The Virgin Media Television thread

iseegirls · 11-04-2025 09:17AM

The Cube making a re-appearance in the VM2 schedules, daily from the 22nd April at 7pm.

None of Philip Schofield's shows have been broadcast since March 2023, including 5 Gold Rings, South African Adventure and The Cube. Very surprised they are going back to repeat the last series, as I would have thought these are now tainted shows.

RoTelly · 15-04-2025 02:47PM

First time I have seen multiple episodes of Ireland AM across the top twenty shows in anyone week.

iseegirls · 17-04-2025 10:03AM

Decent ratings for what is a 3hour show. Would be good to see the breakdown further about when it peaks.

Although it does also highlight how poor the primetime schedule is on VM1. Not taking any advantage of Corrie and Emmerdale - the viewers seem to switch straight away to another channel. Their reliance on ITV Studios dramas aren't working. VM3 might be happy to reshow Heartbeat, Frost, Morse, Vera etc.. but VM1 need something different for 9pm shows

RoTelly · 17-04-2025 10:13AM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123365024#Comment_123365024

The current format of each channel needs to change, but largely VMTV are doing well.

If I were utilizing ITV studios I would

VMTV ONE - Soaps / weekend Entertainment simulcast

VMTV TWO - Daytime / Reality simulcast

VMTV THREE - Repeat soaps / archive

VMTV FOUR - New ITV dramas simulcast

deezell · 18-04-2025 06:54PM

What are VM2 using to broadcast the Drogs Shels match, a couple of mobile phones on a stick? Quality is atrocious, wipe the lens when your camera is switched! Maybe it's a remote, no human behind it.

RoTelly · 23-04-2025 09:23AM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123365024#Comment_123365024

The decision to drop 2 episodes of The Tonight Show also seem like a strange move.

TSOCS rarely if ever makes the top twenty shows each week, that's a drop from 170k for the news at 5:30 to below 70k at 6 only to start the regain at 7 with 70k and then Emmerdale's 120+ audience.

They didn't even consider rejigging TSOCS to try to grab an audience, its largely become Xposé meets Ireland AM.

iseegirls · 25-04-2025 10:52AM

Virgin Media announced the next branch of games in May. Credit of course goes to VM that they are broadcasting games every gameweek, including those gameweeks that are on Mondays as well.

I took a look at the clubs that have been chosen so far though, and the bias towards Dublin clubs is so clear so far. A pity that they aren't broadcasting more outside the M50.

8	Shelbourne
6	Shamrock Rovers
5	Bohemians
5	St Patricks Athletic
5	Drogheda United
2	Derry City
2	Cork City
1	Waterford
1	Sligo Rovers
1	Galway United

Clubs which are the home teams of the live coverage:

4	Shamrock Rovers
4	Shelbourne
2	Bohemians
2	St Patricks Athletic
1	Cork City
1	Sligo Rovers
1	Galway United
1	Drogheda United
1	Derry City
1	Waterford

dublinman1990 · 28-04-2025 07:25PM

French production firm Banijay are in early talks to takeover ITV Studios or to takeover the entire business of ITV plc.

https://deadline.com/2025/04/banijay-early-stage-talks-itv-acquisition-1236378512/

Deadline reports that All3Media, French Broadcaster TF1 & CVC Partners are also potential suitors to takeover ITV.

I wonder what effect these early talks have in store for VMTV here in the near future.

RoTelly · 28-04-2025 10:25PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123398820#Comment_123398820

Might be of benefit to them considering they also work with All3Media for ITV programming.

iseegirls · 06-05-2025 06:59PM

They're struggling with the 9pm slot. Safe Harbour was ditched to 10pm slot for their last few episodes, replaced by repeats of WWTBAMillionaire. And this week Genius Game have been moved to VM2 after 1 week.

A feeling they've sort of given up with prime time. They're already covered with Ireland AM, T6OCS and all the news as their home grown targets. So they can lazily put ITV programming on at 9, along with a vastly reduced Tonight Show.

iseegirls · 15-05-2025 08:42AM

More games announced for LOI fixtures, and yet again - all home games based in Dublin.

Confirmed Virgin Media Two broadcast fixtures

Bohemians v Shelbourne, Dalymount Park – Friday, 16 May 2025 at 19:45

Shelbourne v Drogheda United, Tolka Park – Monday, 19 May 2025 at 19:45

St. Patrick’s Athletic v Waterford, Richmond Park – Friday, 23 May 2025 at 19:45

Bohemians v Derry City, Dalymount Park – Friday, 30 May 2025 at 19:45

Shelbourne v Shamrock Rovers, Tolka Park – Friday, 13 June 2025 at 19:45

Total number of teams shown live:

9 - Shelbourne

7 - Shamrock Rovers

6 - St Patrick's Athletic, Bohemians

5 - Drogheda United

3 - Derry City

2 - Waterford, Cork City

1 - Sligo Rovers, Galway United

Out of those, these are the games at home:

5 - Shelbourne

4 - Shamrock Rovers

3 - St Patrick's Athletic, Bohemians

1 - Drogheda United, Derry City, Waterford, Cork City, Sligo Rovers, Galway United

deezell · 15-05-2025 08:45AM

You got to pay overnight subsistence to a crew sent to Sligo or Cork, so the ob costs more unless there is a competent local contractor in these places.

RoTelly · 15-05-2025 10:01AM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123449827#Comment_123449827

I think most of RTÉ's Today show is produced by a local contractor in Cork.

deezell · 15-05-2025 10:50AM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123450046#Comment_123450046

Probably, do they have OB vans and links vans for sport?

RoTelly · 15-05-2025 11:23AM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123450212#Comment_123450212

Can't remember which company it is. But Nemton are based in An Rinn not far from Cork and work largely for TG4's sports coverage.

It's a case of doing whatever is handiest and cheapest for coverage.

Gold7 · 15-05-2025 05:41PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123450212#Comment_123450212

I haven't seen any OB vans at League of ireland matches I have been to that VM show live. They seem to take the Loitv feed when doing live games on a Friday night.

icdg · 15-05-2025 05:55PM

My understanding was that VMTV are (in accordance with their established policy) not acting as host broadcasters for their LOI coverage, it is coming from LOITV (which is run by Premier).

Dodge · 15-05-2025 06:53PM

that’s not technically correct.

LOITV is typically a 2 camera set up. The Virgin games are typical 6 camera.

It is digitally broadcast so there are similarities and overlaps with the LOI TV set ups but they provide some of their own people/cameras too.

They do use local crews but the games involving Dublin teams are shown because they’re the most popular teams with the biggest audience potential.

deezell · 15-05-2025 07:32PM

I've watched some matches from those 2 camera setups. All the quality and production values of a wedding video. One or both cameras may even be unmanned, PTZ heads under the control of possibly a single operator. Amateur hour, but good enough for tiktok channels, educational / conference sector presentation capture and the like. Not up to scratch if you want your sport broadcast product to stand up to scrutiny, 6 camera setup with some actual cameramen , local or remote vision mixer and director required to deliver this minimum. To get the output stream to studio, and on air, you'll also need dedicated links vans, which could in fact relay all live cameras back to studio for cut and mix there, rather than the cumbersome OB truck. These vans can take feeds from the cameras wirelessly, so it's feasible to use a number of free lance camera sources who connect to the link van, with directorrial calls relayed back from a studio based team. Something like that anyway, my former RTE colleague from the 80s and lifetime best friend is still free lancing at 70 in such a setup, I last joined him in his van on O'Connell St. in 2017 where he was relaying the Conor McGregor film premier back to a studio, then on to cinemas all over the UK. (I was in work around the corner). Great nerdy tech stuff, it's probably changed a lot even since then.

Dodge · 15-05-2025 09:02PM

none of the cameras for LOI TV in the premier are unmanned and the coverage is generally fine.

deezell · 15-05-2025 09:41PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123452689#Comment_123452689

Not with only 2 cameras, it's like watching someone in the stands with a phone, and that's just the lack of choice of shot frames. Picture quality left a lot to be desired. VM doing a decent job all in all.

Dodge · 16-05-2025 08:10AM

The games with 2 cameras aren’t on Virgin. They’re on the paid LOI TV platform. The people who pay for that are happy to see the games (it was inconceivable that it was possible 5 years ago).

deezell · 16-05-2025 07:00PM

Whoever is in charge of the on screen graphic in tonight's Bohs Shels match has got the Kit colour indicator reversed, with Shels showing the red bar, Bohs the blue. Proper quality broadcast otherwise.

deezell · 16-05-2025 07:29PM

Oops..

It's fixed now, but Shels still have a bit o' red on their side 😳

roadmaster · 21-05-2025 07:26AM

On Joe Molloys podcast yesterday he said Virgin & RTE have not secured 2026 6N rights yet. The lads with him were laughing but he said all he knew was what was in the papers.

Is he been coy ahead of a Virgin/RTE launch or is there a chance they could end up behind a paywall ? But at the end he did say since UK was free to air he presumed the same here

deezell · 21-05-2025 08:06AM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123469722#Comment_123469722

The Thursday night fixture is worrying, that's a clear indicator of the pursuit of TV income v gate receipts. Thursday a big ask for away fans, the Big screen pubs might moan too, weekends preferred to facilitate hangover recovery. Maybe no one works on Friday anymore

iseegirls · 21-05-2025 10:12AM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123469722#Comment_123469722

I thought they were good until 2029?

https://www.independent.ie/sport/rugby/six-nations/six-nations-set-to-stay-free-to-air-until-2029-after-agreement-reached-on-new-tv-deal/a1916204872.html

iseegirls · 21-05-2025 10:16AM

More daytime cuts over at ITV, as they reduce the output of Loose Women to 30 weeks instead of all year long from Jan 26.
https://www.itv.com/presscentre/media-releases/itv-announces-changes-scheduling-and-production-its-daytime-shows

I'm sure Virgin Media will stick in more repeats of Paul O'Grady: For The Love of Dogs to fill the gap anyway. Still odd they broadcast it at 3pm and not live on VM2 or VM3 instead.

They'll also have less Emmerdale and Corrie in Jan 26.

dulpit · 21-05-2025 10:35AM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123469808#Comment_123469808

Is this not just a one-off becuse of a clash with Winter Olympics Opening Ceremony?

icdg · 21-05-2025 10:38AM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123470217#Comment_123470217

I took the below article as being as good as saying a deal was done, given who it came from. However a careful reading of the article isn’t actually saying that. Regardless unless something major has gone wrong at a late stage (and it’s odd there was no announcement since) I’d expect the rights to stay on FTA. With the UK out of the equation the only pay TV broadcaster interested would be Premier, but couldn’t see they’d have the pockets for this.

https://www.rte.ie/sport/rugby/2025/0314/1502174-six-nations-set-to-remain-on-free-to-air-tv-in-ireland/

The Virgin Media Television thread

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