Virgin Media scores with BBC Sport in time for the Olympics

The deal means Virgin Media and the BBC are going to develop new applications and content for Virgin Media customers with a TiVo set top box allowing them to get access to interactive sports coverage through a new "red button" service.

A new BBC Sport app for Virgin Media's TiVo box will bring together all the live streams from the BBC's existing Red Button service and video streams on-demand and content from BBC Online.

Virgin Media was the first platform to offer the BBC’s on-demand service, the iPlayer, and BBC content is now fully integrated into the TiVo service so programmes can be found through search and the EPG.

The BBC Sport content will be accessible from the red button or through an app, which will sit alongside the BBC iPlayer and BBC News apps in the Apps and Games section of the platform.

Jane Weedon, controller of business development, BBC Future Media, said: "Having partnered with Virgin Media to bring BBC iPlayer to TV back in 2008, we have since brought a vastly-improved, fully-integrated experience of BBC iPlayer to Virgin Media's TiVo Service.

"With the addition of the BBC News app and enhanced BBC Sport services – all accessible via the Red Button – we plan to build on this partnership and continue to innovate in connected TV through 2012."

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This article was first published on mediaweek.co.uk