[cable]

VM3 used to be UTV Ireland, the failure of which led to it being sold to TV3 and UTV itself being taken over by ITV plc. So if ITV was to buy VMTV, they'd be buying back a channel that they previously disposed of!

Yes but they would be acquiring the whole of exTV3 and UTV Ireland bundled together. VMTV now have 4 main channels, ITV have 4 main channels along similar alignments. if they could clear enough rights... Whether or not Ireland being in the EU is worth it for ITV politically and the likelihood of ad revenue vs the affiliation agreement.

[F4C]

Politically it wouldn’t be an issue- if anything, expect GBNews and company to start trumpeting it as one of “the benefits of Brexit”.

I just don’t think ITV would see Ireland as a major opportunity for financial growth- the population is pretty small, ITV programmes are readily accessible both on VMI and, in some cases, via Freeview/Saorview overspill, and they get their kick out of the affiliate deal with VMI. Unless ITV want to expand ITVX out to overseas, I doubt that the Irish market size would justify the £1.5 billion or whatever it is needed to buy VMI’s TV assets.

[ASnep]

Yes but they would be acquiring the whole of exTV3 and UTV Ireland bundled together. VMTV now have 4 main channels, ITV have 4 main channels along similar alignments. if they could clear enough rights... Whether or not Ireland being in the EU is worth it for ITV politically and the likelihood of ad revenue vs the affiliation agreement.

Channel 4 manages to have ROI versions of their channels despite Brexit. Don't see a reason why there couldn't be an "ITV Ireland".

[cable]

Politically it wouldn’t be an issue- if anything, expect GBNews and company to start trumpeting it as one of “the benefits of Brexit”.

I just don’t think ITV would see Ireland as a major opportunity for financial growth- the population is pretty small, ITV programmes are readily accessible both on VMI and, in some cases, via Freeview/Saorview overspill, and they get their kick out of the affiliate deal with VMI. Unless ITV want to expand ITVX out to overseas, I doubt that the Irish market size would justify the £1.5 billion or whatever it is needed to buy VMI’s TV assets.

1.5billion seems a bit high, they wouldn't be not buying the cable network! How much is STV worth, I recall in 2018 around 200mln was mentioned.

[Brekkie]

Considering UTV Ireland didn't work out I doubt ITV would be interested in running a channels business in Ireland - they are very much first and foremost a content business now and it's less risky to licence the content to be shown than start up operations in the Republic of Ireland.

I think some of the US networks are finding out the hard way that setting up your own operations in other countries to screen your original content isn't as profitable as selling that content to local broadcasters - that is a large part of the reason CBS and WB have backed away from the CW in the US.

[JMT1985]

VM3 used to be UTV Ireland, the failure of which led to it being sold to TV3 and UTV itself being taken over by ITV plc. So if ITV was to buy VMTV, they'd be buying back a channel that they previously disposed of!

UTV Ireland was sold off fast to TV3, ITV wanted just UTV in Northern Ireland, they never wanted that other channel

[cable]

Considering UTV Ireland didn't work out I doubt ITV would be interested in running a channels business in Ireland - they are very much first and foremost a content business now and it's less risky to licence the content to be shown than start up operations in the Republic of Ireland.

I think some of the US networks are finding out the hard way that setting up your own operations in other countries to screen your original content isn't as profitable as selling that content to local broadcasters - that is a large part of the reason CBS and WB have backed away from the CW in the US.

Globally it not working out for the US broadcasters makes sense. Doesn't Original local content peform better in most markets supplemented with US content?

It really depends if things could be rationalised, remember ITV would be controlling this, not UTV.

If it were to happen but it would effectively add a new ITV region, it would add a slight increase to advertising revenue less revenue generated by affiliation. 

Saroview would be problematic with HD, from what I can tell, VMTV channels are in 3/4 SD resolution at 544x576. ITV has been very much pro HD in the last couple of years, would they want the costs associated With SD broadcasting in a small market. They would have to come to an agreement with VMTV to carry the channels on their platform and any EPG regionalisation on the Sky ROI EPG.

Continuity from London? lack of Irish accents might be problematic.

ITVX would need to be reengineered to remove geoblocking and allow for displaying of prices in euros. sounds easy but actually requires a lot of technical changes and additional platforms to support.

[F4C]

Considering UTV Ireland didn't work out I doubt ITV would be interested in running a channels business in Ireland - they are very much first and foremost a content business now and it's less risky to licence the content to be shown than start up operations in the Republic of Ireland.

I think some of the US networks are finding out the hard way that setting up your own operations in other countries to screen your original content isn't as profitable as selling that content to local broadcasters - that is a large part of the reason CBS and WB have backed away from the CW in the US.

Globally it not working out for the US broadcasters makes sense. Doesn't Original local content peform better in most markets supplemented with US content?

It really depends if things could be rationalised 

If it were to happen but it would effetely add a new ITV region, it would add a slight increase to advertising revenue less revenue generated by affiliation. 

Saroview would be problematic with HD, from what I can tell, VMTV channels are in 3/4 SD resolution at 544x576. ITV has been very much pro HD in the last couple of years, would they want the costs associated With SD broadcasting in a small market. 

Continuity from London? lack of Irish accents might be problematic.

ITVX would need to be reengineered to remove geoblocking and allow for displaying of prices in euros. sounds easy but actually requires a lot of technical changes and additional platforms to support.

I imagine the Irish Government would want a fair-sized list of cast-iron guarantees of commitments to investment in Irish content, Irish continuity and probably studios in Ireland for it to go ahead.  

I would have thought ITV would target buying the two STV franchises, and gain total control of Channel 3 in the UK, before looking at Ireland to be honest.

[JMT1985]

Globally it not working out for the US broadcasters makes sense. Doesn't Original local content peform better in most markets supplemented with US content?

It really depends if things could be rationalised 

If it were to happen but it would effetely add a new ITV region, it would add a slight increase to advertising revenue less revenue generated by affiliation. 

Saroview would be problematic with HD, from what I can tell, VMTV channels are in 3/4 SD resolution at 544x576. ITV has been very much pro HD in the last couple of years, would they want the costs associated With SD broadcasting in a small market. 

Continuity from London? lack of Irish accents might be problematic.

ITVX would need to be reengineered to remove geoblocking and allow for displaying of prices in euros. sounds easy but actually requires a lot of technical changes and additional platforms to support.

I imagine the Irish Government would want a fair-sized list of cast-iron guarantees of commitments to investment in Irish content, Irish continuity and probably studios in Ireland for it to go ahead.  

I would have thought ITV would target buying the two STV franchises, and gain total control of Channel 3 in the UK, before looking at Ireland to be honest.

From what I know of the current ITV, they have no interest at all in buying channels in Ireland - ITV are focused on their UK business first and foremost. Selling content to VM channels is the preferred option for them, less hassle.

[bkman1990]

Having ITV come over to buy all of VMTV in Ireland might show there is some complexity involved in how of the rights of the content are divvied up in the future.

The majority of the WBD content is shown terrestrially via ITV in the UK. RTÉ basically have full access terrestrial TV rights to all of that content in The Republic of Ireland.

I am not sure how those separate deals are going to operate in the near future. I would suspect that they would remain separate for now until one of the involved parties did eventually to a foreign rival.

The sports rights is a contentious one though when they come up for discussion especially when you look at the rights for the UEFA matches and The 6 Nations Rugby