Virgin, BSkyB don’t give peace a chance
Sky has released correspondence showing it offered to ‘split the difference’ between itself and Virgin Media on the new level of carriage fees for basic channels (Sky had tried to double them). But Steve Burch, Virgin CEO, turned down the offer, accusing Sky of withdrawing its channels from the cable platform after demanding "an extreme and anti-competitive price". He said Sky's proposed reduction in the amount it would charge "does not make it fair or lawful nor does it promote good faith discussions".
The move tends to confirm Sky may feel it’s overplayed its hard-ball commercial hand as it now faces regulatory inquiries into both its ITV shareholding and the whole UK pay-TV market. The price cut offer shows it never was wholly about the fee level.
Virgin, however, while doubtless pleased at Sky’s political discomfort, is suffering real economic damage confirmed by poor quarterly figures and forecasts of worse to come.
Regards Satdude. :thum:
Sky has released correspondence showing it offered to ‘split the difference’ between itself and Virgin Media on the new level of carriage fees for basic channels (Sky had tried to double them). But Steve Burch, Virgin CEO, turned down the offer, accusing Sky of withdrawing its channels from the cable platform after demanding "an extreme and anti-competitive price". He said Sky's proposed reduction in the amount it would charge "does not make it fair or lawful nor does it promote good faith discussions".
The move tends to confirm Sky may feel it’s overplayed its hard-ball commercial hand as it now faces regulatory inquiries into both its ITV shareholding and the whole UK pay-TV market. The price cut offer shows it never was wholly about the fee level.
Virgin, however, while doubtless pleased at Sky’s political discomfort, is suffering real economic damage confirmed by poor quarterly figures and forecasts of worse to come.
Regards Satdude. :thum: