Is On Digital Media's (ODM) TopTV in talks again for a second time with Universal Networks International to acquire the Syfy channel (previous the Sci Fi Channel) for South Africa?
I told you RIGHT HERE in July that Universal Networks International would LOVE to bring Syfy back to South Africa. What I do know and what I can tell you, is that ODM actually did try to secure Syfy and bring the channel back to South Africa before TopTV launched in May as one of the channels on the new pay TV platform's bouquet. Unfortunately negotiations broke down between ODM and Universal Networks International, with Universal Networks International that wanted more money in a potential carriage fee deal than what ODM was willing to pay for a channel that essentially had to start out brand-new again in South Africa. ODM had no definite guarantees of Syfy's future performance and felt the price of the start-out carriage fee contract was too steep. Subsequently talks fizzled out.
Now the local biz is buzzing that ODM and Universal Networks International might be talking again since the potential benefit to both parties - platform distributor and channel provider - are almost too big to ignore. MultiChoice has frowned at adding more Universal Networks International channels to DStv before the channel provider don't first improve Hallmark (which is partly why Hallmark changed to the ''new'' Universal Channel earlier in the year). Universal Networks International would like to grow their channel availability in South Africa, and TopTV would like to add good niche channels. Securing Syfy as a ''new'', remodelled and new-look channel pick-up since South African viewers saw it last on DStv and to debut it looking spiffy, different and better than before, would add further posturing pleasure to TopTV especially since the channel would have been on a competitor.
I asked ODM whether negotiations are underway again for a second time to get Syfy on TopTV. ''TopTV reserves the right to not now comment on that,'' is all that Elouise Kelly, ODM chief marketing officer was willing to say.
