Virgin Media offers TV only with broadband, not as a standalone service. New customers receive a Stream box whether they take flexible TV or a fixed Entertainment, Cinema or Sport bundle.
Flex lets you change paid subscriptions with short notice. A fixed bundle like Sport is better suited to homes that will keep premium channels throughout the 24-month term.
Home phone is optional. Virgin’s cable network can carry its phone service, while full-fibre customers can add a broadband-powered digital home phone at checkout. Both depend on powered equipment in the home.
Rating: 3.9 / 5
| Strengths | Limitations | |
|---|---|---|
| Flex | Stream box, 150+ channels and paid subscriptions that can be added or removed with short notice | £5 monthly charge and a £35 activation fee can apply. No local recording. Premium subscriptions cost extra |
| Fixed TV bundles | 200+ channels, Netflix Standard with Ads and a choice of Entertainment, Cinema or Sport packages | The package comes with a 24-month minimum term. Removing services can change the bundle price |
| Home phone | Weekend, evening or anytime UK call plans. Digital home phone is available with full fibre | The service depends on the hub and electricity supply. Calls outside the selected plan cost extra |
Current broadband and TV deals
| Plan | Speed | Deal |
|---|---|---|
| M125 Fibre Broadband + Flex 24 months | 132Mbps down 20Mbps up | £28.99/month £32.99 from Apr 2027, £36.99 from Apr 2028 Free setup Up to £300 switching credit See deal |
| M500 Entertainment + Netflix 24 months | 516Mbps down 52Mbps up | £32.99/month £36.99 from Apr 2027, £40.99 from Apr 2028 Free setup Up to £300 switching credit See deal |
| M250 Fibre Broadband + Flex + O2 SIM 24 months | 264Mbps down 25Mbps up | £33.99/month £40.49 from Apr 2027, £46.99 from Apr 2028 Free setup Up to £300 switching credit See deal |
Flex is suitable when premium subscriptions will be switched on and off during the year. A fixed Entertainment, Cinema or Sport bundle is easier when the same channels will remain active throughout the minimum term.
Compare the complete bundle price with broadband alone on M125, M250 or M500. Free broadband setup does not always remove a separate Flex activation charge, so check the order summary.
Compare Virgin Media Packages
The checker displays the bundles available at the premises. Entertainment, Cinema, Sport and Sport + Cinema are the customer-facing bundle names. Mega TV remains the channel pack used within the current fixed bundles.
Channel numbers and package contents can change. The checkout summary confirms the channels, equipment and subscriptions included with your order.
Flex TV
Flex is Virgin’s rolling television service. It requires Virgin broadband with a speed of at least 50Mbps and comes with the Stream box. The broadband contract continues separately, so cancelling Flex does not cancel the internet connection.
| Flex | Details |
|---|---|
| Channels | 150+ channels, including free-to-air television |
| Box | Stream |
| Flex price | £5 per month when added separately |
| Activation | £35 activation fee can apply |
| Flex contract | Cancellable with 30 days’ notice |
| Broadband term | 24 months on the featured deals |
| Recording | No local hard drive; use My Watchlist, catch-up and on-demand services |
| Paid subscriptions | Separate charges and terms; normally cancellable with 30 days’ notice |
| TV Licence | Required for live television and BBC iPlayer |
| Hub setting | The Virgin hub must remain in router mode |
The Stream box brings live channels, catch-up services and streaming apps into the same television guide. It is not a personal video recorder. My Watchlist saves programmes for later, but it does not create a permanent recording.
Sky Sports, Sky Cinema, TNT Sports, Netflix and other subscriptions can be added through Flex. Each carries its own monthly price. Cancelling Flex also ends the entertainment subscriptions taken through it, and Virgin will ask for the Stream box to be returned.
Customers using Hub 5 in modem mode with their own router must change the network arrangement before taking Flex. The Virgin hub needs to remain in router mode for the Stream service.
Fixed TV bundles
Fixed bundles include the Mega TV channel pack, Netflix Standard with Ads and the selected premium television services. Current new-customer packages use the Stream box rather than TV 360.
Virgin offers Entertainment, Cinema, Sport and Sport + Cinema bundles. Max Volt combines television with Gig1 broadband and an O2 SIM; further details are available on the Volt page.
| Bundle | Netflix (standard) | Sky Cinema HD | Sky Sports HD |
|---|---|---|---|
| Entertainment 200+ channels | Yes | No | No |
| Cinema 200+ channels | Yes | Yes | No |
| Sport 200+ channels | Yes | No | Yes |
| Sport + Cinema 210+ channels | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Netflix must be activated after the service starts. Leaving the included Netflix subscription unused does not reduce the bundle price.
Disney+ remains a separate subscription unless the selected offer includes it. Virgin offers Standard and Premium Disney+ plans with separate contract options. TNT Sports is also available as a paid add-on under its own terms.
Entertainment is the starting point for homes that want more live channels and Netflix without premium films or sport. Cinema or Sport becomes worthwhile when the selected pack will remain in use for most of the contract.
Compare the complete 24-month cost before choosing. A fixed Sport bundle can cost less than broadband, Flex and a separate Sky Sports subscription when the sports channels remain active throughout the term. Flex costs less when you need those channels for only part of the year.
Stream box and TV 360
| Stream | TV 360 | |
|---|---|---|
| Availability | Supplied with current new-customer TV bundles | Mainly used by existing cable customers |
| Full fibre | Yes | No |
| Recording | No local hard drive | Recording on a compatible main box |
| Apps | Netflix and other supported apps | Apps available on compatible boxes |
| Extra rooms | Up to five additional Stream boxes | Existing-customer multiroom options |
| Extra box price | First additional box £10/month; later boxes £5/month each | Confirmed through the existing-customer account |
Stream receives television through the broadband connection. It does not need a coaxial television cable and can be installed without drilling for a separate TV feed. This is also the only current Virgin television box available on its full-fibre network.
Virgin allows up to six Stream boxes in one home. The first additional box costs £10 per month, while each further box costs £5 per month. The extra-box subscriptions come with rolling 30-day terms.
TV 360 remains available to existing customers with compatible cable connections. Its main advantage is local recording. The recording function belongs to the main compatible box and is not available on Stream.
Both types of box remain Virgin’s equipment and must be returned when requested.
Virgin TV Go lets customers watch live television, catch-up programmes and box sets on compatible phones, tablets and laptops. Access to recordings applies only to customers with compatible recordable equipment; a Stream watchlist is not a recording.
An HD television and HDMI connection are required for HD channels. Ultra HD needs a compatible 4K television or device. The Virgin hub must remain in router mode when using Flex.
Full-fibre customers should expect Stream rather than TV 360.
Channels and apps that change the bill
Premium subscriptions account for much of the difference between a basic television deal and a more expensive bundle.
- Sky Sports HD is included with Sport and Sport + Cinema. Flex customers can add it separately.
- Sky Cinema HD comes with Cinema and Sport + Cinema. It is also available as a separate Flex subscription.
- TNT Sports carries a separate monthly charge under current packages.
- Netflix Standard with Ads comes with the fixed bundles listed above. Flex customers add Netflix separately unless their broadband deal includes it.
- Disney+ usually costs extra and has its own contract options.
Flex subscriptions normally require 30 days’ notice to cancel, although individual services can use separate billing and cancellation dates. Check the subscription terms before activating a paid pack.
A fixed Sport or Cinema bundle should be taken only when the household expects to keep that pack throughout the minimum term. Flex leaves more freedom to remove premium channels after a tournament, season or run of films has ended.
Home phone
Virgin home phone remains optional. Broadband-only and broadband-and-TV deals do not require it.
On the cable network, Virgin can include its home phone service with the broadband package. Full fibre has no traditional landline connection, but customers can add a digital home phone powered by the broadband service.
| Call plan | Inclusive calls |
|---|---|
| Weekend Chatter | UK landlines beginning 01, 02 and 03 on Saturdays and Sundays |
| Evening & Weekend Chatter | Inclusive UK landline and UK mobile calls during the evening and weekend periods |
| Anytime Chatter | UK landlines and UK mobiles at any time, subject to the first-hour call rule |
| International Anytime Chatter | Anytime Chatter plus calls to geographic landlines in 50 international destinations |
| Extra | Current additional monthly price |
|---|---|
| Anytime Chatter | £8 |
| International Anytime Chatter | £13 |
Weekend Chatter is the standard call plan on many broadband-and-phone deals. Calls outside the inclusive period or destination list are charged separately. Inclusive calls last for up to 60 minutes, so hang up and redial before the hour ends if the conversation needs to continue.
Digital voice connects the handset through the hub. It stops working during a power cut or broadband outage. This also affects telecare units, pendant alarms and other equipment using the phone connection.
Virgin offers an Emergency Backup Line to customers who depend on the home phone or do not have a mobile. Tell Virgin about accessibility or telecare requirements before the service is installed.
An O2 mobile plan included with Volt can replace the need for a home handset in many households. Anytime Chatter is worth retaining only when the landline receives regular use.
Contract, leaving and the box
The broadband and fixed TV bundles featured here come with a 24-month minimum term and two scheduled April price increases. Flex remains separate and can be cancelled with 30 days’ notice.
Entertainment, Cinema and Sport bundles form part of the fixed package. Removing television or downgrading a premium pack during the minimum term can remove discounts, change the monthly price or produce an early disconnection charge.
Cancelling Flex ends the subscriptions taken through it but leaves the broadband contract unchanged. Virgin can retain an activation payment when Flex is cancelled during its cooling-off period.
Stream and TV 360 boxes remain loan equipment. Return the box, remote and any additional units when Virgin requests them. Non-return charges apply if the equipment is not received.
One Touch Switch transfers the broadband connection to another provider. Virgin television cannot continue once the associated broadband service ends. Recordings stored on TV 360 do not transfer to another provider or box.
Existing customers receive different renewal and bundle prices through My Virgin Media. The Deal column above applies to new customers.
Virgin Media TV and phone FAQs
Is Flex or a fixed Entertainment bundle better?
Choose Flex when paid subscriptions will change during the year. Entertainment is better suited to households that want 200+ channels and Netflix Standard with Ads throughout the 24-month term.
Will I receive Stream or TV 360?
New customers taking a current Virgin television package receive Stream. TV 360 is mainly retained by existing cable customers and is unavailable with full fibre.
Do I need a Virgin home phone?
No. Add one only if the household regularly uses a handset. Cable customers can take Virgin’s phone service, while full-fibre customers can add a broadband-powered digital home phone at checkout.
Can I add Sky Sports without taking a Sport bundle?
Yes. Sky Sports can be added to Flex as a separate subscription. Compare the cost for the months you intend to watch with the total price of a fixed Sport bundle.
Can I keep Virgin television after leaving its broadband?
No. Virgin television requires an active Virgin broadband connection. The television service ends when you move the broadband to another provider.
Virgin television offers better value when the bundle price remains close to broadband alone and the included channels will be watched. Flex allows paid subscriptions to change with 30 days’ notice, while a fixed bundle is suitable when Sport, Cinema or Entertainment will remain active for the full term.
Leave home phone off unless the household regularly uses it. Full-fibre customers can order digital home phone, but it depends on the broadband connection and electricity supply.
