VIRGIN MEDIA O2 PRESS OFFICE | SKY TV PRESS OFFICE | GB NEWS
Virgin Media viewers will find a brand-new channel in the TV Guide on their set-top box today.
Sky Atlantic — a paid-for channel that's been exclusive to Sky set-top boxes for the last 15 years — is now available to one million people with Virgin Media TV subscriptions. Best of all? Sky Atlantic arrives at no extra cost.
Since its launch on February 1, 2011, Sky Atlantic has been exclusive to Sky's set-top boxes, including Sky Q, Sky Stream, and Sky Glass TVs. While other Sky-branded channels – like Sky Comedy, Sky Crime, and Sky History – were available on rival set-top boxes, like Virgin Media TV V6 and Virgin TV 360, Sky Atlantic was always absent.
That's because it was the only place to stream many of the biggest must-binge shows from the US, including The Last of Us, Euphoria, The White Lotus, Succession, Heated Rivalry, And Just Like That, Game of Thrones, House of the Dragon, Big Little Lies, It: Welcome to Derry, The Flight Attendant, The Penguin, the list goes on...
David Bouchier, Chief TV and Entertainment Officer at Virgin Media O2, said: "Sky Atlantic is home to some of the most talked about television in the world. Now over a million Virgin TV customers can enjoy these shows at no extra cost and without any action required.
"All our customers need to do is simply visit channel 111 to watch the Channel or, with hundreds of hours of box sets from the Channel available on demand, visit the On Demand area and binge their favourite shows. This launch is the latest evolution of our Virgin TV entertainment offering, and testament to our promise to deliver customers the best possible TV for the best possible value."
In a dramatic shake-up, these shows will soon be available for £4.99 per month – that's £1 cheaper than the most affordable Netflix subscription – with the long-awaited release of HBO Max in the UK.
HBO Max brings together must-see shows from HBO, Warner Bros. Television, Max Originals, as well as blockbuster films from Warner Bros. Pictures and DC Studios. It's one of 5x separate subscriptions bundled as part of the overhauled Ultimate TV package now available to Sky TV subscribers.
Virgin TV 360 and Virgin Stream hardware will support HBO Max when the streamer launches on March 26, so you'll be able binge-watch all of the HBO shows that previously aired exclusively on Sky Atlantic.
HBO Max is also home to exclusive new arrivals, like The Pitt.
Virgin Media Flex viewers can subscribe to HBO Max via the set-top box already nestled under their television, but since this subscription is not billed directly by Virgin Media, it's not eligible for any credit offers. Virgin Media offers cashback for other subscriptions — like Disney+ and Netflix — when bundled together into a single monthly Direct Debit billed by the telecom.
Viewers will be able to subscribe to HBO Max directly via the HBO Max app on their Virgin TV 360 or Stream box. As well as being available to watch via HBO Max, for its part, Sky Atlantic will continue to broadcast a mixture of HBO shows that were previously shown on the channel, including upcoming seasons of shows like The White Lotus, The Last of Us, and Euphoria, alongside Sky Originals like The Miniature Wife (9th April), The Good Daughter later this year, and a return of Sweetpea.
Fan favourites that will be available to Virgin TV 360 and Virgin TV Stream box customers on Sky Atlantic include:
Speaking about the new additions, Virgin Media O2's Chief TV and Entertainment Officer, David Bouchier, said: "Our promise to our customers is simple – to offer seamless entertainment at incredible value – and the addition of Sky Atlantic on Virgin TV is testament to that.
"The channel is home to gripping drama and incredible stories from the UK and the US and has given us some of the biggest watercooler moments of our times. Now, over a million Virgin TV customers can enjoy Sky Atlantic with no added cost or action required."
From April 1, 2026, Sky Atlantic will be available to all new and existing customers who already receive, or choose to add, Sky Entertainment channels with their package and have a Virgin TV Stream box or Virgin TV 360.
All subscribers need to do to tune in to Sky Atlantic programming is visit Channel 111 in the TV Guide, with content also available on-demand and via Virgin TV Go.