Virgin 1 becomes Channel One

IDS are selling advertising until January - that is the point at which I suspect it'll go. Virgin 1 launched in October 2007, so I suspect they've changed the branding at this point to avoid renewing the licensing for another year.

One of Bravo's bigger programmes, TNA Wrestling has given a statement on the matter:

http://www.tnawrestling.com/news/item/2165-tna-responds-to-sky-tv-acquisition

Bumped in to some discussion of this on the Challenge forums. It seem that the rights LivingTV currently have insist TNA must go out on a Pay TV channel which does not show or endorse another channel showing any other wrestling - meaning it couldn't easily be shoved on one of the Sky branded channels, nor Challenge if that's going FTA. Adds some weight to my idea of a Challenge 2 I reckon.

Sky are going to have an absolute abundance of empty streams/ EPG slots come January though - all the Real Lives, Bravo, Channel One and Travel slots no less. I reckon Sky 1+1, Sky 2+1, Living Loves+1, Challenge 2 and Challenge 2+1 are the replacements.

Th alternative for Sky is to do the opposite of what they have done when they have needed a slot - and just add a few more Box Office channels.

I hope Sky have better plans than to close 5 channels simply to replace them with +1s of existing tat.

Sky have said they're going to consolidate on their existing channels (or at least they did when they shut Real Lives). Perhaps Sky 4 isn't out of the question but beyond that I doubt we'll see much beyond time shifts.

TNA suits the Bravo brand down to the ground, but I really can't see it doing that for Challenge. It looks likely that it could be heading into a setup similar to WWE where other than highlights on Sky 3, most fans are screwed.

Still, it'll settle just how successful TNA really is in the UK, seeing they always boast about superior ratings to WWE. Baring in mind WWE is on Sky Sports, and TNA has been on Freeview, it's quite hard to compare ratings fairly.

Wasn't Sky Travel replaced by Real Lives anyway?

Sky can always make use of transponder space and EPG slots. It'll be interesting to see whether they'll take the channel playout inhouse - Virgin's channels moved to Red Bee a few years ago. Whether Sky would have to pay to get out of their contract early or take on some of the playout staff I'm not sure

The original Sky Travel format was but the brand found a new home as the name for the now axed holiday sales channel(s?) that lurked in the depths of the 600 numbers, originally known as Sky Travel Shop.

Sky Travel (and Sky Travel Extra) was renamed Sky Real Lives (and Sky Real Lives 2), and Sky Travel Shop became simply Sky Travel. Both have now shut down.

Trinity (which owned the Daily Post and Liverpool Echo) and the Mirror Group merged in 1999 to create Trinity Mirror, so L!ve TV and Channel One would have had different owners.

I wouldn't be surprised if Sky moves Sky1 HD and Living HD into Channel One's vacated EPG slots to give them more prominence.