General : Virgin TV (2026)

[AdamDigital]

Originally Posted by Media Boy UK

Media Boy UK on X sources say that Sky Atlantic is launching on Virgin TV on 1 April but not on V6 boxes.
http://village.photos/images/user/de...beefe71cd9.jpg

Grrrrr. I'm getting sick of VM penalising V6 customers. Not quite p***ed off enough yet to jump to $ky and certainly not willing to accept the downgrade that is 360. I love TiVo on my V6 boxes.

[TimeLord2018]

Originally Posted by SonicMaster

Prices from 1st April (new customers)

Sky bundle
£44 per month

- 300Mb/s fibre broadband
- Ultimate TV (all Sky entertainment channels)
- Netflix Standard with Ads
- Discovery+ Entertainment
- Disney+ Standard with Ads
- HBO Max Basic with Ads
- Hayu*

Includes Stream puck

---

Virgin Media bundle
£32 per month

- 362Mb/s fibre broadband
- Mega TV (all Sky entertainment channels)
- Netflix Standard with Ads

Includes Stream box

---

Sky is £12 more per month, but for that you also get:

- Discovery+ Entertainment (worth £3.99)
- Disney+ Standard with Ads (worth £5.99)
- HBO Max Basic with Ads (worth £4.99)

* Plus, from July:
- Hayu (worth £5.99)

So which service is the best value very much depends on how many of these apps you really want, as the majority of people won't need all of these.

Does look like Discovery content will available on Discovery+ and HBO Max
https://www.fremantle.co.uk/news/ed-...-series-from-a

Would explain why it's only mentioned in the new Sky press release for Sky Essential TV

[OLD BOY]

Originally Posted by AdamDigital

Grrrrr. I'm getting sick of VM penalising V6 customers. Not quite p***ed off enough yet to jump to $ky and certainly not willing to accept the downgrade that is 360. I love TiVo on my V6 boxes.

It’s not a downgrade, but yes, there can’t be an excuse for keeping any channel off a device they want to phase out on the basis that the older technology can’t cope with it. Blatantly now, they are trying to create a situation whereby people change over their kit voluntarily as they have less to watch on it.

[AdamDigital]

Originally Posted by OLD BOY

It’s not a downgrade, but yes, there can’t be an excuse for keeping any channel off a device they want to phase out on the basis that the older technology can’t cope with it. Blatantly now, they are trying to create a situation whereby people change over their kit voluntarily as they have less to watch on it.

From my point of view as a VM customer of 25 years, 360 is a downgrade. Many of the TiVo/V6 features I value are not available on 360. Just because something is new and shiny it is not automatically better than what came before. AI for example.... . If I hadn't recently entered into a very long contract with VM I'd be eyeing the $ky offerings with interest.

[Mr K]

Originally Posted by AdamDigital

From my point of view as a VM customer of 25 years, 360 is a downgrade. Many of the TiVo/V6 features I value are not available on 360. Just because something is new and shiny it is not automatically better than what came before. AI for example.... . If I hadn't recently entered into a very long contract with VM I'd be eyeing the $ky offerings with interest.

The story about Sky Atlantic sounds very suspect, so I wouldnt worry. Even if it was true its not enough for me to downgrade to 360. Nothing on Atlantic I'm interested in.

Wonder what they'll try next? Murder of your first born if you refuse to 'upgrade'?

[AdamDigital]

Originally Posted by Mr K

Wonder what they'll try next? Murder of your first born if you refuse to 'upgrade'?

Let's speculate on what VM might do to the Unbelievers...

Reduce broadband speeds
Increase On Demand prices
Make BBC ONE show Bargain Hunt continuously (oh, hang on...)

[Taz2k]

Originally Posted by Mr K

The story about Sky Atlantic sounds very suspect, so I wouldnt worry. Even if it was true its not enough for me to downgrade to 360. Nothing on Atlantic I'm interested in.

Wonder what they'll try next? Murder of your first born if you refuse to 'upgrade'?

It would be a strange and unusual move, even for Virgin, to withhold channels from a device fully capable of handling them. Moving from the carrot to the stick as a motive to migrate customers away from their preferred device could backfire. Customers may prefer to move away from Virgin as they prefer not to be coerced into decisions they don't really want to make. I wonder what else April 1st will bring.

[Legendkiller2k]

Originally Posted by Mr K

The story about Sky Atlantic sounds very suspect, so I wouldnt worry. Even if it was true its not enough for me to downgrade to 360. Nothing on Atlantic I'm interested in.

Wonder what they'll try next? Murder of your first born if you refuse to 'upgrade'?

SKY Atlantic isn't coming to VM.

[Taz2k]

Originally Posted by AdamDigital

Let's speculate on what VM might do to the Unbelievers...

Reduce broadband speeds
Increase On Demand prices
Make BBC ONE show Bargain Hunt continuously (oh, hang on...)

TV360 users get Sky Atlantic. On the V6 this channel is replaced by a 24/7 Bargain Hunt FAST channel. Hmmm! that could work.

[AdamDigital]

Originally Posted by Taz2k

TV360 users get Sky Atlantic. On the V6 this channel is replaced by a 24/7 Bargain Hunt FAST channel. Hmmm! that could work.

---------- Post added at 15:52 ---------- Previous post was at 15:51 ----------

Originally Posted by Taz2k

It would be a strange and unusual move, even for Virgin, to withhold channels from a device fully capable of handling them. Moving from the carrot to the stick as a motive to migrate customers away from their preferred device could backfire. Customers may prefer to move away from Virgin as they prefer not to be coerced into decisions they don't really want to make.

Agreed.

[SonicMaster]

Prior to the upcoming changes, the expiry dates for content in Sky Showcase box sets has been updated.

HBO series will expire on 25 March 2026:

- Band of Brothers
- Big Little Lies
- Boardwalk Empire
- Game Of Thrones
- The Pacific
- The Sopranos
- True Blood
- True Detective
- True Detective: Night Country

HBO Max launches on Virgin Media on 26 March 2026.

Sky Original series will expire on 31 March 2026:

- Atomic
- The Day Of The Jackal
- Gangs Of London
- The Gilded Age
- The Iris Affair
- Mary & George
- Sweetpea
- The Sympathizer
- The Tattooist Of Auschwitz

Sky Atlantic appears to be launching on Virgin Media on 1 April 2026.

The Regime (HBO series) currently still says until 6 April 2028 but I expect that to be updated shortly.

[TimeLord2018]

I think Sky Atlantic still has non exclusive rights True Detective Night Country until 13th January 2028.

It's all based on when it originally premiered, the old HBO output deal gives them a 4 year licence for anything before the end of 2025, same with anything on Sky Documentaries & Sky Comedy

The Gilded Age is the one exception to this which will still be available in Full, it's a HBO Original series and is on HBO Max in Germany & Italy aswell.

[SonicMaster]

Originally Posted by TimeLord2018

I think Sky Atlantic still has non exclusive rights True Detective Night Country until 13th January 2028.

It's all based on when it originally premiered, the old HBO output deal gives them a 4 year licence for anything before the end of 2025, same with anything on Sky Documentaries & Sky Comedy

The Gilded Age is the one exception to this which will still be available in Full, it's a HBO Original series and is on HBO Max in Germany & Italy aswell.

The above dates are taken directly from the Virgin TV 360. With the exception of The Regime all Sky Showcase box sets are now set to expire on 25 March or 31 March.

[TimeLord2018]

That looks like a mistake then by Virgin.

The Sympathizer, is also HBO series and that shows as 31st March on Virgin (Sky still has non exclusive rights until 25th May 2028)

[SonicMaster]

Originally Posted by TimeLord2018

It's a mistake then

The Sympathizer, is also HBO series and that shows as 31st March on Virgin (Sky still has non exclusive rights until 25th May 2028)

You are correct that The Sympathizer is an HBO series, along with The Guilded Age. I only included them in the second list as the later date applies to them and I assumed that they were Sky Originals, but as you say they are HBO series.

This post is purely about the expiry dates that the series now have on Virgin Media, ahead of the future changes, and not about when Sky has the rights to these shows.