Digital TV News

Che Guevara biopic to premiere on Virgin Media TV

Thursday 4 February, 2010

By Becca Talbot - becca@consumerchoices.co.uk

Virgin Media customers can watch the UK TV premiere of Che in high-definition (HD) through Virgin Media on-demand.

Virgin Media (www.virginmedia.com) is offering subscribers to its PictureBox service the chance to be the first to watch the two-part biopic of Che Guevara’s life in crystal clear high-definition (HD).

Che, directed by Academy Award-winner Steven Soderbergh, will air in HD in two parts, exclusively on Virgin Media, Britain’s largest cable TV service.

PictureBox was launched last June as a collaboration between Universal Pictures and Virgin Media. It offers access to 28 new and library movies at any given time for £5 per month.

Cindy Rose, executive director of digital entertainment at Virgin Media, said: “With over 500 films on our TV on-demand service, Virgin Media gives customers the flexibility to watch the broadest range of films whenever they choose.”

Part one of the two-part biopic of the life of revolutionary leader Che Guevara will become available on Virgin Media’s on-demand platform from tomorrow, and will be available for a month. Part two will be made available a month later, on 5 March.

Starring Benicio Del Toro, the two-part epic follows Guevara’s role in the Cuban revolution during the 1950s, and his later failed attempt to create similar upheaval in Bolivia, leading to his execution in 1967.

Jon Ingram, operations director at Digitalchoices.co.uk, said: “If your household loves films, and you have a subscription to one of Virgin Media’s cable TV packages, adding PictureBox to your service for just £5 a month will give you access to seven new films every Friday.”

“These include recent releases and classics, in high-definition and standard definition, so there really is something for everyone,” he added.