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TV1 / SF to close on Foxtel

Pay TV channels TV1 and SF will close at the end of December.

FINAL_TV12012_STRAPSubscription TV channels TV1 and SF will close at the end of December. MediaWeek reported channel CEO Peter Hudson informed staff yesterday about a loss of a carriage deal with Foxtel.

A spokesperson confirmed the report to TV Tonight yesterday.

The owners of the channel, and sister channel SF, are CBS Studios International, NBC Universal and Sony Pictures Television International. They were unable to negotiate a satisfactory carriage deal with Foxtel to replace their current agreement which expires in December 2013 and both TV1 and SF could face closure.

A spokesperson for Foxtel told Mediaweek, “Channel agreements regularly come up for renegotiation and our current agreements with TV1 and SF are due to expire at the end of this year. We are currently in discussion with several of our content suppliers to determine new arrangements and will continue to maintain both a replacement general entertainment channel and a dedicated science fiction channel on the Foxtel platform.

“We are confident that, as a result of those discussions, our most popular content will continue to be available to our subscribers. More details will be provided once new agreements have been finalised.”

2013-08-18_0021TV1 started on the Galaxy platform in 1995 and has been one of Foxtel’s more popular channels with a mix of retro and crime content, including the Australian productions Killing Time, The King and Stupid Stupid Man. SF launched as SciFi in 2006 and rebranded as SF last year. It is currently producing the local sci-fi film Arrowhead.

The news follows Movie Networks closing at the end of last year after Foxtel negotiated direct deals with Hollywood Studios, and STUDIO replacing arts channel Ovation in 2010.

35 Responses

  1. I’m guessing the NCIS, Law & Order etc can be bumped to another channel (or given some of the FTAs run similar shows already maybe they will pick them up?) but maybe some of the lighter shows could boost content for 111 Hits or maybe a re-vamped Fox Classics?

    I think the huge message here for Foxtel is that a Major Overhaul of all channels, content and packages must happen pretty quickly (i.e before 2014) or risk alienating the full subscribers they have.

    Lately it’s a bit like a fast food outlet where the focus and priority is on the Drive-Thru customers while the people who have made the effort to enter the store are a distant second priority for service.

  2. I have a feeling Foxtel will use this to simply get as much out of the NBCU deal that they’re trying to sign up for.

    NBCU owns the Syfy brand in the US and other areas, so perhaps Foxtel will licence the name here and continue on, as the main article suggests they’ll keep a replacement sci-fi channel.

    Maybe the other entertainment option would be Universal HD and add all the NBCU material to Universal. Put the CBS produced/distributed shows onto FOX8 perhaps?

  3. sorry for the ignorance, but dowa Foxtel own all channels on its service or how does it work? Do channels pay Foxtel to be a part of the channel lineup?

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