UPDATED November 15th:
Virgin Media will kick Current TV off its cable TV platform next year, as part of a comprehensive review of its content and services.
The UK pay-TV platform has already served notice to the documentary broadcaster, which launched on Virgin in early 2007, C21 has learned. It is currently part of Virgin’s M+, L and XL channel packages.
The move will mean that from the first quarter of 2012 the channel will no longer be available to Virgin Media subscribers, leaving it only on Sky, where it is part of the satellite TV provider’s style and culture pack.
The decision to drop the channel is part of an ongoing evaluation by Virgin of its channel line-up, following the launch of its Virgin TiVo service at the end of 2010.
The cable TV provider is understood to be focusing on securing multi-screen rights rather than hosting only linear channels, in a bid to get the most value from the content on its platform.
Virgin is aiming to provide customers with content “anywhere and everywhere” and is now evaluating all of its content provider relationships with a view to securing multi-screen rights, a source told C21.
The move is part of a shift in the way Virgin delivers content, with the TiVo service already acting as a programme recorder and an on-demand service, as well as giving access to web content such as YouTube. that Virgin Media will kick Current TV off its cable TV platform next year, as part of a comprehensive review of its content and services.
Story thanks to HD Boy and C21 Media web site.