Digital TV News: Virgin Media

Digital video booms in UK during lockdown
Jul 22, 2020 – Data released by BASE has shown that UK consumer spend on digital film to buy and keep grew by more than 87% during the lockdown period to a year-to-date value of £113 million to the end of June.
News categories: British Association for Screen Entertainment, Liz Bales, COVID-19, Digital TV, Market Research, UK

Liberty Global and Telefónica to merge UK operations
May 7, 2020 – Liberty Global (NASDAQ: LBTYA, LBTYB, LBTYK) and Telefónica (Madrid: TEF) have agreed to merge their operating businesses in the UK to form a 50:50 joint venture. The combination will create an integrated communications provider with over 46 million subscribers.
News categories: Liberty Global, Telefónica, Mike Fries, Jose Maria Alvarez-Pallete, Cable TV, MandA, Mobile, UK

Liberty extends Netflix partnership in Europe
Feb 10, 2020 – Liberty Global has announced a deal with Netflix that will allow it to continue to offer access to the service in Europe. Liberty Global plans to leverage its broadband networks to provide the streaming content alongside broadcast and on-demand programming.
News categories: Liberty Global, Netflix, Enrique Rodriguez, Apps, Digital TV, Europe, Set Top Box, Streaming

Viacom and Virgin Media extend content partnership in multi-year agreement
Oct 7, 2019 – Viacom International Media Networks (VIMN) and Virgin Media have agreed a distribution deal in the UK and Ireland spanning TV channels, on-demand rights and new streaming applications. Virgin Media will add My5, Pluto TV and MTV Play to the app section of its UI for the first time.
News categories: Virgin Media, Viacom, David Bouchier, Arran Tindall, Apps, Cable TV, Digital TV, Ireland, Set Top Box, UK

Channel 4 to use Sky's AdSmart technology
Sep 17, 2019 – Sky and Channel 4 have announced a partnership spanning content, technology and innovation. Channel 4 will use Sky’s AdSmart technology to deliver addressable ads across its portfolio of linear channels to both Sky and Virgin Media households.
News categories: Channel 4, Sky, Alex Mahon, Stephen van Rooyen, Advertising, Cable TV, Digital TV, Satellite, UK

Synamedia appoints VP for Advanced Advertising and Data
Aug 27, 2019 – Synamedia has appointed Scott Kewley as VP Advanced Advertising and Data Products. Scott will lead Synamedia’s addressable advertising and data monetization business, building on the firm's collaboration with Sky on its AdSmart platform.
News categories: Synamedia, Scott Kewley, Jean-Marc Racine, Advertising, Big Data, Digital TV, Worldwide

Sky Media reveals power of addressable TV
Aug 15, 2019 – Sky Media has announced that it has partnered with BVA BDRC, Differentology and Affectiva to measure the impact of addressable TV campaigns using its AdSmart product. The extensive study included facial coding and emotional analytics.
News categories: Sky Media, Jamie West, Advertising, Big Data, Digital TV, Market Research, UK

Half of UK homes now subscribe to TV streaming services
Aug 7, 2019 – Around half of all UK homes now subscribe to TV streaming services according to Ofcom’s Media Nations report. The number of UK households signed up to the most popular streaming platforms increased from 11.2m (39%) in 2018 to 13.3m (47%) in 2019.
News categories: Ofcom, Yih-Choung Teh, Digital TV, Market Research, Streaming, UK

Virgin Media's live UHD coverage of Roland-Garros first in UK with HDR
May 25, 2019 – Virgin Media will become the first UK TV platform to broadcast an event in 4K UHD with HDR when Eurosport’s coverage of Roland-Garros starts on May 26. Virgin Media will use Hybrid Log Gamma (HLG) technology in the transmissions to its V6 set top box.
News categories: Virgin Media, Eurosport, David Bouchier, Content Distribution, Digital TV, Set Top Box, UK