Advanced Television

Liberty Global secures Prime Video deal

April 23, 2019

By Colin Mann

International TV and broadband provider Liberty Global has agreed a multi-year deal with Amazon to make what it describes as the best content and viewing experience available to 4 million Virgin Media TV customers in the UK.

Virgin Media will be the first of Liberty Global’s European operations to integrate the Amazon Prime Video app within its Ultra HD V6 set-top box.

UK multiplay telco BT became the first major UK pay-TV provider to offer Amazon Prime Video access via a set-top box in June 2018, having revealed the move in May 2018.

The launch adds award-winning and critically-acclaimed Amazon Originals The Marvelous Mrs Maisel, Tom Clancy’s Jack Ryan, The Grand Tour and the highly-anticipated Good Omens (pictured), starring Michael Sheen and David Tennant, as well as Premier League coverage offered by Prime Video to Virgin Media’s extensive offering of broadcast and on demand programming across its multi-device TV service. Virgin Media customers will also have access to a range of Ultra High Definition (UHD) and HDR TV shows and movies.

According to Liberty Global, the deal further enhances its strategy of combining the very best over-the-top online video apps and offerings from major streaming players, with its own world-class content and TV functionality, in a seamlessly-integrated experience. Customers can search, access and enjoy the top movies, series and sports they love with the convenience and flexibility of a single platform – powered by ultrafast broadband networks that enable high-quality, buffer-free viewing.

“We’re excited to partner with Amazon to deliver its highly-popular content, including Amazon Originals and Exclusives, directly to our consumers,” declared Enrique Rodriguez, Liberty Global’s EVP and Chief Technology Officer. “We know our customers want to see their favourite shows and programming on their big screen at home, and our partnership with streaming services like Amazon continues to make that happen.”

“We have made it even easier for our customers to enjoy Prime Video including Amazon Originals like The Grand Tour, The Marvelous Mrs Maisel and the highly-anticipated Good Omens starring Michael Sheen and David Tennant,” commented Jay Marine, Vice President, Amazon Prime Video Europe. “We are excited that these shows and many others, award-winning movies and our forthcoming exclusive Premier League matches will all be available on Virgin Media’s V6 box for millions of Prime members across the country.”

“This partnership with Amazon reinforces our track record of teaming with the best to give our customers unbeatable content,” added Lutz Schüler, Chief Operating Officer, Virgin Media. “Virgin Media customers will soon be able to seamlessly search for and watch incredible Amazon Prime programming directly from their V6 box in the highest possible quality. With thousands of box sets, movies, exclusive and original content, as well as 20 live Premier League games airing later this year, Virgin Media customers will have even more of the TV they love in one place all powered by our ultrafast connectivity.”

Virgin Media customers will be able to access the Prime Video application through Virgin TV from this Summer.

“This long awaited move will allow Liberty Global to firmly realise its vision of offering a broad range of TV and SVoD services,” commented Paolo Pescatore, TMT Analyst at PP Foresight. “Strategically, the UK represents a battleground for content aggregation, but the Prime Video rollout on Virgin Media will lag some of its rivals (BT and TalkTalk). This will put pressure on Sky to forge a tie-up. For Amazon, this builds upon other deals and clearly shows its desire to work more closely with telcos to reach new audiences.”

 

 

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