STV Inks Four-Year Deal with Virgin Media

STV has entered into a four-year strategic partnership with Virgin Media that sees Virgin TV customers in Scotland gaining access to fully localized versions of STV in HD for the first time.

Under the agreement, Virgin Media will air STV in high definition in all cabled STV regions. There will be enhanced promotion for STV’s brand and programs on Virgin Media’s set-top boxes as well as through Virgin Media’s customer channels. In addition, there will be integration of the STV Player app and STV catch-up programming on Virgin Media set-top boxes for the first time, as well as an increased marketing presence for Virgin Media on STV’s services.

Simon Pitts, the CEO of STV, commented: “Virgin Media’s TV platform is very popular right across Scotland and we’re delighted to be enhancing our partnership and extending the reach of STV’s fantastic programs through this innovative, long-term agreement. We’ll be giving our Virgin viewers two ‘firsts’—the launch of STV Player and the launch of all STV regional variants in full HD, allowing Scottish audiences to access our popular shows however and whenever they want them.”

David Bouchier, the chief digital entertainment officer at Virgin Media, added: “We are very pleased to have agreed this long-term partnership with STV. It is fantastic news for our customers in Scotland as it will be the first part of the U.K., where Channel 3 will be fully regionalized in HD. Virgin Media’s Scottish customers will be able to watch their local version of STV for the first time in HD, no matter in which part of the country they live.”