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TV1, SF channels hope to stay alive.

TV1 and SF are exploring options to keep the brands alive, including IPTV, Crackle and Apple TV.

2013-08-19_005835 fulltime staff will be directly impacted by TV1 partnership’s loss of a carriage deal with Foxtel, but other contractors, suppliers and services will also be affected by the move.

TV1 / SF (formerly SciFi) will close on the Foxtel platform on December 31st, after CBS Studios International, NBC Universal and Sony Pictures Television International were unable to negotiate a satisfactory carriage deal with Foxtel.

TV1 pre dates Foxtel, having launched in early 1995 while Sci Fi launced in 2006 before rebranding to SF.

But TV1 CEO Peter Hudson told TV Tonight, he was exploring options to keep the brands alive, including IPTV, Crackle and Apple TV.

“It is important to focus on the impact to the loyal and hugely talented staff working on both channels. The team has faced many competitive challenges and with the support of our studio partners we have endured and delivered two great channels – favourites with subscribers,” he said.

Foxtel has indicated it was in discussion with suppliers  to maintain both a replacement general entertainment channel and a dedicated science fiction channel.

Meanwhile current SF original movie Arrowhead will still go ahead.

“At SF we are very excited about the Arrowhead project and we will find a home for it so it can premiere in Australia as planned, unfortunately not on SF,” said Hudson.

“The announcement on Friday is a challenge we can’t yet overcome. I am extremely proud of our achievements and they will be celebrated – we still have some serious work to do and we will ensure the quality and the entertainment value of the channels is maintained for our loyal viewers till the last second.”

12 Responses

  1. anthonyqld August 19, 2013 at 5:35 pm

    So this means, seinfeld, the various law and order/csi etc that are on tv1, as well as trek, battlestar galactica may not be on the new foxtel general entertainment/sf channels? And that they may live on a revamped tv1 and sf channels, that appears on other form of pay-tv other than foxtel?

  2. vjunkie01 – Foxtel can deal with the studios all they want. TV1 are owned by 3 major studios, so tells you they’ll win the rights over Foxtel. So shows airing on TV1 and SF won’t be available on Foxtel

  3. The problem with fetchtv is that it only works on certain ISP’s (iinet, internode, …) which is of no help to those of us on Bigpond. Similarly with Apple TV – what about those of us who run Android? I hope that TV1/SF use an ISP-neutral and technology-neutral service instead so that everyone can subscribe without needing to have a specific wire into their home or a specific brand of TV set. If you do that TV1/SF, you’ll have me as a subscriber again (I dropped Foxtel due to the expense).

  4. If foxtel are going to deal exclusively with the studios that previously delt with tv1 and sf, and buy most of the shows for there new channel/channels, then I can’t see where tv1 and sf aus are going to get programming from?

  5. I would say they should go to fetchtv. It is leading pay tv platform after Foxtel I assume. The problem will be content. Once Foxtel set up the TV1/SF replacement channels, they will by up the exclusive Pay TV rights, and TV1/SF will have no content to show.

  6. On the one hand I really hope they survive and continue to offer dozens of Australians jobs and really make Foxtel regret it, but on the other I really hate the prospect of missing out on all those programs on Foxtel. Granted it would have been Foxtel’s fault, but how is it fair for us subscribers who only subscribe to Foxtel and ultimately miss out? I think it’s time for Foxtel to realise that they have more than enough money to go around and spending it on the #1 non-sports channel is a good investment.

  7. It’s a shame Foxtel is shutting out independently owned channels to get around its undertakings with the ACCC about exclusivity after the Austar merger

  8. Go IPTV….
    about time foxtel stop protecting their antiquated 80’s style pay tv setup, and embrace the “now” technology.

    Yes foxtel has been forced to offer a “service” over interweb, but it is hardly great… and I’m sure its in standard def, and a bad bitrate….

    if the government made foxtel open up fox sports 1,2, and 3 to competition, foxtel would be history.

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