Originally Posted by SideshowMark:
“UTV Ireland would never have launched if TV3 didn't actively block UTV NI launching on Sky.”
That's probably true.
UTV are after-all only trying to recover a position that they held during the analogue years. Analogue overspill, coupled with unofficial re-broadcast by repeaters gave UTV a massive footprint in the RoI. Having a de-facto presence in a territory is very different to making a distinct distribution effort including infrastructure or contracts in what was really just overspill.
Going on Sky would have given them a significant part of their RoI audience back, significant that is in terms of advertiser desirable households that is. A UTV-NI, Sky version in the RoI may have been just a replica albeit one with black-outs over contentious rights.
Having to go on Saorview to mark-out their territory was the ultimate thing to do, but was forced as all the incremental steps would appear to have been blocked.
Surely, eventually UTV-I and UTV-NI will look virtually the same except for commitments made in order to assure the RoI broadcast licence? The things that are contentious this year will cease to be in subsequent years, ITV will not be showing Champions League, ITV's non-ITV Studios' commissions will be re-acquired in a UTV friendly manner, so they'll be less ITV material that can't be shown by UTV in the RoI.