Sorry to be the bearer of bad tidings if you’re a Virgin TV customer, but from tomorrow you’ll be losing 10 channels from your package.
A reported disagreement over video on demand between Virgin and UKTV, which is owned by Discovery and the BBC, is the cause of the cuts.
It will disrupt the viewing options of some four million customers.
David Bouchier, chief digital entertainment officer at Virgin Media told the Mirror: “From Sunday all UKTV channels and programmes will be replaced on Virgin TV.
“Virgin Media has had a long relationship with UKTV, but viewing behaviours amongst our customers are changing and we are committed to investing in the kind of programming they want to watch, whenever and however they want to watch it.
“Unfortunately, due to the restrictions put on UKTV by the BBC, UKTV is not able to provide the significant on-demand programming that we know our customers want.
“We are still in discussions with UKTV but we have already invested in an extensive collection of replacement high-quality programming for our customers to enjoy.”
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Darren Childs, chief executive of UKTV, meanwhile, said that these channels will be axed if an agreement cannot be reached moving forward… and it comes down to money.
“We want to continue to provide our channels to Virgin Media, but the huge cut in fees that Virgin has requested doesn’t reflect the value we bring to customers.
“UKTV’s channels account for over a quarter of pay entertainment channel viewing within Virgin Media’s basic subscription pack, while our on demand viewing has grown by over a third in the last year.
“The money we receive from platforms helps to pay for our record investment in high-quality programmes, which we increased to more than £150 million in the last year.”
Which Virgin TV channels will be going?
- Alibi, which airs shows such as Death In Paradise, Father Brown investigates and Unforgettable
- Dave, which shows the likes of Only Fools & Horses and Not Going Out
- Drama (Inspector George Gently; Taggart; Soldier Soldier)
- Eden (Planet Earth; Deadly 60)
- Gold (Citizen Khan; Live At The Apollo)
- Good Food (The Hairy Bikers, James Martin: Yorkshire’s Finest)
- Home (DIY SOS; Escape To The Country)
- Really (Antiques Roadshow; Embarrassing Bodies)
- W (John Bishop In Conversation With…; Gavin & Stacey)
- Yesterday (Blackadder; Auf Wiedersehen Pet)
It’s not all bad news, though, there will be some replacement channels…
New Virgin TV channels:
- Love Nature, which will show wildlife programmes
- IQTV, which will air quiz shows
- Paramount Network, which will offer dramas such as Suits
- YourTV, which will air US dramas such as Castle, Body of Proof and Bones
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UKTV has issued a statement on Twitter to its customers…
We’ve worked with @VirginMedia since its launch in 2006, supplying @Davechannel, @Goldchannel, @Wchannel, and more. We’re so sorry for the viewers who may miss our channels, but demands for price cuts mean we can’t continue our partnership. More from UKTV’s Steve North: pic.twitter.com/NEkxgwuYfB
— Official UKTV (@UKTV) 20 July 2018
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