Its probably been asked already but if sky digital does end in the next couple of days will they still retain the fa cup rights for the semi finals.
And reading from the bbc website it quotes itv digital as having facing a half a billion lawsuit. Now what would be more stupid? paying the remaining 185 million or having to pay half a billion?
Todd on 12:54 am on Mar. 26, 2002
Its probably been asked already but if sky digital does end in the next couple of days will they still retain the fa cup rights for the semi finals.
Umm... nothing bad's happening to Sky digital. Just ITV digital is in danger of ending (we still don't know for sure yet if ITV D is ending, I've heard reports today that they're looking into 'restructuring' the company, but then I've also heard they're ready to pull the plug).
I do presume you mean Sky digital and it's not just a typo because Sky do indeed share FA Cup rights with the BBC.
JA
james
LOL!!! Go monkey you may as well gat hammed aint you!!!
TS
TSW
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Steven O on 4:05 pm on Mar. 24, 2002
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c@t on 3:30 pm on Mar. 24, 2002
The Independent on Sunday - the paper that originally broke the story of this entire fiasco - is reporting today that Sky are drawing up plans, possibly with the BBC, to bid for the UEFA games.
Think about it, who in their right mind is going to award ITV with any football rights now?
You're not going to get the FA or UEFA jumping at the chance to sign a contract with a group refusing to stick to its agreement, are you?
Essentially, this will mean that Sky and the BBC - they'll probably work together - will have all of the footie rights. Could mean that BBC Sport Channel going ahead after all and I the next time the networks bid, it'll mean the vast majority of stuff going to Sky and the Beeb.
It's not just ITVD at risk here. The entire ITV brand has been tarnished as a result of what Granada/Carlton have done. The FA aren't going to risk a repeat of this incident and so I'd be amazed if they even considered a bid to televise live football from ITV, be it Digital or otherwise.
What's happened here is so often the case when you over-expand. It's not just happened in the world of broadcasting either; bus companies (National Welsh, Boroline Maidstone), electrical chains (Rumblelows, Clydesdale) and even furniture stores (Landmark) have all collapsed in the last ten years due to over-expansion. In all cases there have been other companies waiting in the wings to pick up the pieces. No doubt there will be companies benefitting from the demise of ITV Digital as well.
Granada and Carlton's intentions may have been good ones; to set up an alternative service to Sky, to give them a bit of competition, and provide a chance to see football matches from the lower leagues. But where it's all fallen flat has been the obscene amount of money paid for those rights; the smaller clubs have every right to demand compensation from ITVD if they can't meet their committment, and if they can't then the buck stops with Granada and Carlton.
This episode will have far-reaching implications, whatever the outcome. If Granada and Carlton can't learn from this episode, then I shudder to think what will happen should they merge!
Well said!!!!
Like I did say earlier, it is a case of getting too big, too quickly.
ITV is a channel and production contractor, nothing more, and any attempt at expansion into other markets was a shot in the dark!
Like the above gentleman said, companies can collapse by getting too big, and personally I feel that Carlton and Granada have got to pay up for this error. If Carlton can afford to pay Ł700 million of the Central licence, they can pay the Football League what their company owes. The ITC has already lossened the strings on the annual payments reducing them by a significant amount to appease the ITV contractors who overbid (guess who!!!).
I expect this matter will end up in a court, and my personnal view is that ITV will have to pay up, regardless of whether ITV Digital is a separate entity. Football clubs are making too much money for the Football League to let this issue lie down
BE
benjiman
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Nick Harvey on 12:30 am on Mar. 26, 2002
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benjiman on 10:39 pm on Mar. 25, 2002
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Nick Harvey on 7:20 pm on Mar. 25, 2002
It now looks possible that the BBC will step in with some sort of package to save DTT.
Oh, sorry Benjiman, wasn't expecting somebody to start another thread about what we're discuusing here.
Nice of you to add a credit for Waveguide now though. Thanks.
It's not really the same as what we're discussing here, this thread's about ITV Digital, the other thread is about BBC Digital. And the waveguide credit was there from the beginning.
The very interesting phrase in that article is 'If the deal is not accepted, the company will be put into the hands of administrators this weekend'.
Firstly, I suppose there's a very slim chance the Football League will accept the offer, even if that seems VERY unlikely.
But, secondly, is the question of what the administrators will do.
Normally, administrators would try to salvage as much of the company as possible, so I DOUBT if they'd be pulling any plugs for a couple of weeks after they get handed the job this weekend.
Somewhere in the middle of April would seem to be 'prime plug pulling' time, after they've exhausted any other possibilities.
As someone said many pages back in this thread, the next few weeks look to be VERY interesting.
(Edited by Nick Harvey at 2:40 pm on Mar. 26, 2002)
BE
benjiman
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chris123 on 1:03 pm on Mar. 26, 2002
ITV Digital to close at the weekend