[TV] Subscription channels, anyone do the lot?

[FindonFan]

Huh! - stay with Virgin long enough and you'll get broadband, TV, Sky Sports and BT Sports for £69 a month - but without Sky Sports and BT Sports!

As an 11 year loyal subscriber to Virgin Media I have the bundle that you describe above (including Sky, BT Sport and landline) on an 18 month contract that expires in October. Virgin have advised me that this bundle will increase to £183 per month from October on. Yet a new customer can purchase the same bundle for £89 on an 18 month contract.
Time to get back to basics with Freeview topped up with perhaps Netflix, or Now, or something similar. Absolutely none of the media giants reward loyalty.

 

[dwayne]

As an 11 year loyal subscriber to Virgin Media I have the bundle that you describe above (including Sky, BT Sport and landline) on an 18 month contract that expires in October. Virgin have advised me that this bundle will increase to £183 per month from October on. Yet a new customer can purchase the same bundle for £89 on an 18 month contract.
Time to get back to basics with Freeview topped up with perhaps Netflix, or Now, or something similar. Absolutely none of the media giants reward loyalty.

Wow that's crazy.

Sent from my SM-G986B using Tapatalk

 

[Weststander]

Currently, just Virgin TV (basic channels), Amazon Prime & Netflix.

After cancelling (via Virgin) Sky Sports, BT Sports and Sky Movies.

My daughter watched every Disney movie on Disney+ during a free offer I think through O2, but we never committed or paid them a dime.

 

[Deleted member 37369]

As an 11 year loyal subscriber to Virgin Media I have the bundle that you describe above (including Sky, BT Sport and landline) on an 18 month contract that expires in October. Virgin have advised me that this bundle will increase to £183 per month from October on. Yet a new customer can purchase the same bundle for £89 on an 18 month contract.
Time to get back to basics with Freeview topped up with perhaps Netflix, or Now, or something similar. Absolutely none of the media giants reward loyalty.

£183 ... are you sure?

My current deal is £92 on an 18 month contract - which ends in December. If I don't haggle with them then it's going up to £130!

 

[One Teddy Maybank]

Netflix, Amazon Prime, Paramount+ and Disney+ here.

P+ will probably only be until Strange New Worlds finishes.

What’s paramount like?

 

[LamieRobertson]

No.

 

[AmexRuislip]

We have BT tv, that includes the usual garb of Netflix, NowTV and Freeview stuff, plus a Disney+, free from a family member.
This is enough for us.
I really do think that if you have the whole package, you're even a monk, hate the sun and just don't get out.

 

[Weststander]

£183 ... are you sure?

My current deal is £92 on an 18 month contract - which ends in December. If I don't haggle with them then it's going up to £130!

View attachment 149090

I called in March expecting to haggle, but Virgin simply carried out the process in drastically cutting my TV package. No “transferring you to retentions” or “I’ll just check with a manager”.

Have you also got broadband and landline with them, making you a more profitable punter?

 

[LamieRobertson]

We have BT tv, that includes the usual garb of Netflix, NowTV and Freeview stuff, plus a Disney+, free from a family member.
This is enough for us.
I really do think that if you have the whole package, you're even a monk, hate the sun and just don't get out.

Is Disney for you or wife

 

[Deleted member 37369]

I called in March expecting to haggle, but Virgin simply carried out the process in drastically cutting my TV package. No “transferring you to retentions” or “I’ll just check with a manager”.

Have you also got broadband and landline with them, making you a more profitable punter?

Yep, I have broadband and very basic landline. I 'negotiate' a month before the end of every contract. I started with Nynex when cable was first laid in Shoreham back in the early 1990's ... then onto Cable & Wireless, NTL and then VM ... so almost 30 years as a customer. I've looked many times to see if I could get a better deal - on a like for like basis - with Sky and BT ... but it's always paid to stay with VM.

 

[Deleted member 37369]

I called in March expecting to haggle, but Virgin simply carried out the process in drastically cutting my TV package. No “transferring you to retentions” or “I’ll just check with a manager”.

Have you also got broadband and landline with them, making you a more profitable punter?

I should have added ... it's not uncommon to get nowhere with one person at VM ... just put the phone down and call later or next day etc and you can get a very different result.

 

[AmexRuislip]

Is Disney for you or wife

Me, for the Star Wars.

 

[Cheeky Monkey]

Me, for the Star Wars.

Forget that juvenile shit, there are tons of great sports documentaries on there. I think some people think Disney is all cartoon princesses surrounded by little tweeting cartoon birds.

 

[AmexRuislip]

Forget that juvenile shit, there are tons of great sports documentaries on there. I think some people think Disney is all cartoon princesses surrounded by little tweeting cartoon birds.

Oh yes of little faith @Reeky Monkey.
You don't know what you're missing in regards to Star Wars.
As to the tweeting princesses side of Disney, I only found out that Thumper was adopted by his Uncle Humper, a randy hare from Whitehawk.
I also know that everytime Pinocchio lied, it wasn't his wooden nose that grew, it was.......
I do watch sports doc's, but also other stuff

 

[Weststander]

Yep, I have broadband and very basic landline. I 'negotiate' a month before the end of every contract. I started with Nynex when cable was first laid in Shoreham back in the early 1990's ... then onto Cable & Wireless, NTL and then VM ... so almost 30 years as a customer. I've looked many times to see if I could get a better deal - on a like for like basis - with Sky and BT ... but it's always paid to stay with VM.

I rate Virgin Media, with them since 1995. I remember the initial cabling going in. But I reduced the TV package with the ridiculous price hike in March. They (or Sky) didn’t give a xxxx about the crushing cost of living crisis.

R4 I think said that all the TV providers may lose 20% of customers, but it’s factored in.

I still love the TiVo box though, great use made of it on a weekly basis.

 

[Iggle Piggle]

What’s paramount like?

I got Paramount free yesterday with Sky Cinema. No idea why I pay for Sky cinema as I never watch anything on it but anyway.

Paramount looks a bit sparse to me. It has Discovery and Strange new Worlds for the trekkies but after that? Escape from L.A was about the best film on it. Not enough content and too much cash.

 

[Bold Seagull]

I rate Virgin Media, with them since 1995. I remember the initial cabling going in. But I reduced the TV package with the ridiculous price hike in March. They (or Sky) didn’t give a xxxx about the crushing cost of living crisis.

R4 I think said that all the TV providers may lose 20% of customers, but it’s factored in.

I still love the TiVo box though, great use made of it on a weekly basis.

We've had this discussion on another thread and I loved the TiVO box, got to say, but others have caught up; the Manhattan T3-R for example does pretty much everything TiVO does including wish lists, pausing live TV, suggestions of favourites etc. The box is £170.

For me unshackling myself from the Sky / Virgin TV bundles and boxes was the best thing I've done to reduce household bills. I just have broadband from VM now, and bundled with my phone sim, I get both for £30, so the broadband is about £20 pcm. On an 18 mnth contact that Manhattan box would add £9 then it would be paid for and mine regardless of what BB I went on to. I've set the BB up as a modem into my own mesh router and network, so changing provider doesn't change anything on my network - same wifi, passwords etc. Just bin them off if a better deal comes round without any hassle.

As for the original question, we now rotate services. Tesco clubcard do occasional offers for Disney+ so we pick up one of those, last one was 6 months. We'll drop say Netflix for a similar period, then when one runs out, start up another. Works well as you can tired of the same content popping up, whereas absence makes it exciting and new when you get it back.

 

[Cheeky Monkey]

Oh yes of little faith @Reeky Monkey.
You don't know what you're missing in regards to Star Wars.
As to the tweeting princesses side of Disney, I only found out that Thumper was adopted by his Uncle Humper, a randy hare from Whitehawk.
I also know that everytime Pinocchio lied, it wasn't his wooden nose that grew, it was.......
I do watch sports doc's, but also other stuff

I’m certainly not missing McGregor’s ludicrous posh English accent AR! It makes Connery’s Spanish one in Highlander almost seem credible. The trailer for Andor does look pretty tasty, it has to be said.

 

[luge]

It seems more and more subscription channels are on the rise.

Disney+, HBO+, Paramount+, Amazon Prime, Britbox, ITV+, Sky Sports, BT Sport, Sony TV, Apple+, ESPN, Bein.....etc etc.

Anyone minted enough to go for the full house?

It's added up for me and Im about to have a cull

Disney + (keep), Amazon (keep), Sky Sports, BT Sport (Both Keep), Spotify (absolutely keep), Apple (dunno how i got it but will go), Netflix (will go), Athletic (forget to cancel, will go)

 

[Weststander]

We've had this discussion on another thread and I loved the TiVO box, got to say, but others have caught up; the Manhattan T3-R for example does pretty much everything TiVO does including wish lists, pausing live TV, suggestions of favourites etc. The box is £170.

For me unshackling myself from the Sky / Virgin TV bundles and boxes was the best thing I've done to reduce household bills. I just have broadband from VM now, and bundled with my phone sim, I get both for £30, so the broadband is about £20 pcm. On an 18 mnth contact that Manhattan box would add £9 then it would be paid for and mine regardless of what BB I went on to. I've set the BB up as a modem into my own mesh router and network, so changing provider doesn't change anything on my network - same wifi, passwords etc. Just bin them off if a better deal comes round without any hassle.

As for the original question, we now rotate services. Tesco clubcard do occasional offers for Disney+ so we pick up one of those, last one was 6 months. We'll drop say Netflix for a similar period, then when one runs out, start up another. Works well as you can tired of the same content popping up, whereas absence makes it exciting and new when you get it back.

Ditto, regarding the cost savings.

Did you use to watch much live EPL, EFL and CL football? I could’ve watched the lot, but didn’t. Preferring time in the garden, family stuff, keeping fit, other TV eg boxsets and docs.

Always amazed by a large grouping on nsc who literally watch every live football game on Sky/BT. I remember doing that pre-family eg a Monday night EPL game of Coventry v Stains. Afterwards realising I’d lost 2 hours of my life