Updated / The free streaming app was initially only available on older Virgin V6 boxes. The latest addition comes ahead of a deeper integration of Pluto TV on Virgin Media O2’s TV platform.
Pluto TV is the free streaming app from Paramount Global, offering a range of free, ad-supported streaming television (FAST) channels. The app first arrived on older Virgin V6 boxes in 2020, but in 2022, Virgin Media O2 and Paramount confirmed a new deal that would make Pluto TV more widely available to all Virgin TV customers.
Just over six months later and the app has now landed on both Virgin 360 and Virgin Stream boxes.
Content on Pluto TV in the UK includes dedicated channels devoted to CSI, Come Dine With Me, Mission: Impossible and Hell’s Kitchen. It’s also the home of a number of Channel 5 spin-off channels, currently including 5 Emergency Rescue and 5 Exploring Britain. MTV operates a number of free streaming channels on Pluto TV, including MTV Pride, MTV Classic, MTV Love and MTV Rocks. BET, which was once available as a regular broadcast channel continues its UK presence with a special service on Pluto TV.
David Bouchier, Chief TV and Entertainment Officer at Virgin Media O2, said:
“Virgin TV brings together fantastic programming and popular apps that we know our customers will love. With Pluto TV now available on Virgin TV 360 and Stream, our customers can tune into even more unmissable entertainment.”
Olivier Jollet, Executive Vice President and International General Manager at Pluto TV, added:
“We are glad to continue to collaborate with Virgin Media to bring Pluto TV content to a wider audience in the UK. The partnership with Virgin Media is the best example of our successful collaborations with MVPDs to enlarge our distribution footprint and support our ambitious growth plans for Pluto TV.”
Further integration
Following the rollout of the Pluto TV app across all of Virgin’s current TV receivers, the company is expected to begin making some of Pluto TV’s channels directly available from its main Electronic Programme Guide (EPG).
Ahead of this integration, Virgin Media has notified customers that it will be making changes to the channel list from Tuesday 4th July. The tidy-up to create more space includes grouping timeshift or “+1” channels on V6 and 360 boxes in a similar manner to how Sky has grouped +1 channels since 2018. The top 100 slots will contain existing entertainment, factual and lifestyle channels with the latter moving up the channel list. Further details here…
Marc Thornham
First published 28/06/2023. Updated 03/07/2023 with corporate comments