Virgin Launches Online Sports Portal
Virgin Media is to launch a new online sports portal next week, allowing visitors a chance to watch highlights from all Barclays Premier League, Coca-Cola Championship, League 1 and League 2 matches for free.
The clips will be available on-demand for one week after transmission, with the site available to everyone with access to the internet, not just Virgin Media customers.
The company says the site will host “action-packed highlights” combined with an eclectic blend of views, comment, opinionated editorial and user-generated content”.
In addition, a series of ‘ready-for-broadband’ programmes, produced by Premium TV, will follow the ups and downs of the Premier League season, while a new mobile TV studio – the Virgin Media Fan Van – will be on the road at fixtures throughout the season.
Ex-Southend footballer and comedian, Terry Alderton, will be presenting video commentary, news and views on the portal, and a series of high-profile columnists will write for the site, including Kelly Dalglish, Eddie Irvine, Andrew Castle, Mike Catt and Alistair Cook, covering sports from rugby to golf and motor sports.
Malcolm Wall, CEO of content for Virgin Media, said: “With our free online highlights covering every Premier League and Football League club in the UK, football fans will be able to keep up to date no matter which club they support.
“Sport is all about the fans and the internet is the perfect medium for bringing the beautiful game to life. But no matter what the sport, fans will find our new portal the best place to get their daily dose of what’s going on and off the pitch.”
Virgin further cemented its relationship with Setanta with the launch yesterday of Setanta Sports News (see Setanta To Launch Sports News Channel), aimed at replacing Sky Sports News, which was removed from the Virgin platform at the start of the Sky/Virgin battle (see Sky Anytime? Not For Virgin Media Cable Homes).
Last week, it was announced that customers to Virgin Media’s XL basic TV package would now be able to receive six Setanta Sports Channels for free (see Virgin Media Signs Setanta Sports Deal). The channels will also be available to customers of any other Virgin Media TV service for £8 a month.
Wall added: “Setanta is a recognised player in TV sports. By both partnering with them and creating our own exclusive content for both TV and online, we’re providing our customers with a sports offering that we think is hard to beat.”
BT is also attempting to make inroads into Sky’s stranglehold on Premiership viewing. On BT Vision, customers can pay £12 per month for Setanta’s 46 live Premiership games per season, whilst Premier League matches can be seen just hours after the game has finished for £4 a month (see BT Launches Sports Catch-Up Service).
Virgin Media: www.virginmedia.com