</font><blockquote><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><hr /><font size="2" face="Verdana, Arial">Originally posted by Screw You:<br /><strong> Again we have people that know nothing about rights, channels that Optus's Mov one and Extra use come from HBO and Cinemax so in other words UBI has to buy those channels of Optus and is not allowed to directly take them from HBO or Cinemax </strong></font><hr /></blockquote><font size="2" face="Verdana, Arial">HBO movies?<br /><br />Doubt it very much as the Australian supply deal is secured by Movie Network.<br /><br />As for Cinemax ... again doubt it very much as mosy moves on that premium channel is covered by PMP and Movies Network.<br /><br />As for Eurosport, again with Fox Sports having the rights to most International sport and with ESPN coverage also, the team at Europosrt will need to find other content for an local Pacific sports channel.<br /><br />Now as for actually getting Movie Network, UBI like TARBS before it will need to get non exclusive access to the Optus feed of the channel that comes complete with adverts for Foxtel Digital channels and their service.<br /><br />As for trying to get Showtime/Showtime 2/Showtime Greats, UBI can't even talk to the company that puts those channels together which is PMP as PMP and FOXTEL have an exclusive agreement in place untill 2008 for metro and PMP and AUSTAR have an exclusive contract in place for regional areas untill 2007.<br /><br />Movie Network don't have exclusive agreements with either Austar or Foxtel but do have with optus who back in 2002 agreeded to allow Foxtel access to the channels provided they got in return the PMP channels.<br /><br />On the other hand UBI should really do a deal with Anytime Video on Demand and Video on Demand (at the moment you can access those Movies on Demand via TransACT in the ACT) BUT of course the Optus B3 satellite transponder space is limited and UBI will then need to upgrade all active customers with new set top units that are VOD satellite ready (and just look at mess DirecTV have got themselves into with VOD over satellite).<br /><br />of course Austar did trial Near Video on Demand on the Optus B3 satellite many years ago but with limited success, i.e.: not enough bandwidth.