels on Sky Gl
19/12/2011
BBC Reveals Virgin Media TiVo Deal
Virgin Media and the BBC have announced a new deal that will bring next-generation BBC TV services to the Virgin Media TiVo Service in 2012, continuin
08/04/2010
Pixelmetrix Signs Virgin Media Deal
The expert name in preventive monitoring for digital television and IPTV networks, Pixelmetrix, has signed an agreement with Virgin Media to roll out
08/02/2013
Virgin Media And FilmFlex Roll Out Next Generation video On Demand
FilmFlex, a movies-on-demand service provider, and Virgin Media announced a new partnership to drive the development of the state-of-the-art technolog
22/07/2024
Sky Launches Sky Arts Awards
Sky has announced that the Sky Arts Awards are taking place at The Roundhouse on 17 September. The ceremony will celebrate the diverse and vibrant lan
21/07/2023
QVC Launches On Sky Glass And Sky Stream
QVC has launched its linear TV channels on Sky Glass and Sky Stream, promoting a range of categories and products. Included in Sky’s 600 channels rang