TNT
TNT the new home of snooker what a joke one game only one would assume the red button would be utilised but no.
Oh discovery+ please don't insult.
Forum Discussion
16 Replies
That is up to the broadcaster and not VM. The broadcaster would prefer yuo to pay them direct rather than via a third party. Doing so would give you access to Discovery+ and also increase the ad revenue received by WBD.
TNT Sports uses the red button as an overflow when several popular programmes, e.g. Champions League matches, are being shown and can't all be accommodated on its four linear broadcast HD channels. In contrast snooker isn't that popular and has to compete with other sports such as cycling, athletics, rugby and cricket, so gets one HD channel. Anyone who wants to watch it all must subscribe to discovery+ (which is WBD's strategy).
The other replies have already pretty well covered it, but..
If there were red-buttong HD-streams available, and TNT are not using them to show additional content, then you absolutely have cause for complaint to WBD. A linear channel will always be preferable for any live event, but Sky & TNT have slightly different strategies here, and a complaint to WBD would be well in order.
I doubt they'll do anything more than give a "thanks for contacting us" response, but that's another debate.
Cause for complaint to WBD or to Virgin Media? No customer here has a relationship with WBD, just Virgin Media. If Virgin Media chooses to take a subset of the content available, then it is their commercial choice, and any complaint is to them.
It is similar to the Sky Atlantic position. Virgin has decided that the price exceeds what they wish to pay. That is their commercial choice, and if someone doesn't like it the complaint is to Virgin not Sky.
It will be interesting to see if Virgin decide to take HBO Max next year when it launches, and if so whether it makes TNT Sports subscribers pay extra for that tier, or whether Virgin continues their existing stance with WBD and doesn't take it.
Cause for complaint to WBD or to Virgin Media? No customer here has a relationship with WBD, just Virgin Media. If Virgin Media chooses to take a subset of the content available, then it is their commercial choice, and any complaint is to them.
That's rather like complaining to the bloke that put the TV aerial on your roof because one of the TV channels is not showing a particular event. VM is just a reseller of TNT's chosen output. No matter what platform you receive your TV on (VM, SKY, BT etc) the supplying broadcaster determines their own channel output. VM only controls the infrastructure it uses to reach your TV.
I'm virtually certain that TNT Sports does not provide red button for additional snooker matches to anyone - including VM, Sky and EE TV. This is part of the strategy to encourage subscriptions to where it's all happening - at discovery+. So, it makes no difference if you complain about it.
You don't get discovery+ through VM: instead you get a fraction of it through the four TNT Sports HD channels with up to six red button channels for all UEFA club competitions plus TNT Sports Ultimate. These linear TV channels are essentially a showcase for discovery+, being WBD's strategy to get people to subscribe to discovery+ where everything's available.
Just out of interest I had a quick look at some of the TNT Sports content that Virgin Media isn't carrying this afternoon by not carrying either all of the channels or the app unlike all other providers of TNT Sports:
TNT Sports 5 – Live UCI Cross Country
TNT Sports 6 – Live BSB [also on TNT Sports 4 which Virgin does carry, but 6 starts 2.5 hours earlier as it clashes with the Athletics on 4]
TNT Sports 7 – Live Showjumping
TNT Sports 8 – Live SailGP
TNT Sports 9 – Live Tour of Luxembourg then Live India v Pakistan ODI
TNT Sports 10 – Live Supertri LeagueI presume the above post, by referencing TNT5-10 red-button streams, is highlighting the additional content that VM are carrying.
I was watching the F1 live earlier, but the above does look a reasonable summary of the red-button streams today.
You are quite right - ignore my incorrect post entirely!
