Virgin and Setanta offer channels for free

by Emma Barnett, Media Week 20-Jul-07, 12:15

LONDON - Virgin Media and Irish sports broadcaster Setanta Sports have announced plans to give new and existing customers who have Virgin Media's XL (Xtra Large) basic TV package six Setanta Sports channels for free.

The Virgin XL basic TV package costs £38.50 and includes all channels, incurring no extra costs. Customers with any other Virgin deal can add the Setanta Sports channels for £8.00 a month. This is compared to customers who have the Virgin M (Medium) deal, who pay £11 for a phone line and the basic channels, and then £26 a month for the Sky Sports channels.

Customers who pay for Setanta on Freeview are charged £9.99 a month. Earlier this month, the pay-TV sports broadcaster confirmed the initial 19 fixtures of its 46 Barclays Premier League games for the 2007/8 seasons.

Those customers who have the Virgin Media XL package will get live coverage from over 250 showcase events a year, including the 46 live games from Barclays Premier League. Viewers of the Premier League will pay more than £110 less with Virgin Media than they would with Sky.