Stvg Regulatory News (STVG)

15 July 2020

1500 EXTRA HOURS OF PROGRAMMES FOR VIRGIN MEDIA TV FANS

STV Player launches UK-wide on Virgin Media with impressive programme line-up

Virgin Media TV customers across the UK can now access 1500 hours of free high quality drama, entertainment, true crime and documentary programming from Scotland's most popular Video on Demand service - the STV Player - via their set top box.

Run by Scottish broadcaster, STV, the STV Player is surprising viewers across Scotland with its rich and varied line-up - and now it's set to impress across the borders too. Alongside their Scottish neighbours, Virgin Media TV viewers in England, Wales and Northern Ireland can now view all of the STV Player-exclusive content for the first time.

A collection of excellent drama series' is proving hugely popular and driving increased viewing of Player-exclusive content, with titles such as Gracepoint (US Broadchurch, starring David Tennant), the US version of The Bridge, and Australian dramas, Janet King, The Slap, Rake and Crownies all attracting significant audiences.

Home to a wide range of exciting TV programmes, the Player is going from strength to strength, with constantly updated, quality content and a user friendly experience helping to boost digital viewing by 70% in 2020 so far.

"Our offering is quite unexpected," says Richard Williams, STV's Director of Digital. "We do have tons of brilliant home-grown Scottish content on the Player, such as Taggart, Rebus and Take the High Road, all of which are enormously popular. But we're continually adding a diverse range of carefully selected, fantastic new shows from across the world that are proving to be real hits in Scotland - and we know TV fans across the UK will love them too."

STV's vast collection of UK-wide Player exclusive programming includes:

- Hundreds of hours of premium drama box sets, including Gracepoint, The Code, The Slap, The Bridge and Catching Milat - all available for binge watching.

- Classic Scottish dramas from the start including Taggart, Miss Jean Brodie, Rebus and Take the High Road

- Gripping factual series across true crime, paranormal and medical emergencies

- Lots of lifestyle shows - including cooking, travel and beauty

- And addictive real life stories like Unfaithful: Stories of Betrayal to Who The Bleep Did I Marry?.

Richard Williams continued: "The STV Player is going through a period of impressive growth, and we're thrilled to be opening up our content to viewers across the UK with our friends at Virgin Media. All viewers have to do is open the STV app in the 'All Apps' section on their Virgin box and a world of international drama, lively entertainment and lifestyle shows, plus a vault of Scottish classics awaits."

www.stv.tv 

Media Contact:

STV

Kirstin Stevenson

E: Kirstin.stevenson@stv.tv 

T: 07803 970106.

Notes to Editors:

Virgin Media is the third connected TV platform the Player is automatically installed on outside of Scotland. Due to licensing agreements, STV can only broadcast its Channel 3 Network schedule in its broadcast regions in Scotland. However, over the last 18 months STV has been building up a rich catalogue of UK-wide licensed content on the STV Player and this, alongside a range of STV's own productions, is now available across the rest of the UK on Virgin, YouView and Freesat - with more platforms to follow.

Upon launch, the STV Player app will be automatically available UK-wide on compatible Virgin Media STBs, as well as Youview and Freesat boxes. It is also available UK-wide via download from app stores on iOS and Android smartphones and tablets, Kindle tablets, Apple TV, Samsung, Fire TV and Roku, Now TV, via Chromecast and at stv.tv. STV Player is available in Scotland on Sky.