Virgin Media snuggles up with Netflix

Virgin Media has announced that it’s partnering up with Netflix to bring heavyweight shows like Breaking Bad to 40,000 Virgin Media TiVo boxes this week.

This will be the first time that Netflix has landed on a pay-TV platform, and it’s a move that gets Stuff’s seal of approval.

More and more people are turning to streaming services like Netflix and LoveFilm in lieu of traditional cable subscriptions, and a convergence of both services will be a win-win for consumers, especially when quality exclusive content like House of Cards is involved.

Whether or not Sky will follow in Virgin’s footsteps however remains to be seen – but it’s unlikely. Streaming services like Netflix compete with its own Sky Movies and Box Office services (hence the absence of Netflix and LoveFilm on Sky’s Now TV box), though we can’t help but feel that streaming services should be embraced, not shunned.

Virgin will begin rolling out Netflix to all 1.7 million of its customers later this year – but if you’re one of the lucky 40,000 piloting it this week, you’d better not spoil the new Breaking Bad episodes for us.

Esat Dedezade Contributor

About

Esat has been a gadget fan ever since his tiny four-year-old brain was captivated by a sound-activated dancing sunflower. From there it was a natural progression to a Sega Mega Drive, a brief obsession with hedgehogs, and a love for all things tech. After 7 years as a writer and deputy editor for Stuff, Esat ventured out into the corporate world, spending three years as Editor of Microsoft's European News Centre. Now a freelance writer, his appetite for shiny gadgets has no bounds. Oh, and like all good human beings, he's very fond of cats.