Virgin Media follows in Sky's footsteps with fresh deal to unlock 9,000 hours of TV

UKTV confirmed that it had reached a new multi-year deal with Virgin Media O2 earlier this month. If you have a Virgin Media-branded set-top box at home, the new agreement means you'll be able to continue streaming popular paid-for channels like U&GOLD and U&alibi.

Not only that, but the handshake between the two brands will ensure that UKTV's catalogue of free-to-air channels U&Dave, U&DRAMA, U&W, U&YESTERDAY and U&eden remain available.

As part of the agreement, UKTV's streaming service U will launch on Virgin TV V6 boxes this summer. As it stands, the U app is only available to Virgin Media customers with newer Stream or Virgin TV 360 boxes.

In total, the broadcaster, which has been in operation for over 30 years, boasts over 9,000 hours of telly. That includes dozens of fan-favourite series, such as CSI: Vegas, Only Fools and Hoses, Dad’s Army, The Vicar of Dibley,Murdoch Mysteries, The Red King and World’s Most Dangerous Roads to name just a few.

UKTV is also expanding its selection of original productions, with new arrivals like The Marlow Murder Club, Battle In The Box, Rosie Jones’s Disability Comedy Extravaganza, Katherine Ryan: Parental Guidance, Bangers & Cash and Emma Willis: Delivering Babies.

Cher & Barry “I Got U Babe” | U 

In the coming months, that library of exclusive shows will expand dramatically with the likes of Alma’s Not Normal, Wallace and Gromit, Mr Loverman, My Mum Your Dad, Playing Nice, Generation Z, Swiped: The School that Banned Mobile Phones, The Madame Blanc Mysteries, The Great Explorers with James May, andThe Hardacres.

Absolutely Fabulous: Inside Out is another notable title included in this agreement.

UKTV was launched in the 1990s as a joint venture between BBC Worldwide and Thames Television. It was designed to leverage the BBC archive to bring classic shows to a new audience.

Discussing the new arrival, David Bouchier, Chief TV & Entertainment Officer at Virgin Media O2, commented: "Providing our customers with access to the latest and greatest TV content sits at the heart of Virgin TV. From the launch of new FAST channels to offering access to apps and streaming platforms, we’re committed to curating the very best entertainment lineup for our customers to enjoy. This deal demonstrates the evolution of our fantastic partnership with UKTV and brings brilliant updates for our customers."

Last year, UKTV rebranded every channel in its portfolio as part of a dramatic shake-up to consolidate its diverse lineup under the singular U brand.

First up, the initiative introduced the "U" prefix to all of UKTV's free-to-air channels, so Dave became U&Dave, Drama became U&DRAMA, Yesterday became U&YESTERDAY, and W became U&W. At the same time, UKTV's streaming service, formerly known as UKTV Play, was rebranded to U.

It wasn't until the end of last year that UKTV's extensive rebranding reached the paid channels in the lineup. From November 2024 onwards, Gold and Alibi were rebranded as U&GOLD and U&alibi, respectively.

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During this period, UKTV saw views to its free streaming service U grow by over a third (34%) resulting in the service doubling direct to consumer viewing in just two years. At the same time as the company was rebranding all of its channels, the number of active users watching U increased by 21% and content on the service bolstered from 7,000 hours to over 9,000 hours.

UKTV Managing Director, Sam Tewungwa said: "This deal marks the next chapter in UKTV’s valuable longstanding partnership with Virgin Media O2.

"We are delighted to be expanding our offer for customers, complementing the brilliant channels and programming for which we are renowned with access to our U streaming app and growing suite of FAST channels."

This expansion will bring the U service to approximately 95% of Virgin Media TV homes.