DirecTV interest in VOOM?

[jcrandall]

A short article surfaced yesturday indicating a DirecTV interest in Rainbow Media's VOOM segment, if it were available for sale.

Personally, I think this is more of D* thinking about building their original programming offerings than us seeing 15 HD channels. I do not think we'll ever see 15 HD VOOM channels on ANY provider. What we could see is something like the 101, compilation channels.

Here is the article:

Liberty Media open to buying Rainbow Media TV : More Business : The Rocky Mountain News

and a portion:

Douglas County-based Liberty Media said it would consider buying Rainbow Media TV networks should it be put up for sale.

Cablevision Systems Corp., the media company controlled by the Dolan family, said Tuesday it may spin off Rainbow, its cable-television business or its Madison Square Garden sports unit.

"Like most opportunities in our space, if Rainbow is put on the market, we will look," Liberty Media CEO Greg Maffei said in an e-mail.

Liberty Media has said it wants to build programming assets around DirecTV, in which it now has a controlling stake.

 

[gadgtfreek]

Interesting. A lot of E* people would be happy if D* put the Voom channels up.

 

[mlb]

Please don't! If they do, they better not put all 15 channels up (or worse yet, all 21). Keep it to 3 channels and leave it at that.

 

[rad]

IMHO, they're more interested in the mainstream cable channels that Rainbow media owns, like AMC, IFC, WeTV and Sundance. Who knows, they could by Rainbow for those channels and then shut down Voom.

 

[tigerfan33]

I would like to see 6 or 7 channels of Voom. Channel 101 would be fine too with maybe running a Voom loop on certain days.

 

[jcrandall]

I think if they buy them, they'll use the content, since it is already there. Probably just be a couple feature channels, with all sorts of content, similiar to the 101.

Since they would be paying something for it, I doubt they would just retire it.

 

[mlb]

I'd like to have IFC and AMC in HD, that would be cool.

 

[vurbano]

Worldsport, EquatorHD, Rush HD and monsters would great. Add them to that worthless HD pack and maybe it would be worth something.

 

[jcrandall]

I think this has nothing to do with getting AMC, IFC, or Sundance in HD. They could do that with a simple agreement and a little more money per subscriber, just like any other channels.

I think this is solely about the possibility of picking up content at a bargin price - if Cablevision is ready to dump Rainbow, so to speak.

 

[lern4483]

Voom to direc?

Ok, yes im biased.

I came to dish soley for Voom.

There are allot of us who would flock over to direc solely
for the Voom service.

I already have direc with dish. I would ''love'' to say bye to dish
if Direc makes this bold move.

To me, it would be a coup if direc made this move. There are tons of people still seething at dish for dropping 15true HD channels. I am one of them.

So, I hope that direc makes the move!!!

To those who dont really know Vooms content, there is some really great content on those channels. Monster, Rave and equator are standouts to me.
:up

 

[rad]

I think this has nothing to do with getting AMC, IFC, or Sundance in HD. They could do that with a simple agreement and a little more money per subscriber, just like any other channels.

I think this is solely about the possibility of picking up content at a bargin price - if Cablevision is ready to dump Rainbow, so to speak.

Jason, sorry but disagree with your assesment. D*'s said in the past they have no interest in picking up Voom channels. Also Scott has said that DirecTV will be 'picky' with what new HD channels they add since the next boost in channel capacity won't come until sometime on 2009 (D12 which doesn't even have an announced launch company yet let alone a date).

 

[lern4483]

Jason, sorry but disagree with your assesment. D*'s said in the past they have no interest in picking up Voom channels. Also Scott has said that DirecTV will be 'picky' with what new HD channels they add since the next boost in channel capacity won't come until sometime on 2009 (D12 which doesn't even have an announced launch company yet let alone a date).

So, do you think they would pick up some of the Voom channels? Or liquidate the entire suite and use the space for something else?

That would be a crime.

 

[rad]

So, do you think they would pick up some of the Voom channels? Or liquidate the entire suite and use the space for something else?

That would be a crime.

IMHO, if Liberty did buy Rainbow they could look at the books and decide that keeping Voom just isn't worth it and shut it down. Could be that Rainbow management has just been keeping it alive as an ego thing, hard for them to admit that Voom was a money loosing operation when it was their idea. If Liberty did buy them and add one or more channels to D* that would be nice but frankly I don't see that happening based on what's been said in the past.

 

[FitzAusTex]

I doubt that D* would add the 15 channels, but if they did I would switch to D* in a heartbeat, and I have over 2TB of archived content on my external hard drives with E*. Very few people like all 15 channels, but those who like Voom like some. Tigerfan likes 6 or 7. I love Equator, Treasure, Gallery, Filmfest, Voom HD Movies and Rave. We all like different stuff.

I'd like to point out that Voom has produced much new programming, contrary to the 'too repetitive' position that many have. If you recall, before HGTV and Food Network began simulcasting the SD channels, they were very repetitive, too (4 hour loops). Any channel (other than movie channels) would be hard pressed to provide 24x7 HD given the infancy of HD TV programming that we're truly in.

Imagine any of you your favorite channels having to air only non-SD content. They'd be a hella lot more repetitive, too. This is evidenced by the endless threads about the stretching, and "hardly shows any HD content" of many other channels.

 

[parp]

Didn't D* call these "15 HD channels you've never heard of" when they were on E*?

 

[Hall]

Didn't D* call these "15 HD channels you've never heard of" when they were on E*?

Yes, they did, in nationwide TV commercials. And in the p*ssing contests between E* and D* fans, most D* people said the VOOM channels "didn't count".

 

[dmendenjr]

Is d* the only one interested? I could see a cable company swoop in and add VOOM to their VOD service (even though the only one actually talking about acquiring rainbow right now IS Liberty; that would not restrict the possiblilty of other suitors)

 

[DodgerKing]

Yes, they did, in nationwide TV commercials. And in the p*ssing contests between E* and D* fans, most D* people said the VOOM channels "didn't count".

Really? I doubt MOST direct subs said that the VOOM channels didn't count... Most said they don't care about VOOM, as I myself don't, but they didn't say they don't count.

 

[goaliebob99]

This would be a good move it they build the 101 with rainbow media's old voom stuff, or even more if we see a voom on demand channel appear soon! After all Voom is on demand right now.

 

[riffjim4069]

Please don't! If they do, they better not put all 15 channels up (or worse yet, all 21). Keep it to 3 channels and leave it at that.

While they're at it, shouldn't they consolidate the programming on A&E, UHD, Sci-Fi, Speed, Travel Channel, Food Network, Bravo, Fuel, and FX HD channels and make one decent HD channel?

Personally, I like a handful of the VOOM channels, but I am certainly not going to complain if D* were to provide HD channels that appeal to a wider variety of interests.