Now ITV Threatens to Pull TV Channels from Virgin Media UPDATE

Cable TV and broadband operator Virgin Media UK is facing somewhat of a double kick in the balls this week. After failing to reach a deal to keep the popular UKTV channels (here), it’s now emerged that ITV are allegedly also threatening to pull their channels from the platform (possibly as early as this weekend).

Officially the line from Virgin Media is that they’re having “constructive discussions” with ITV and all of the channels “remain live on Virgin TV and we have no intention of removing them,” although behind the scenes ITV is reported to have sent a letter that threatens their imminent withdrawal (The Guardian). So far ITV has chosen not to make any official comment.

We suspect this would NOT affect the Standard Definition (SD) quality version of the main ITV channel because that is protected as a public service and must be broadcast. However, the same cannot be said for ITV HD, as well as ITV2, 3, 4 and Be (either in SD, HD or On-Demand) because those are classified as commercial and don’t have the same public broadcasting protections.

Admittedly this is not the first time that ITV has threatened to run away from the Virgin TV platform (they did the same last year but paused due to a change of management within VM). Since then the two sides have been busy trying to negotiate a new deal over complex issues related to Video-on-Demand (VoD) rights, guarantees of prominence within Virgin TV’s platform and the usual dilemma of cost etc.

The UKTV event has perhaps encouraged ITV to pile some extra pressure on Virgin Media, although it’s worth remembering that if ITV does pull their channels then they’ll still be available free of charge via Freeview and the broadcaster’s own website.

Meanwhile Ofcom are known to be keeping a close eye on all this, although at the moment all they can really do is lean a bit on both sides of the fence. Nevertheless they have this week separately proposed to “revise the EPG Code to ensure that all designated channels are easily discoverable and appropriately prominent across all on-screen programme guides” (here), which may have an impact on the above dispute.

At the time of writing we don’t expect the ITV channels to vanish this weekend.

UPDATE 28th July 2018

Good news, ITV on Virgin TV is safe. In a short statement, which was echoed by ITV, the cable operator said: “We’ve signed a new deal with ITV today. With an expanded range of fantastic programming and services, our customers can now enjoy more ITV than ever before.” No further details have been given.