Virgin Media has brought Amazon Prime Video to its TV V6 hardware via an over-the-air software update, enabling viewers to watch thousands of hours of new boxsets and movies. For the first time, Virgin TV V6 subscribers will be able to tune-in to watch The Grand Tour, The Marvellous Mrs. Maisel, Good Omens, Jack Ryan and more on the big screen without having to cough-up for a Fire TV Stick 4K.
Virgin TV V6 customers will also be able to watch the live Premier League matches exclusive to Prime Video this season, including the Merseyside derby between Liverpool and Everton and Manchester United vs Tottenham. With BT Sport and Sky Sports already available on the TV V6, it should now be the go-to choice for football fans desperate to watch everything available.
Like Netflix before it, Amazon Prime Video has been fully integrated into the TV V6 box so customers can search for and discover Prime Video shows and films directly through the main menu – just like any other terrestrial channel or catch-up service.
Those with an existing Prime account, will be able to login to Prime Video on the Virgin TV V6 without any additional cost to their Prime or Virgin Media subscriptions.
Plans to bring Prime Video to the Virgin TV V6 were first announced last month. The partnership marks the first time Prime Video has been included on a set-top box not produced by Amazon itself. Virgin Media's Ultra HD-compatible TV V6 hardware is currently installed in some four million in the UK.
Amazon Prime Video has a variety of original shows and movies, including Good Omens and the award-winning Manchester by the Sea and The Big Sick
Chief Digital Entertainment Officer at Virgin Media, David Bouchier said: "Giving our customers the telly they love in one place is at the heart of what we do.
"This is why, from today, Prime members or those subscribing directly to Prime Video with a V6 box will have seamless access to a huge array of blockbuster entertainment – from Amazon Originals like Good Omens and The Grand Tour to thousands of TV series and movies.
"Virgin TV brings the best programming together so our customers can enjoy top-class entertainment and sport when and how they want. Alongside our leading ultrafast broadband, it’s the best way to watch the best TV."
Virgin TV V6 owners can already watch Netflix boxsets, movies and exclusives via a designated app included in the main menu. Better yet, Netflix content appears alongside results from the TV guide, recordings, Virgin Store, and other on-demand and catch-up services whenever you search for a movie, show, actor, or genre on the TV V6. It's a surprisingly deep integration into the set-top box.
Virgin Media has comfortably beaten rival Sky Q to the punch with this highly-requested feature. After announcing the integration with Netflix in September last year, the ability to sign-in to an existing Netflix account on Sky Q, or bundle the subscription into your monthly Sky Q bills, didn't launch until November 2018.
As such, it seems unlikely that we'll see the ability to watch the thousands of hours of television boxsets and movies available on Prime Video on Sky Q for a while yet.
