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VIRGIN MEDIA HAS announced plans to launch a new dedicated sports channel that will be free for all digital subscribers.
Today, the media firm TV3 Group rebranded to Virgin Media Television. That means that channels TV3, 3e and be3 will be renamed as Virgin Media One, Virgin Media Two and Virgin Media Three.
As part of the announcement, the television brand has also revealed it will launch a new channel – Virgin Media Sport – that will be available to Virgin Media customers and air its range of sports content.
In recent years, TV3 Group has undertaken a major push into the sports content sector and acquired the rights for a number of high-profile tournaments and competitions.
Three years ago, the broadcaster secured the rights to air the Six Nations from 2018 to 2021, which ended RTÉ’s long association with the rugby tournament.
Earlier this year, Virgin Media also bagged a four-year agreement with European Professional Club Rugby to broadcast live Champions Cup games from next season.
Last month, it also signed a new rights deal for Uefa Champions League and Europa League matches from next season, which included 327 exclusive matches and the finals of both competitions.
The new deal means the Dublin-based broadcaster has exclusive Irish rights to all Wednesday Champions League matches and all Thursday Europa League ties. However, it will share the rights to 16 Tuesday night Champions League matches with RTÉ.
There could be further opportunity for the new Virgin Media Television group to add more sports rights to its new channel after Setanta Sports co-founder Mickey O’Rourke secured a deal to broadcast 53 live English Premier League games in Ireland from August 2019.
It is understood O’Rourke still has no platform to air the Premier League matches he acquired in the Republic, the majority of which are Saturday afternoon kick offs.
Rebrand
TV3 joined the Virgin Media empire in 2015 when it was acquired by UPC Ireland in a deal worth up to €87 million. UPC became part of Liberty Global’s UK subsidiary, Virgin Media, the previous year and has since rebranded to Virgin Media in Ireland.
Since the acquisition of the TV3 Group, Virgin Media has expanded the network and added a new channel to it roster through the acquisition of UTV Ireland in 2016 for €10 million.
The launch of the new dedicated sports channel has been made in tandem with the group’s planned rebrand to Virgin Media Television.
The three channels part of the TV3 brand currently will be renamed from TV3, 3e and Be3 to Virgin Media One, Two and Three.
The firm announced the rebrand at the beginning of the year. TV3 Group managing director Pat Kiely told reporters that the “very significant rebrand” would take place within the first half of the year.
Written by Killian Woods and posted on Fora.ie
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Virgin media are switching off basic analogue in Dublin with little or no notification and pressurizing their customers especially the elderly into purchasing expensive Horizon packages.
@Mack: I gave up cable TV about 10 years ago and use free-to-air satellite and Saoirview. I don’t get the premium Sky channels such as Sky 1 etc but I certainly don’t miss them. I also get the REAL UTV. I have around 200 free channels to view without having to pay an annual fee. There is of course the one-off cost of the satellite dish, Saoirview aerial and the satellite receiver which is around €200 but that’s it. I would never change back.
@Mack: and you will need a box for the TV points in other rooms and bedrooms too! complicated menu’s for elderly people too!
@Mack: I had three Horizon boxes absolutely rubbish they never worked properly and the best decision I made was to finish with VM when my contract was up neve have any problems with Sky Q
@Mack: eh… Analogue TV was switched a number of years ago in favour of digital services… I’m surprised you can fit a TV under that rock!
@Mack: No they’re not, that notification was sent out years ago, before Virgin bought UPC.
@Mr. H: *Terrestrial* analogue TV was turned off; not cable (until now).
@Mr. H: Analogue t.v/ basic cable was not switched off. VM are currently in the process of systematically phasing it out.
@John Hagin Meade: 200 v steep, Dotsy could sort u out with an unofficial box for 75, no questions asked
@Mr. H: Analogue cable was not switched off.
@John Hagin Meade:
Haven’t had a tv for 9 years, watch everything online.
When I don’t have to subscribe to multiple different services with 90% of (to me) rubbish, just to get to see the stuff I want, then I will be happy to pay for it, until then, “arrr Jim lad a pirate I will be”
How can the sports channel b free if one has to subscribe to their package its not free same with free to air TV when one has to fork out for a new box and pay a TV licence fee on top of that it ain’t free tv stop conning people please
Why in this day in age isn’t HD available on Saorview ? I’d happily watch the itv programmes on tv3 but the picture is shocking and I get itv hd and UTV HD free to air.
@Dara Smith: I always think that somebody complaining about lack of HD is a perfect example of a First World problem.
@Dara Smith: Whatever the reason, it’s nothing to do with “this day and age”. RTÉ 1 and RTÉ 2 are in HD on saorview so whatever the reason, it has nothing to do with the platform itself. My guess: TV3/Virgin won’t pay for it.
@Jumperoo: We all live in the first world. What kind of problems should we be complaint about?
@Neal Ireland Hello.: people who can’t write English properly.
Are the 6 nations games not protected as free to air? Can’t see them being able to go to a digital only channel.
First order of business, sack Cagney!
@Billy O’Brien: and Sammy Sausages!
@Billy O’Brien: that Ireland AM programme is way past its sell by date ….
@Billy O’Brien: Ciara welcome to stay on though
@Billy O’Brien: As for that simin delaney tit.
I live in rural Ireland. I’ll be damned if they move the Wednesday night Champions League games over to their new sports channel – which I cannot get because of where I live!
Of course they’ll move the matches over to it. What else are they going to show on it anyway?!
Ireland AM, Saturday/Sunday AM and the Six O’Clock show are reasonably good programmes, and fill a gap in the Irish market. I will be sad to see them go.
@Big Red: where does it say in the artivke that these programmes are going? TV3 is being renamed but the content is staying the same [for the moment anyway]….
No matter what name they will end up with, it won’t make a blind bit of difference TV3 are going from bad to worse. It’s the stations content that needs to be changed like Rte they over do the sports nothing else but Gaa and soccer and these bloody quizzes I very rarely watch it now
Just call it Dublin TV and be done with it………
@Ciarán FitzGerald: ??
@Tony Donoghue: He’s probably referring to the fact that virgin media internet and tv packages can only be obtained if you live in a large urban area. Approximately 40% of the Irish population live in rural areas (not to mention those urban dwellers who also can’t receive virgin) which means they won’t be able to receive the new sports channels as they’ll be linked to their provision of broadband packages.
TV3 are a joke. They show more British programmes than Irish ones.
@Just Some Guy: Colette Fitzpatrick , enough said
We are living in the internet age why would anyone need TV3 to enjoy sports? Between six minute advertisements selling products you don’t want and highlighting programmes you will never watch TV3 has destroyed coverage of every sporting fixture it has ever broadcasts.
Even highlights of the six nations had ad breaks during the actual game and at half time. Insulting stuff to sporting fans who want to watch a match instead of being forced to endure friendly banks trying to sell loans or cosmetic companies offering creams for a itchy minge.
@leartius: Cricfree or fbstream
So V1 V2…… sounds oddly familiar….
@Emachine: and next they will be Saturn V and Apollo numbers. The Von Braun channel will feature constant German footage from the 1930s.
@Emachine: Ze plan to destroy us all!!!!
just stream everything
Won’t make the slightest difference, still complete amateurish tripe, totally dependent on ITV for it’s content, the home produced nonsense is hilariously bad.
Very catchy name, they’ll need massive hand mics to fit that name on
I wonder will the aforementioned changes have any impact on the Sky platform
Not fair, public shouldve had a chance to name it!!! :-\
Catchy…
No TV3? WHAAATT! Where will I get my 6hr a day fix of Bondai Bitch!? Flippin Beaches!
@Cormac Ó Braonáin: is that not one of those adult films?
just stream the shit out of everything
Stupid names for channels.
Wenger out… oh wait
Will they still have the soaps?
have your say