Digital TV News

Watch the World Cup in HD with Virgin Media

Friday 12 March, 2010

By Becca Talbot - becca@consumerchoices.co.uk

Anyone with Virgin Media will be able to watch all the action from the 2010 World Cup in glorious high-definition on ITV HD.

Virgin Media (www.virginmedia.com) customers will be able to enjoy this year’s World Cup in full high-definition (HD) as the ITV1 HD channel joins the digital TV provider’s TV line-up on 2 April 2010.

As well as airing its share of the World Cup matches, ITV1 HD will offer a whole host of HD sports programmes, including the UEFA Champions League, The FA Cup, and England internationals.

Other programmes showing on the channel in high-definition include dramas such as Father & Son, Identity, and The Prisoner, as well as some of the UK’s biggest TV show like Britain’s Got Talent and the X Factor.

Cindy Rose, Virgin Media’s executive director of digital entertainment, said: “This year’s World Cup promises some unforgettable games and Virgin Media TV viewers will be able to enjoy every nail-biting, heart-stopping, breath-taking moment in stunning high-definition.”

All Virgin Media TV customers will be able to watch the entire World Cup tournament in HD, with every match being shown on either the ITV1 HD channel or BBC HD. As of 2 April, both channels will be available to all Virgin Media customers at no extra cost.

Peter Fincham, ITV director of television, added: “The availability of high-definition content is something viewers have come to expect as standard and, as we approach the 2010 World Cup, I’m delighted that we are able to launch our new channel, ITV1 HD, on Virgin Media.”

Virgin Media now has HD channels from the BBC and Channel 4 available to all Virgin TV customers, as well as HD versions of ESPN, FX, MTV Networks, National Geographic and Living available to customers with the Size XL package for no extra charge.

Forthcoming HD channels from Eurosport, Discovery and E4 will be added to the XL package this spring, while Film4 HD (a Virgin Media exclusive) will be made available to all Virgin Media TV paying customers.

How to get high-definition TV