BSkyB set to close Bravo and Channel One
BSkyB has decided to close Bravo and its general entertainment station Channel One, focusing instead on the expansion of its Living TV channel portfolio.
Channel One was rebranded from its previous name Virgin 1 when Sky bought Virgin Media Television for £160m earlier this year.
It was decided that Channel One was too similar to Sky3, which it sits alongside as a free-to-air channel on Freeview. BSkyB is also understood to have jettisoned Bravo, which launched as a cable channel in 1985, because it reaches a similar demographic to Sky1.
Instead, the satellite broadcaster will boost Living TV's programming budget by 25%. Living TV (formerly Virgin Media Television) is home to shows such as Grey's Anatomy, Britain's Next Top Model and Sons of Anarchy.
Follow whathifi.com on Twitter
Comments
I guess Sky may be able to switch some of the programmes to its other channels.
Any news on a closure date? Any idea what will happen to the shows on Channel One & Bravo? As Sky bought the channels I expect that they will retain the broadcast rights, but that's an awful lot of content to squeeze into remaining programing slots.
There are some high profile shows on both channels. Channel One has Chuck & Bravo has Spartacus & is also trailing that they've aquired the Hawaii 5-0 remake & it is due to start soon.
No Bravo!
No Spartacus 'Blood and sand'(Worth subscription alone)
No Gameface ( only ok game programme)
Sorry Living and Sky3 (er Red Coats!) is not like MAN CAVE TV.
But heh we have a HD cooking channel aimed at the older generation who do not have Freeview yet.
NOT BITTER. NOT BITTER........
So Sky what is you're equivalent man channel going to be? You know men, majority who order Sky....
Makes you wonder why they bothered rebranding 'Virgin 1' in the first place...
All I need now is for syfy to go to Freeview and it'll be Sky that's jettisoned from my house.
absolute disaster.... the only 2 good freeview channels ( bravo + virgin1 /aka channel one ) being closed.... just so sky can have a a bigger monopoly and get more people to join up
should not be allowed