Virgin Media gifts free UK TV channel to a million customers – with some of the best shows on the planet
Will be available from the start of April to Virgin TV 360 and Stream customers
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Over a million Virgin TV customers will be getting one of the UK's biggest TV channels for free from 1 April 2026.
Sky Atlantic is being added to the Sky Entertainment lineup for Virgin TV 360 and Stream users who have that specific add-on.
Virgin Media O2 will soon be adding one of the best TV channels in the UK to its Virgin TV service – and more than a million customers will get it.
Coming on 1 April 2026 to Virgin TV 360 and Stream customers, Sky Atlantic is the home to some of the biggest TV shows and series, including the likes of House of the Dragon, The Last of Us, and The Day of the Jackal.
It will be available at no extra cost to all existing and new Virgin TV customers with Sky Entertainment as part of their package. It'll be joining Sky Comedy, Sky Witness and the new Sky One channel, which is also being added from tomorrow, 24 February.
"Our promise to our customers is simple – to offer seamless entertainment at incredible value – and the addition of Sky Atlantic on Virgin TV is testament to that," said Virgin Media O2's chief TV and entertainment officer, David Bouchier.
"Over a million Virgin TV customers can enjoy Sky Atlantic with no added cost or action required."
Sky Atlantic will appear as channel 111 on the Virgin TV electronic programme guide when it launches in April.
Will HBO Max also be available on Virgin TV?
Sky Atlantic made its name by being the UK channel for HBO programming, showing the best the US TV broadcaster had to offer. That included Game of Thrones, Succession, and The White Lotus. However, with the launch of HBO Max in the UK on 26 March, most of the new shows will be available via the new streaming service instead.
Get all the latest news, reviews, deals and buying guides on gorgeous tech, home and active products from the T3 experts
Thankfully for Virgin Media's TV customers, the service will be accessible through their devices, for an additional subscription fee (starting at £4.99 per month).
In addition, Sky Atlantic will continue to show some HBO series – those that have already started on Sky's channel. That will include, for example, House of the Dragon, with the first two seasons having already been broadcast by Sky. The same is true with other series that have already appeared on the channel in the past.
It is only new series that are yet to be broadcast that will be exclusive to HBO Max, and will therefore need a new subscription to view.
Rik is T3’s news editor, which means he looks after the news team and the up-to-the-minute coverage of all the hottest gadgets and products you’ll definitely want to read about. And, with more than 35 years of experience in tech and entertainment journalism, including editing and writing for numerous websites, magazines, and newspapers, he’s always got an eye on the next big thing.
Rik also has extensive knowledge of AV, TV streaming and smart home kit, plus just about everything to do with games since the late 80s. Prior to T3, he spent 13 years at Pocket-lint heading up its news team, and was a TV producer and presenter on such shows as Channel 4's GamesMaster, plus Sky's Games World, Game Over, and Virtual World of Sport.
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