Digital TV News

Virgin Media offers cut-price Sky Sports channels

Friday 11 June, 2010

By Becca Talbot - becca@consumerchoices.co.uk

Virgin Media TV customers will be able to get Sky’s premium sports and movie channels for as little as £13.50 a month from 1 July.

Virgin Media (www.virginmedia.com), Britain’s biggest cable TV provider, will slash its prices for the Sky Sports and Sky Movies channels from 1 July, for both new and existing customers.

Virgin Media customers taking the Size M+, L or XL TV packages will be able to purchase a single Sky Sports channel (either Sky Sports 1 or Sky Sports 2) or a single Sky Movies channel (either Sky Movies 1 or Sky Movies 2) for just £13.50 a month.

Super sports fans will be able to get the Sky Sports 3 and Sky Sports 4 channels for the first time ever in the new Sky Sports channel collection (which also includes Sky Sports 1 and Sky Sports 2) for £20.50 per month, saving £42 per year on Virgin’s previous prices.

In time for the start of the new Premier League, Virgin said the saving is enough for the avid fan “to buy their favourite team’s new season shirt.”

Movie lovers with Virgin Media can also save up to £84 a year when subscribing to the Sky Movie channels. Virgin Media is offering Sky Movies collection for £19.50 a month, and channels include Sky Movies 1 and Sky Movies 2, Sky Movies Premiere, Sky Movies Premiere +1, Sky Movies Showcase and Disney Cinemagic.

Anyone looking for the ultimate TV package can pay £27.50 a month for both the Sky Sports and the Sky Movies collections.

The move comes after regulator Ofcom ruled earlier this year that satellite TV provider Sky must offer its premium sports and film channel to other digital TV providers at a wholesale price set by the regulator.

Jon Ingram, operations director at Digitalchoices.co.uk, said: “This is fantastic news for footy fans with Virgin Media. With the Premier League 2010-11 season due to kick off in August, Size XL subscribers will get all the games, on ESPN and Sky Sports, for just £43.50 a month - £1.50 cheaper than on Sky.”