This topic

Changes to BT TV Channels

DarrenK98 — Wed, 15 Jun 2022 09:53:04 GMT

Just received this email this morning.

"Alibi and NBC News NOW are being added but National Geographic is being removed.

Later this month, you’ll have access to two new channels as part of your NOW Entertainment add-on on BT TV. NBC News NOW, which features US-based news, will be made available to you on 21st June. This’ll be alongside Alibi, featuring mystery crime dramas, on 28th June.

NOW is removing National Geographic and National Geographic HD from its services on 28th June 2022. This means that this channel will no longer be part of your NOW Entertainment add-on on BT TV."

Re: Changes to BT TV Channels

irradiated — Wed, 15 Jun 2022 17:49:51 GMT

bit of a poor deal imho, getting poorer and poorer to the point its not worth having over freeview

Re: Changes to BT TV Channels

derryviewer — Wed, 15 Jun 2022 17:55:32 GMT

Really disappointing, one of the channels worth watching.

Technically not BT fault as it is Now TV losing it but it shows what happens when you outsource your TV to a 3rd party like Now TV.

Re: Changes to BT TV Channels

ozsat — Wed, 15 Jun 2022 17:56:29 GMT

You'll be loosing some Freeview channels too at the end of the month.

@irradiatedwrote:
bit of a poor deal imho, getting poorer and poorer to the point its not worth having over freeview

Re: Changes to BT TV Channels

irradiated — Wed, 15 Jun 2022 18:05:46 GMT

any idea which as looking on google we lost the fantastic kiss chat and date and also the unmissable proud dating, im still struggling to come to terms with that so not sure i could lose any more

Re: Changes to BT TV Channels

-Richie- — Wed, 15 Jun 2022 18:11:48 GMT

@derryviewerwrote:
Technically not BT fault as it is Now TV losing it but it shows what happens when you outsource your TV to a 3rd party like Now TV.

I don't blame NowTV for it, Disney have Nat Geo now, makes sense they want their streaming service subscriber numbers up.

Re: Changes to BT TV Channels

NigelB72 — Wed, 15 Jun 2022 18:36:07 GMT

@-Richie- I have a bad feeling that Sky will lose quite a lot of content over the next couple of years, especially sports rights. Discovery have bought Warner Bros/ HBO and will be combining HBO Max into Discovery+ so I'd imagine they'll lose that when the Sky deal ends unless Discovery pull it early. Sky's F1 deal is up for renewal in a couple of years and the head honcho at Liberty Media who own F1 is very friendly with the equivalent at Discovery...

Re: Changes to BT TV Channels

DarrenK98 — Wed, 15 Jun 2022 19:03:24 GMT

Disappointing that NAT Geo is going but I'm not surprised. Glad to see Alibi being added though. Would suspect that NOW will eventually be Sky channels only.

Re: Changes to BT TV Channels

NigelB72 — Wed, 15 Jun 2022 19:19:43 GMT

Sky Channels full of their pretty poor quality originals

Re: Changes to BT TV Channels

-Richie- — Wed, 15 Jun 2022 19:31:53 GMT

@NigelB72wrote:
@-Richie- I have a bad feeling that Sky will lose quite a lot of content over the next couple of years, especially sports rights. Discovery have bought Warner Bros/ HBO and will be combining HBO Max into Discovery+ so I'd imagine they'll lose that when the Sky deal ends unless Discovery pull it early. Sky's F1 deal is up for renewal in a couple of years and the head honcho at Liberty Media who own F1 is very friendly with the equivalent at Discovery...

100% mate, the next few years will be strange times, Disney, Netflix, Amazon and soon Discovery/Warner will also be competing for content, sports will be between Sky, Discovery/Warner and Amazon.

Just as long as my BT TV box supports them all, I'll be happy, I'll subscibe to which ever has the content I want and affordability.

Re: Changes to BT TV Channels

Anonymous — Wed, 15 Jun 2022 21:15:10 GMT

The only place F1 is going next is direct to consumer worldwide via the F1 TV app.

Linear TV and sports packages where you have to pay for loads of content you don’t want are dead. Sure they will thrash around a bit for a few more years as contracts play out, but the writing is on the wall.

Apps and the internet have democratised the delivery of content, if you are F1 or the Premier League or UEFA, you don’t need a broadcaster any longer, you can take subscription money from customers directly and all of the advertising revenue.

The direction of travel is pretty clear, when you look at the change in viewing habits data and how delivery of content continues to change, this only ends one way.

Re: Changes to BT TV Channels

jam2000 — Thu, 16 Jun 2022 11:22:18 GMT

I've not had any emails yet regarding this. Don't mind about NAT Geo as I've got Disney plus. So nice to get a extra channel. Never heard of NBC news, I'm assuming it's an American news channel?

Re: Changes to BT TV Channels

NigelB72 — Thu, 16 Jun 2022 12:24:23 GMT

NBC and Sky are both owned by Comcast

Re: Changes to BT TV Channels

tweetSP0RT — Fri, 17 Jun 2022 13:42:49 GMT

@Anonymous Except when it comes to F1 they've been more than willing to not just go it alone with F1 TV but instead bundle it with the pay TV provider they go with, including with Sky in Germany Granted that does end in 2024 but their new deal with Canal+ in France goes all the way through to 2029 (again with F1 TV bundled in).

So it comes down to what sort of deal the 'linear broadcasters' offer. I'll be interested to see what happens with the US TV deal that expires this year with lots of interest including from Netflix (although I take that with a giant pinch of salt as they get mentioned in relation to almost every TV deal).

I'm sure we will get F1 TV Pro in the UK at the end of this deal but whether we have to pay for Sky (or another broadcaster) still is very much an open question.

Re: Changes to BT TV Channels

Anonymous — Fri, 17 Jun 2022 18:21:07 GMT

Perhaps I'm being a little optimistic about them shutting traditional broadcasters out on the next round of deals, but I do believe it will happen at some point in the next 10 years.

For reference, the first ever iPad was released 12 years ago. Time flies.

I note the recent MLS deal with Apple is a hybrid of this (obviously MLS doesn't have the draw of F1), but it is an interesting step in the "everything in one app globally" direction.

In that, Apple are paying $250 million a season, but they are actually only providing the app and platform, the MLS are doing all of the broadcasting elements, just like the Bundesliga does.

The point for BT TV of course is not to get too tied up in who has what rights, but be agnostic and just to do as many deals for access to apps on the platform as possible and let the end customer choose what they want. They can clip the ticket as part of centralised billing and earn further income by offering rentals and purchases through BT Store.

It's why Sky is doing deals with all and sundry, they know linear TV and packages are dead, they need to be the delivery platform of choice to stay relevant for the next decade and beyond.

Re: Changes to BT TV Channels

biohazardx9 — Thu, 23 Jun 2022 15:18:40 GMT

Totally agree.

it is the way its going. I don't mind the NBC news channel. Alibi is definitely a good add on. (for those who don't know its very similar to sky crime/sky witness)

Still bugs me that Sky Replay isn't on now TV (sky's problem I know), that channel has content not even on their on demand platforms..

Re: Changes to BT TV Channels

jam2000 — Fri, 24 Jun 2022 04:29:33 GMT

I've still not received any emails or letters regarding this

Re: Changes to BT TV Channels

ozsat — Fri, 24 Jun 2022 04:46:06 GMT

NBC News Now was added to two slots on 21 June. This are in the NOW channels so not sure whether BT or NOW should do promotion - if any.

Re: Changes to BT TV Channels

biohazardx9 — Fri, 24 Jun 2022 06:20:09 GMT

Both need to do promotion. As some are not aware what now TV is. Rather they see it as BT's offering. Regular non bt now customers will need to know of the changes too.

I suspect they are hesitant as they will loose subscribers. However we know its Disney that are doing it. (same will happen with eurosport)

You can also argue that the swap isn't like for like either (doesn't bother me) but will bother others.

Also on Tuesday syfy will rebrand as sky sci-fi.

As others have said hbo content is likely to go from sky which will put sky Atlantic in doubt.

@Anonymous put it brilliantly, linear TV is dying and the future seems to be streaming nested into that providers app.

There's lots wrong with this going forward (one being app availability amongst devices and only the roku seems to have everything)

Re: Changes to BT TV Channels

ney — Sun, 26 Jun 2022 11:42:06 GMT

@biohazardx9 The Amazon Firestick also has a wide range of apps and updates at lest once or twice a month.

I do agree some devices don't offer all the apps and you cant always rely on catch up services as as a small number of programmes are still not on catch up services.