Sky, Virgin Media strike TV Everywhere deal
May 12, 2014
By Colin Mann
In a move that will better position them to combat the competitive threat of BT TV, Sky and Virgin Media have agreed a new five-year-plus agreement for the distribution of Sky’s content to Virgin Media’s TV customers.
Through the agreement, Virgin Media will continue to offer its customers an extensive selection of Sky’s leading entertainment channels, as well as content from Sky Movies and Sky Sports. In addition to its current portfolio of Sky channels, Virgin Media will also offer its TV customers Sky Sports 3 HD, Sky Sports 4 HD, and Sky Sports F1 HD, with Sky Sports News HD and Sky News HD to follow.
Under the terms of the new agreement, Virgin TV customers will be able to access their Sky entertainment channels on multiple devices, including computers, and for the first time, selected tablets and mobiles, via the Virgin TV Anywhere app. From the summer, those TV customers with subscriptions to Sky Movies and Sky Sports will also be able to access live and on demand content on the go through Sky Sports and Sky Movies apps.
The new agreement builds on the strong existing relationship between Sky and Virgin Media, and enables Sky to continue broadening the reach of, and viewing to, Sky channels. The long-term nature of the contract gives each company clear financial visibility and opens up the opportunity for more Virgin TV customers to enjoy Sky’s channels.
Jeremy Darroch, Chief Executive, Sky, said the new deal increased the reach of its content and reinforced its broadly-based approach to growth. “This agreement builds on our long-standing relationship with Virgin Media, enabling us to deliver our great channels to even more homes across the UK and opening up additional sources of revenue.”
Tom Mockridge, Virgin Media’s Chief Executive Officer, said the operator’s customers would be able to watch even more great TV from Sky on more devices as a result of the most extensive agreement ever signed between Virgin Media and Sky. “This promises to be a fantastic summer of entertainment and our customers, whether at home or on the go, will get to enjoy Sky’s range of channels for years to come as a result of our investment.”