Virgin Media unveils Stream
April 26, 2022
By Nik Roseveare
Virgin Media O2 has unveiled its latest streaming TV proposition branded Stream – which will be available from April 27th.
The small device allows Virgin Media customers to watch a range of streaming services – including Netflix, Sky Sports, Prime Video, Disney+ (available on Virgin TV for the first time), BT Sport, BritBox, Starzplay and more – with users able to subscribe to each individual service on a monthly basis with no further obligation. The device has one-off set-up charge of £35 (€41.60), and users will receive 10 per cent credit back on each of their individual subscriptions on a monthly basis.
Stream also provides access to a host of popular, free streaming services such as BBC iPlayer, YouTube, ITV Hub etc.
Stream has been designed to convert any recent TV with a HDMI port into a voice-activated smart TV, helping customers save on the cost of upgrading their viewing experience. Virgin Media COO, Jeff Dodds, said: “We don’t want to sell you a new TV – we want to take your old TV and turn it into a state-of-the-art smart TV.”
David Bouchier, Chief TV & Entertainment Officer at Virgin Media O2, said: “At a time of endless entertainment choice and a strain on household budgets, we’re putting viewers first. Stream customers will only pay for the entertainment they choose and can pocket monthly savings on the content they add – it is a truly flexible and personal way to enjoy the entertainment that matters most, at great value. Stream is more than just a new TV service, it’s whole new way to enjoy connected entertainment. More than ever, content and connectivity go hand in hand and with Stream we’re delivering the best of both.”
At launch, Stream is available to both new and existing customers who take a Virgin Media broadband only or broadband and home phone package.
Commenting on the news, Ernest Doku, telecoms expert at Uswitch, said: “Hot on the heels of Sky’s bid to revolutionise entertainment with a new TV in Glass, Virgin’s Stream frees consumers from the shackles of lengthy streaming services – all from a tiny device showcasing your favourite live and on-demand content in one place. At a time when the cost-of-living crisis is really starting to squeeze households across the UK, Stream also allows its customers to keep track of and manage all of the entertainment services they use in one place. This will be especially useful to people who struggle to juggle payments for different entertainment services. With no monthly subscription fees, Stream allows you to dip in and out of each service, giving more flexibility to customers that may not want to stay subscribed to each of them throughout the year.
“Stream offers a 10 per cent discount on your monthly bill when subscribing to platforms through the service, so customers can find savings on their bill when bundling everything together, so long as you’re a Virgin Media broadband customer, and willing to pay the initial activation fee.By putting the technology into a dongle similar to an Amazon Fire Stick, it means that for most people with a HDMI port in their TV, it will be straightforward to set up and easy to transfer to another TV in the home,” concluded Doku.