[Rdd]

I should say that I don’t actually think ITV will buy VMTV - they had their chance on multiple past occasions and didn’t take it. The supply deal gives them a guaranteed income and none of the risk (they don’t have to worry about the ups and downs of the advertising market). Just that in terms of a buyer, there might be certain synergies that they would be best placed to take advantage of. The two are already literally joined at the hip, more so than VMTV and the VM cable operation, where I never quite got the synergies. At any rate, the continuing existence of VMTV is one of the major reasons why Liberty are finding it difficult to offload VM Ireland as a whole. The analysts just don’t think there’s any sense in convergence any more, which is why a major mobile phone operator buying into a free to air terrestrial business would be seen as an odd strategic move at this point.

[F4C]

I should say that I don’t actually think ITV will buy VMTV - they had their chance on multiple past occasions and didn’t take it. The supply deal gives them a guaranteed income and none of the risk (they don’t have to worry about the ups and downs of the advertising market). Just that in terms of a buyer, there might be certain synergies that they would be best placed to take advantage of. The two are already literally joined at the hip, more so than VMTV and the VM cable operation, where I never quite got the synergies. At any rate, the continuing existence of VMTV is one of the major reasons why Liberty are finding it difficult to offload VM Ireland as a whole. The analysts just don’t think there’s any sense in convergence any more, which is why a major mobile phone operator buying into a free to air terrestrial business would be seen as an odd strategic move at this point.

I mean, there will be someone out there who will see some value in owning Ireland’s second biggest terrestrial broadcaster. But I would say it’s more likely the VMTV division would be sold separately, possibly in advance of a full sale of VMI.

[Stuart]

I mean, there will be someone out there who will see some value in owning Ireland’s second biggest terrestrial broadcaster. But I would say it’s more likely the VMTV division would be sold separately, possibly in advance of a full sale of VMI.

I'm sure there will be a someone out there prepared to buy VM Ireland simply for the purpose of asset stripping the profitable elements of mobile and broadband.

It's difficult to know what would be left of the FTA TV business after that process was completed.  I suspect very little: perhaps a single DTT channel and a streaming service.

[Ballinagrappa]

I mean, there will be someone out there who will see some value in owning Ireland’s second biggest terrestrial broadcaster. But I would say it’s more likely the VMTV division would be sold separately, possibly in advance of a full sale of VMI.

I'm sure there will be a someone out there prepared to buy VM Ireland simply for the purpose of asset stripping the profitable elements of mobile and broadband.

It's difficult to know what would be left of the FTA TV business after that process was completed.  I suspect very little: perhaps a single DTT channel and a streaming service.

Isn't it just the TV channels up for sale? Not sure the cable/phone service is for sale?

[Rdd]

Everything at Liberty Global is up for sale, really. They’ve been divesting operations around the continent and are now much smaller than they were before. Their only wholly owned operations now apart from VM Ireland are UPC Slovakia and the aforementioned Sunrise. Indeed the Sunrise acquisition in Switzerland went totally against the grain of what Liberty has been doing elsewhere, even though it fits what they’ve been doing in Switzerland taking that market in isolation.

Their strategy has been to sell off non-core assets, and partner in the big markets with mobile operators. That’s what they initially announced for Ireland too before they realised it was handing Vodafone a major bargaining hand in any negotiations and backed off from it. After all, eir will never be allowed take over the only rival fixed line telecommunications network in the country, and Three have shown no interest in either fixed line or content anywhere else.

But yeah, Liberty has basically dismantled itself. The Irish operation was moved to be under the U.K. operation and that’s how it ended up with the VM brand having been UPC for a number of years. I have no doubt it would have been rolled into the O2 JV had O2 still a presence in Ireland. Now it’s a bit of an orphan, disconnected from its U.K. parent and having little in common with UPC in Slovakia. Maybe there is still tech sharing that can be done but really it needs new owners that have an interest in bringing the business forward.

[TVenthusiasm]

Here's a promo for Virgin Media Television's 25th anniversary:
up.metropol247.co.uk 

Also I dunno why the VM channels have their own pres thread, when we also have one for RTE/TG4 so can the two threads be merged into one please?

[orange]

The best way they could celebrate the anniversary is by getting rid of that ridiculous name. Still can’t quite believe it’s called what it is.

[Brekkie]

Here's a promo for Virgin Media Television's 25th anniversary:
up.metropol247.co.uk 

Also I dunno why the VM channels have their own pres thread, when we also have one for RTE/TG4 so can the two threads be merged into one please?

Why?  It's two separate topics of discussion.

[Stuart]

The best way they could celebrate the anniversary is by getting rid of that ridiculous name. Still can’t quite believe it’s called what it is.

I suspect they've paid quite a lot to licence the use of the brand, but the agreement will have a renewal/expiry date. At that point they can change the name without having lost the use of something they'd paid for.

[TVenthusiasm]

A promo for Big Brother has started airing

up.metropol247.co.uk 

And the launch is advertised next to the channel dog