Goodbye to ART football??

[BGonaSTICK]

In fact, I haven't been looking at the prices in the last couple of weeks or so, and they do seem to have settled back to well under £200.

I've actually seen a special offer for the premium Supersports card for £150.

I might be reluctant to buy one based on how they shafted their 'UK customers' recently though.

You did know that ART1-4 carry English commentary didn't you? I'd hate for you to miss out

[BGonaSTICK]

Some more info on this from the rumour mill...

Apparently, the rights for ART to show Premier League on Hotbird don't run out until 2009, and so are not affected by this deal.

But... (this is going to be one of those 'fortunately/unfortunately' stories) rumour also has it that Al Jazeera will split from ART at the end of this season and hook up with Showtime instead.

So what? Well, the story goes that the combined ART/Al Jazeera cards will revert to just Al Jazeera cards, and not ART cards next September.

Take all this with a large pinch though. Nobody knows for sure what will happen, even if Al Jazeera swing a deal with Showtime. That deal will probably only cover Nilesat 7W.

[Mship]

I hope that's true Stick as my ART and Al Jazeera cards are separate anyway

But I am a bit of a pessimist so I'm fully expecting Premiership football to leave ART by the start of next season :'(

Kev.

[BGonaSTICK]

LOL, you can't be a pessimist in this game!

[linsladeboy]

Hi Stick,
How are Digitalb and other foreign channels that provide Premiership football affected by yesterday's news? Are they too going to lose out to Showtime as well!!!

[BGonaSTICK]

I really can't be sure of anything because I'm just feeding off scraps like you, but my understanding is that the rights are sold off by geographical region. The rights for the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) have been awarded to Showtime. Showtime broadcast on Nilesat 7W, and will have exclusive rights from the beginning of next season.

DigitAlb have the rights to a different region (not sure how that one's defined) and so should not be affected by yesterday's announcement.

The confusion with ART obviously comes about because they also broadcast from Hotbird, which physically covers a different geographical area.

That's the whole problem with TV rights when applied to satellite - international boarders versus satellite footprints. They never seem to align properly :

Even Astra 2D, which is supposed to be UK only and is a really tightly defined beam, still splatters a perfectly receivable signal over a large chunk of mainland Europe.

Proponents of the free trade concept, around which the European community was both created and sold to the public have argued against this regionalised sell-off of rights since way-back.

Of course it suits the owners of those rights to sell them off time after time after time because it's more profitable.

>

[linsladeboy]

Cheers for that Stick !

Right that's it then, I can't take it anymore!!!!
Enough of sitting on the fence for me > I'm going to treat myself for xmas with a satellite system and a 6 month Art sport/Aljazeera card( I think that I might even have a go at installing myself )
Many thanks everyone, especially Stick for your patience and unreserved advice.
I will let you know how I get on :

[BGonaSTICK]

Originally Posted by linsladeboy

Right that's it then, I can't take it anymore!!!!
Enough of sitting on the fence for me >

About time too

We're right behind you m8 :clap:

[london-guy]

Originally Posted by Analoguesat

Well if anyone has an unwanted ART card after the football has finished I'll happily take it off their hands to watch the Arabic channels

ART Arab Channels are rubbish and a waste of money you can get better Arab Programme out of MBC,Rotana,Dubai and Melody Channels hits and movies and they are all on Nilesat some of them are in Arabsat but i think after the new Arabsat Bad 4 you will get ore Arab channels in UK FROM music to movies and Sports as well