The Virgin Media Television thread

deezell · 27-01-2025 05:32PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123105586#Comment_123105586

I don't think they can do that, isn't it protected as free to air at least for home matches, it and soccer.

icdg · 27-01-2025 06:06PM

It isn’t, no, except for delayed coverage.

However Six Nations to TNT is very far from a done deal despite what an earlier version of a now heavily rewritten article on RugbyPass claimed. (And RugbyPass are owned by World Rugby, they should know better).

There is actually quite a bit of free to air rugby in the UK if one counts S4C and BBC Wales.

iseegirls · 29-01-2025 04:17PM

I gave out about Premier Sports taking the Liverpool game last week, so it's only fair that I have to say the same about Virgin Media Two's pick tonight also going for Liverpool. Liverpool are guaranteed a place in the last 16 and a top-two finish - so there is nothing of relevance in it really.

With 18 live games, and 17 to choose from (RTE taking the Man City game), it's a very peculiar choice to make.

deezell · 29-01-2025 06:08PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123112986#Comment_123112986

It's a decision made for viewership and thus advertising revenue, Liverpool will have large numbers of fans who would tune in to watch them train, never mind play. The actual jeopardy is in positions 19 down to Man City in 25th, but also including Dinamo in 26th. PSG and Stuttgart match right in the middle of this scramble probably the one to watch, though PSV not secure either, so they'll want a point against Liverpool.

Acosta · 29-01-2025 07:57PM

It looks like Its some sort of goals show on VM2?

deezell · 29-01-2025 08:17PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123113737#Comment_123113737

It's PSV at home to Liverpool, not a dead rubber by any means for PSV. Man City and Brugge in a battle for playoff places on Rte2, but I'm surprised VM hasn't another match on VM3 or VM4. Maybe they have one on More?

deezell · 29-01-2025 08:24PM

I see what you mean by a goals show!

dublinman1990 · 29-01-2025 08:28PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123113834#Comment_123113834

VM More has the Aston Villa v Celtic match for VM ROI Subscribers.

lertsnim · 29-01-2025 08:28PM

I believe they've the Villa v Celtic game on the More channel

deezell · 29-01-2025 09:06PM

This is mad fun altogether. PSG seem to have pushed Stuttgart out of contention with a 3 0 margin, but there's still Dinamo, who've snuck in from 26th, and are vulnerable. If Milan pull one back then Stuttgart overtake them. Man City implosion continues...

dublinman1990 · 29-01-2025 10:34PM

I say VM are very happy to see a high number of goals scored in each of their live matches tonight. However; what's their view on the play-offs in the next round of the competition. Are they happy to see the composition of these play-offs formed now or not?

deezell · 29-01-2025 11:19PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123114605#Comment_123114605

It's not a straight up and down, 9th v 24th, 10th v 23rd all the way to 16th v 17th. It's done in pairs, so Atalanta and Dortmund play either Brugge or Sporting, Bayern and Real meet City or Celtic.How they're drawn determines which side of the last 16 ko they end up on. Its as clear as muck. It's all about having a draw spectacle on TV.

iseegirls · 30-01-2025 10:37AM

Watching back the coverage from last night - was nice to see the goals fly in on VM2 - but must have been annoying for Liverpool fans to see their match broken up every minute. Still think they should have used their other channels.

iseegirls · 30-01-2025 11:47AM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123114605#Comment_123114605

They'll have live games up to and including the quarter finals. Not sure about the kick-off times in the Play-Offs, Round of 16 and Quarter Finals, but they'll be guaranteed 2 live matches a night for P/O's and Rof16, and 1 live match a night in the quarters. If any games move to 5:45, they'll take them as well unless those are ones that Premier Sport or RTE will take.

dublinman1990 · 04-02-2025 10:49PM

ITV are putting their soaps out on a brand new schedule from January 2026.

https://www.digitalspy.com/soaps/coronation-street/a63662140/coronation-street-emmerdale-cut-episodes/

Once the new schedule is in place from next year; ITV have said they are not airing hour long episodes of Emmerdale & Coronation St anymore.

They are cutting back these soaps to 5 x 30 minute slots only each night from Monday to Friday.

Emmerdale will air at 8pm each night while Coronation St will air at 8:30pm.

ITV's Kevin Lygo has said this new schedule is viewer led.

He said that internal research carried out by ITV showed their viewers in the UK wanted shorter digestible episodes which attracted higher audience figures. He also said that viewers will still be able to watch the episodes on ITVX before the episodes get aired on ITV1.

I wonder what does change mean for VMTV viewers here when these changes will kick in from next year.

VM1 already has the News at 7 with Emmerdale on there from 7:30pm for most of it's 5 day period. Coronation St then airs it's two 30 minute episodes after Emmerdale for some nights of the week between 8pm & 9pm.

Would this new arrangement to air these ITV soaps from that point onwards be simulcast on the same timeslots as VM1? Also; as VM1 would have a potential spare slot from between 7:30pm & 8pm in use from next year; what can they show to fill it in the future?

deezell · 04-02-2025 10:53PM

The Chase?

dublinman1990 · 04-02-2025 11:11PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123135504#Comment_123135504

I'm not sure that would really work though. The Chase is on for an hour per episode unless you were giving us ideas that the VM1 schedule could be made with more adjustments from next year. Of course as we have seen with VMTV; they have always thrown up some really bizarre unpredictable scheduling of their programmes over the last number of years. I wouldn't be surprised if VMTV do put The Chase up on there to fill up the cracks.

RoTelly · 04-02-2025 11:19PM

I doubt that VMTV are even thinking about this or know that it is happening, based on the last change to the UK soaps, I don't think even RTÉ were aware until it happened, or if they did they seemed to do little to reschedule.

What will ITV show between 7 - 8?

Could VMTV move the news fully to 7, with the Chase on at 6, that might at least help number of the 7 News, and drop 5:30 but that risks loosing the news audience.

Will the "drop" episodes early on VMTV Play?

Will RTÉ move Fair City to 7pm Monday to Thursday, Or move it to 8 to compete with Emmerdale?

I suppose the Return of The 7 O'Clock Show, with the Chase on at 6

5:30 News, 6, The Chase, 7 T7OCS, 8 Emmers, 8:30 Coro St, 9 ?, 10 The Tonight Show

TV schedules have died!

deezell · 05-02-2025 08:10AM

It should be easy nowadays to just let AI create a schedule that optimises viewer numbers and satisfaction, and thus ad revenue. Add this to the automatic broadcasting of media and ad insertion, get some automatic verified viewer feedback, to tweak the above, and a channel can run itself, 24/7. It could even pick the new media.

RoTelly · 05-02-2025 11:25AM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123135956#Comment_123135956

Sad really, remember back in the day when it was strange to see a striped schedule on a "main" / "traditional" channel. The exception being the soaps that were 3 episodes per week.

There is nothing creative in the schedules any more due to the laziness of TV execs to go with the easy thing.

What will ITV air between 7 and 8?

We saw with TV3 it didn;t know what to do without the soaps, it made the most basic of changes, Quiz shows monday to Friday and later the 7 O'Clock show, and the introduction of their own soap 2 days a week.

Is there no ambition for quality or a range of programming any more?

AndrewJRenko · 05-02-2025 12:04PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123135956#Comment_123135956

Sure why not let AI produce the programmes too, and all the AI robots can watch the shows?

Bookmarker_n · 05-02-2025 12:25PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123135490#Comment_123135490

They should really cut the crap and be straight about it. It's cost cutting.

They're getting rid of loads of well known characters and replacing them with presumably cheaper ones.

There does really seem to be lots of cutbacks in TV this year and in general, everywhere.

Bookmarker_n · 05-02-2025 12:29PM

I think it's a good move for VM to lock in a good package for LOI.

Sports broadcasting is getting more expensive constantly. We'll end up with all premium sports behind a paywall eventually.

VM getting in with LOI gives them access to a growing league as attendances go up as the premium events are too costly to follow. When it comes to renewal, the status of LOI will likely be higher and VM giving LOI a platform and 'backing' them will surely give them brownie points.

RoTelly · 05-02-2025 12:31PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123136860#Comment_123136860

Audience movement away from soaps TBH. ITV would have to justify their continuation based on audience numbers, if soap audience aren't getting the same numbers as a decade ago with the introduction of on-demand that audience would need to show it replicating TV audiences of the past.

The reduction in episodes should improve the writing and should help with characters and help actors in turn.

Bookmarker_n · 05-02-2025 12:44PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123136881#Comment_123136881

People are moving away because the writing is awful. But I don't think cutting half an hour will increase the quality.

Coronation street is more like the Bill these days. Go read the comments on the facebook pages, they all say the same thing. It's all murders and death and misery.

RoTelly · 05-02-2025 12:47PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123136923#Comment_123136923

Currently rewatching early The Bill on Eden, easy going enough TV tbh, latterly it started to become more like a soap.

If ITV aren't cutting writers and if they listen to their audience they should improve storylines and dialogue, something that was pivotal to the growth and continued success of Coro St.

I don't expect this to be the case and as it will continue to be a very generic soap, which I'd say it has been since 2005.