Sky Sports and ESPN to leave Top Up TV (merged)

1246

Comments

  • Rambler80Rambler80 Posts: 367
    Forum Member
    Phoenix04 wrote: »
    The Sky offer is completely useless. Do they think anyone would have been paying Topup TV £40 per month for ESPN and 2 Sky Sports channels if they didn't have a reason preventing them from installing a sky dish in the first place???

    Spot on.
  • TelevisionUserTelevisionUser Posts: 41,395
    Forum Member
    nick_t1 wrote: »
    So by the looks of it after topup tv disappears there are not that many options for non bt broadband customers for sports. I’m tied in a broadband contract with sky until early next year and bt infinity is not available for me anyway. You reckon BT would offer BT sport for non BT bb customers via aerial or shall I take the hit and go to sky tv (£40 a month for sky tv+sports is quite a lot I think)?

    I'd suggest sitting down with a piece of paper and a calculator to see how things stack up. If you want the BT sports channels, all you have to do get freesat from Sky installed (cost £175 - see http://www.sky.com/shop/freesat/home/ http://www.sky.com/shop/freesat/home/what-can-i-watch/) and pay BT for their sports channels. You don't have to subscribe to any Sky entertainment or sports packs if you don't want to and you don't need them to get BT sports since BT are selling access to their sports channels separately (see http://www.bt.com/sport/3-ways-to-watch-bt-sport.html).

    Alternatively, you could see if you can buy yourself out of the Sky broadband contract and see how much that would cost and then change to BT broadband. Before taking that course of action, I'd suggest checking with BT when precisely their BT sports channels will be available on DTT for their broadband customers. You can chat to a BT advisor between 8am and 8pm - https://bt.custhelp.com/app/contact#h=eyJzdGVwMCI6ImNvbnRhY3RJdGVtTGluazU2MzgiLCJzdGVwSWR4IjoxLCJzdGVwMSI6ImNvbnRhY3RJdGVtTGluazU2MzgsNTYzOSJ9

    It looks like you've got at least two potential options to access BT sport.
  • TelevisionUserTelevisionUser Posts: 41,395
    Forum Member
    Phoenix04 wrote: »
    The Sky offer is completely useless. Do they think anyone would have been paying Topup TV £40 per month for ESPN and 2 Sky Sports channels if they didn't have a reason preventing them from installing a sky dish in the first place???

    Yes, there will be restrictions in Conservation Areas, Listed Buildings, flats, etc. and it's no good if you've not got south easterly access to the 28.2*E satellites either.
  • Rolland_BrownRolland_Brown Posts: 92
    Forum Member
    my mates always had top up he has Tesco broadband hes not allowed to put dish up can he change his 18 month contract he entered into only 2 months ago ?
  • TelevisionUserTelevisionUser Posts: 41,395
    Forum Member
    my mates always had top up he has Tesco broadband hes not allowed to put dish up can he change his 18 month contract he entered into only 2 months ago ?

    He should ask that of Tesco directly. It might be possible but it might come with a financial contract termination penalty but your friend ought to bring these matters up with Tesco. I daresay that quite a few other people will now find themselves in this same unenviable position.
  • clewsyclewsy Posts: 4,222
    Forum Member
    ✭✭✭
    Nope unless he buys himself out. What a fool going with Tesco Broadband as the reviews I have read are not positive.
  • clinchclinch Posts: 11,574
    Forum Member
    ✭✭
    clewsy wrote: »
    HD needs 4meg, about 2 for SD is ideal. However the BT sports app is meant to work with as little as 0.4meg

    Is the sports app to watch on a laptop? Call me old fashioned, but I prefer to watch TV on a TV.
    I am with Talktalk. My line speed is 3.5 meg. I could take the on demand service but i cannot take their live sports channels.
    Moving to BT is a non-starter for me because of the huge additional cost. I use Talktalk's mobile boost for all the calls I make to mobile phones. BT has no similar option.
  • tomeetomee Posts: 2,891
    Forum Member
    ✭✭✭
    I had a letter today from BT sports.Which had the BT sports logo and ESPN logo.Telling me all the ways i could get BT sports it also came with a leaflet there was no information about channel 41 & 42.
  • ClusterbombedClusterbombed Posts: 234
    Forum Member
    Received a letter from Top Up TV this morning confirming that they will cease broadcasting Sky Sports and ESPN, and the dates.

    Sky Sports 1 & 2 will finish at midnight on Sunday 30th June, and ESPN will cease broadcasting at midnight on Wednesday 31st July.

    If you have a subscription, it will stop automatically, although having been bitten more than once by these things I would recommend cancelling the direct debit.
  • Mickey_TMickey_T Posts: 4,962
    Forum Member
    ✭✭✭
    Already being discussed in the TUTV section. http://forums.digitalspy.co.uk/showthread.php?t=1832893 :)
  • AndygozAndygoz Posts: 68
    Forum Member
    clinch wrote: »
    Is the sports app to watch on a laptop? Call me old fashioned, but I prefer to watch TV on a TV.
    I am with Talktalk. My line speed is 3.5 meg. I could take the on demand service but i cannot take their live sports channels.
    Moving to BT is a non-starter for me because of the huge additional cost. I use Talktalk's mobile boost for all the calls I make to mobile phones. BT has no similar option.

    You can watch on pc/laptop yes, but there is also the option to connect your laptop in to a tv to watch the app on a big screen.
  • [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 348
    Forum Member
    nick_t1 wrote: »
    So by the looks of it after topup tv disappears there are not that many options for non bt broadband customers for sports. I’m tied in a broadband contract with sky until early next year and bt infinity is not available for me anyway. You reckon BT would offer BT sport for non BT bb customers via aerial or shall I take the hit and go to sky tv (£40 a month for sky tv+sports is quite a lot I think)?

    or get freesat from sky, and pay the £12 a month for BT Sport that way.

    http://www.sky.com/shop/freesat/home/
  • d'@ved'@ve Posts: 45,452
    Forum Member
    or get freesat from sky, and pay the £12 a month for BT Sport that way.

    http://www.sky.com/shop/freesat/home/

    That's not an option for the vast majority who will want BT Sports as an add-on to Sky Sports (mainly for PL football).

    Sky are currently doing a very good job in restricting the availability of Sky Sports on BT and some other platforms.
  • TelevisionUserTelevisionUser Posts: 41,395
    Forum Member
    tomee wrote: »
    I had a letter today from BT sports.Which had the BT sports logo and ESPN logo.Telling me all the ways i could get BT sports it also came with a leaflet there was no information about channel 41 & 42.

    In their FAQs here http://bt.custhelp.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/43272/c/6401, BT Vision have indicated that you can register your interest to get BT Sports 1 and 2 via an aerial but the details, pricing, etc. just have not been worked out yet. That implies that these two channels will be coming to the Freeview/DTT platform but, in order to get them, BT will insist that you subscribe to BT broadband and a BT TV package so you're tied in to them:
    On BT TV

    If you don't live in a BT Infinity area and you want to watch on BT TV, you'll be able to watch BT Sport 1 and BT Sport 2 on your BT Vision+ box, through your TV aerial. You won't be able to get BT Sport in HD, or ESPN on your TV, but you can watch ESPN live online at btsport.com or on the BT Sport App.

    To watch BT Sport over your aerial, you'll need to have BT broadband and a BT TV package, a compatible set-top box, and buy a £10 viewing card if you don't already have one.

    You can't order BT Sport over your aerial yet, but you can click here to register your interest, and we'll tell you as soon as it's available to order.

    The news about Sky Sports 1 and 2 leaving Top Up TV is now starting to be reported online:

    http://www.broadbandtvnews.com/2013/06/05/top-up-tv-ends-sports-channels/
    http://www.telecompaper.com/news/top-up-tv-withdraws-from-premium-sports-channel-market--947698
    http://www.a516digital.com/2013/06/top-up-tv-confirms-sports-wind-down.html
  • freetoview33freetoview33 Posts: 2,921
    Forum Member
    ✭✭✭
    We have know Sky Sports 1 and 2 have been leaving for a long time!
    Ever since BT announced it's sports channels it was a good possibility that Sky Sports was going to be axed
  • NightdeamonNightdeamon Posts: 3,806
    Forum Member
    ✭✭✭
    how long until people start asking for the return of Sky Sport News? :D
  • VisionMan1VisionMan1 Posts: 2,111
    Forum Member
    ✭✭✭
    In their FAQs here http://bt.custhelp.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/43272/c/6401, BT Vision have indicated that you can register your interest to get BT Sports 1 and 2 via an aerial but the details, pricing, etc. just have not been worked out yet. That implies that these two channels will be coming to the Freeview/DTT platform but, in order to get them, BT will insist that you subscribe to BT broadband and a BT TV package so you're tied in to them:

    The news about Sky Sports 1 and 2 leaving Top Up TV is now starting to be reported online:

    http://www.broadbandtvnews.com/2013/06/05/top-up-tv-ends-sports-channels/
    http://www.telecompaper.com/news/top-up-tv-withdraws-from-premium-sports-channel-market--947698
    http://www.a516digital.com/2013/06/top-up-tv-confirms-sports-wind-down.html

    Whoa now, this part of a516's article -
    Top Up TV has only offered the three sports channels that are being withdrawn in recent months to new subscribers. Its existing "Anytime / TV favourites" platform, incorporating a few hours of UKTV's Gold and Home channels each week on channels 20 and 26 is being wound down, with content being frequently reduced. This service has not been available to new subscribers for some time.

    No one mentioned this about TUTV's service.

    This implies they have been planning to wind down for quite some time now. Not just now/recently. Or they are going to be a sports only provider. Which is doubtful.
  • Colin_LondonColin_London Posts: 12,654
    Forum Member
    ✭✭
    In their FAQs here http://bt.custhelp.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/43272/c/6401, BT Vision have indicated that you can register your interest to get BT Sports 1 and 2 via an aerial but the details, pricing, etc. just have not been worked out yet. That implies that these two channels will be coming to the Freeview/DTT platform but, in order to get them, BT will insist that you subscribe to BT broadband and a BT TV package so you're tied in to them:

    Urrr - what's not worked out about this? It's been the deal since the start. If you take a BT Broadband + BT Vision package you get BT Sport for free, and this can be via an Infinity connection or via DTT (if you don't have Infinity).

    This is the point of it after all - to get people to sign up to BT Broadband!

    No more details to come - all the info is out there already....
  • MeMeMeIMeMeMeI Posts: 990
    Forum Member
    ✭✭
    So in the end the Sky won out in the pay TV stakes. Which to be fair was just a matter of time. BT will do fairly well for itself as for those of us who aren't sports fan and used Picture Box and the remains of the TV Fav. service this really sucks!

    But TUTv did well to keep going as long as it has. Nine years when faced with Sky and Virgin isn't really all that bad, I suppose the chap who bought it after selling off all the assets he could to recover some of his investment won't be complaining all that much. Shame as to be fair there was still a market for this serivce or something similar.

    As we don't want internet and can't have a dish (so no freesat) it looks like we're back to Freeview and juggling the programmes to see what we get.

    You do not have to have a dish to get Satellite



    http://www.satellitesuperstore.com/dishes.htm
  • [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 867
    Forum Member
    ✭✭
    Thank you for the link couldn't make heads or tails of the site.

    Maybe it's too early in the morning.

    Does anyone know how many subscribers TUTV have or had at the last count? I'm just wondering I can't be one of only a handful of TV Fav. users it just wouldn't make sense.

    I asked my mate to email the company yesterday and again today to see if there is anyway to find out if Picture Box and TV Fav. are going off air at the end of July or will they keep going to November when the outstanding contracts with the providers run out according to a post somewhere else.
  • Everything GoesEverything Goes Posts: 12,972
    Forum Member
    ✭✭
    VisionMan1 wrote: »
    Whoa now, this part of a516's article -



    No one mentioned this about TUTV's service.

    This implies they have been planning to wind down for quite some time now. Not just now/recently. Or they are going to be a sports only provider. Which is doubtful.

    The service has been in the process of being wound down for some time. Its been plain to see.

    I wouldn't read too much into a516's posts as he well and truly got it wrong about TUTV by a country mile :D

    http://forums.digitalspy.co.uk/showpost.php?p=66260604&postcount=256
  • chrisychrisy Posts: 9,418
    Forum Member
    The service has been in the process of being wound down for some time. Its been plain to see.

    I wouldn't read too much into a516's posts as he well and truly got it wrong about TUTV by a country mile :D

    http://forums.digitalspy.co.uk/showpost.php?p=66260604&postcount=256

    I don't see anything wrong in that post? :confused:

    You seem to be disputing the part about ESPN leaving, but a516 didn't say it wouldn't leave, just that there might be issues either preventing this from happening or repercussions from doing so. Well, it hasn't left yet, so the latter is unclear. However, regarding the former, clearly there weren't any issues or if there were BT have complied with any early contract termination (and we will never know which of these it is).
  • Rambler80Rambler80 Posts: 367
    Forum Member
    Slight aside - Sky challenging the OFCOM ruling on wholesale was used by some on this forum as a stick to beat TUTV with.

    As far as I am aware (and feel free to correct me if I am wrong) the dispute over wholesale of SS is still ongoing.

    I wonder what the implications for BT would be if Sky won that ruling? Nobody on this forum has picked up on this issue despite it being a hot topic when it involved TUTV :rolleyes:

    Sky would hold most of the cards sports wise then but again, perhaps the more enlightened on this forum can tell me otherwise.
  • Everything GoesEverything Goes Posts: 12,972
    Forum Member
    ✭✭
    chrisy wrote: »
    I don't see anything wrong in that post? :confused:

    You seem to be disputing the part about ESPN leaving, but a516 didn't say it wouldn't leave, just that there might be issues either preventing this from happening or repercussions from doing so. Well, it hasn't left yet, so the latter is unclear. However, regarding the former, clearly there weren't any issues or if there were BT have complied with any early contract termination (and we will never know which of these it is).
    Originally Posted by a516

    BT can not decide to dishonour the previous carriage agreement and yank ESPN off the DTT platform without consequences, whether this be in the form of financial compensation or legal/regulatory action. It is unwise to assume anything without having seen the legal text of any agreements or knowing when such agreements are due to expire.

    And again. If BT withheld ESPN to Top Up TV, but made the channel available to other platform operators, it would be a competition issue.

    So clearly ESPN being pulled is a competition issue with legal repercussions so therefore it cant possibly happen!

    Must be my imagination that its being pulled :rolleyes:
  • [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 867
    Forum Member
    ✭✭
    I had a response from my friend yesterday.

    He confirmed that TUTV got back to him and confirmed that TV Fav. and Picture Box will continue for the foreseeable future.

    Now whether that is until 31/07/13 or until mid November when the contracts with the current providers run out is yet to be seen.

    I suppose it depends on how many people still subscribe to TV Fav. and Picture Box with sufficent income there isn't any reason to pull the service yet but even with enough subscribers there might not be sufficent money to keep going after the current contracts with providers expire so wind the service down fully.

    As always it will be a wait and see set up if you are so inclinded.
Sign In or Register to comment.