The Big Lie and the price of footie

Sponge Bob

We have been listeing to both Comreg and Eircom spouting the Big Lie , namely that eircom provides 80 or 90% BB coverage not 60% as is really the case.

It turns out that this may be intricately related to the early jockeying for both the Premiership soccer rights and for the Champions league rights in 2006/2007 so eircom is getting the Big Lie in place.

The reason is that the rights normally only go to a provider who is capable fo 80 or 90% coverage (where did we hear this figure before) and that Eircom is mortally afraid of being seriously outmanoevered on the issue by other content/tail providers.

One possible dangerous alliance that has Eircom crapping itself is NTL (UPC they will be by next year) and Them Lads

NTL distributes it on BB while the sat rights go to Them Lads. Some soundings have allegedly been taken on the subject. NTL and Them Lads between them could also muster circa 80-90% coverage (once you throw in them lads and their transponder slots on Astra 2 and thereby have access to bidding for the rights.

Do not rule out an alliance between eircom and Them Lads either, soundings will be taken.

Them Lads cannot get either premiership or champions league unless they have an alliance in place to bring them into Big Lie coverage territory

RTE had better watch themselves , Comreg will not help at all because Comreg know who pays them so expect no regulation preventing any of the above from happening ......and if the Big Lie needs reinforcing in the interim why its tummy tickling time !

jesus_thats_gre

Will you rewrite this again with all the big lie crap and them stuff?

Blaster99

He's saying that Setanta has 80-90% geographical TV coverage through a combination of cable and satellite and that this somehow worries Eircom.

Sponge Bob

Linked setanta story

http://archives.tcm.ie/businesspost/2005/06/19/story5754.asp

Quote from linked setanta story

"O'Rourke and Ryan are thought to be close to the Dublin station's majority shareholder, Denis O'Brien."

Now lets go to Belgium and Holland where DSL carriers have the football rights nowadays, not their national TV channels.

Now lets look at that Dutch carrier again , Versatel, which was co founded by none other than (existing shareholder) Denis O Brien

and then there is what Versatel had to do to offer coverage outside the reach of its adsl2 service and thereby reach that magic 80-90% coverage figure

sorry for not mentioning Vodafone dude , I'm sure they will be in the mix somewhere and i wont ignore them again

Cabaal

tbh eircom claim 100% BB coverage as they have a satalite service as well

Solair

Personally, I think that bringing TV and other interactive services to DSL is a really positive step forward. OK, it will upset a LOT of GAA fans if rights are sold to setanta and they start to primarily carry the matches on DSL, but it will also drive a more rapid DSL rollout programme as eircom, BT, or whoever will be making money on Pay per view events and video on demand.

It would also put broadband access out there as a truely mainstream product and something that people actually feel they need.

I still think one of the major reasons for the low internet (nevermind broadband) penitration in Ireland is a complete lack of innovative content.
e.g. if you look at DSL penitration in France, it's being driven by the fact that it provides a range of TV channels and various on-demand movies.

Sky plan to launch an "on demand" service later this year in the UK piggybacking on highspeed DSL services.

Could be looking at a new digibox with an ethernet port for hooking up to a DSL modem or something like that.

If they GAA sell out and take the major matches off-air and onto cable / DSL you'll only have one place to yell at.. GAA HQ... nothing to do with eircom / setanta, UPC or anyone else. They're only in this to make some cash. If the GAA or other sporting organisations choose to go that route it's not those companies' fault for creating a new way of distributing tv programmes.

Also, it's quite possible that a lot of matches that currently don't get aired on RTE as they're too minor to warrent the use of valuable air time might be made available via DSL on setanta.

It would also mean that you could watch a match anytime, live / delayed or from a server archive at a time of your choosing.

Sponge Bob

TV3 PAID about €800k a year for its 3 year CL package ending 2003 , and a more dismal useless shower of commentators and experts I have never seen

RTE have paid circa €1.1m a year for the current CL package with 1 year left , that contract is up in 2006 but certain negotiations will actually start next month or so I hear.

I would expect the next tranche of rights, 2006-2009 to go for €2m a year or more with the heightened interest from the different delivery channels and permutations thereof.

Mossy Monk

Solair wrote:

Could be looking at a new digibox with an ethernet port for hooking up to a DSL modem or something like that

the Sky High Definition box due next year will have an ethernet port i hear

also CL rights in the UK must now include a live internet simulcast from both Sky and ITV

Sponge Bob

SKy , who along with ITV, seem to have the UK CL Contract already , must show the matches on the Internet in the UK between 2006 and 2009 .

I am not sure what the story is here, whether it is REQUIRED that the winner of the Broadcast rights must ENSURE that the matches can be seen on the Internet at the same time.

It is a requirement in the UK ! .

Mind you Eircom could easily produce a jerky out of synch dark blob on the screen of the PC and call it Functional Internet Television and Comreg will give it their limp wristed schtamp of approval and swear its perfect, just like they pretend that the access network is high quality.

Watch this space and dont assume that RTÉ are the frontrunners right now.

jesus_thats_gre

Ah so what is being said here is that Eircom are purposly exadurating BB peneration/availability in order to get the right to broadcast CL football over the net in Ireland? And are you also saying that Comreg are in collusion with them?

Sponge Bob

How is this panning out then what with

1. NTL/Chorus merger under part owner of Sky
2. Negotiations nearly over or over
3. Launch of Triple Play BB from Magnet with Smart coming along soon I hear.
4. ITV now broadcasting 2 x CL matches in Widescreen on 1 out of every 2 match days, clear and unencrypted on Sat !!!! (and with proper commentators not like TV3