News 2006
Channel 4 goes live exclusively on Virgin Mobile TV
12/12/2006
12.12.06: From today, the exciting mobile TV service from Virgin Mobile also includes a full, live version of Channel 4. Now featuring all the most popular live TV channels from the UK’s biggest terrestrial broadcasters, the five channel line up available exclusively on the Virgin Mobile Lobster 700TV phone includes BBC One*, ITV1, Channel 4, E4 and the 24 hour news channel ITN News.
Launched in October 2006, Virgin Mobile’s Lobster 700TV is the first mobile phone to offer a broadcast TV service in the UK and also provides up to 50 DAB digital radio stations straight to your handset. The TV service previously included Channel 4 Short Cuts, a made for mobile channel of programme highlights, but now consumers can enjoy all their favourite shows in full on Channel 4, including Hollyoaks, Channel 4 News and Deal or No Deal**.
The Virgin Mobile Lobster 700TV, as advertised by Pamela Anderson, is available now through Virgin Mobile Stores within Virgin Megastores and WHSmiths, its standalone stores, direct from www.virginmobile.co.uk and from The Carphone Warehouse. A perfect gift for Christmas, Virgin Mobile is offering the mobile TV phone and service for free to customers on a contract of £20 a month or more, for the life of their contract, along with £50 free store vouchers***. The phone is also available on pre-pay for only £99.99 plus £25 free airtime and £25 free store vouchers***. On pre-pay the TV service is free for an initial three-month period, followed by a charge of £5 a month. BBC One will be available on a trial basis for 12 months and will always be provided free to customers, as will the DAB digital radio stations. Customers who buy a contract in Virgin Mobile Stores also benefit from double the amount of airtime compared to standard tariffs available in other retailers.
Virgin Mobile’s TV service broadcasts TV ‘as it happens’ over the DAB digital frequency spectrum, which currently covers more than 85% of the UK population. The Lobster 700 Mobile TV phone is the world’s first DAB-IP-enabled handset. As well as offering digital TV and radio, the handset is also Virgin Mobile’s first Windows-operated smartphone, offering Windows Mobile functionality and Windows Media Player.
*BBC One will be available on a trial basis for 12 months and will be provided free to consumers.
**Channel 4 will provide a full service with the exception of non rights-cleared programmes.
***Store vouchers will be valid in either Virgin Megastores or WHSmiths, depending on where the phone is purchased.
Notes to Editors:
For more information, review units and photography please contact:
Eulogy! on 020 7297 9999 or:
| Ben Gold: | ben@eulogy.co.uk |
| Jonny Lockwood: | jonny@eulogy.co.uk |
| Mark Barber | mark@eulogy.co.uk |
| Virgin Mobile | |
| Jo Baker Head of Media Relations: | jo.baker@virginmobile.com |
| Mobile: | 07941 233 300 |
| Virgin Mobile Press Office: | 0845 600 6272 |
About Virgin Mobile:
Virgin Mobile is the UK’s largest mobile virtual network operator and uses T-Mobile's network. Since its launch in November 1999, Virgin Mobile has attracted more than 4 million customers.
Virgin Mobile is part of the ntl:Telewest group. The group is the first to be able to offer `quadruple play’ to customers: mobile and fixed line telephony, broadband internet and television.
In the UK, Virgin Mobile phones are available direct on 0845 6000 600; on the web at www.virginmobile.co.uk or on the high street at approximately 5,000 outlets including Virgin Mobile Stores within Virgin Megastores and selected WHSmiths, The Carphone Warehouse, The Link, Phones 4 U, Currys.digital, Comet, Tesco, Asda, John Lewis, Argos, Woolworths, Toys R Us, Ryman, web retailer Dial-a-phone plus hundreds of independent mobile phone dealers and available via Shop Direct/Littlewoods, Grattan and Empire home shopping channels.
Virgin Mobile Pay Monthly (contract) is currently available in Virgin Mobile Stores, The Carphone Warehouse, The Link, Phones 4u, at concessions in WHSmith and from www.virginmobile.co.uk.
Virgin Mobile employs approximately 1,700 staff at three sites, Trowbridge, London and Daventry, and has an outsourced customer service centre operated by approximately 200 staff in Middlesbrough.
Virgin Mobile was voted 22nd in the Best Workplaces in the UK Financial Times survey for 2006. Virgin Mobile was honoured at Management Today’s Most Admired Companies Awards 2006, being voted the best company for the Ability to Attract, Develop and Retain Top Talent.
Virgin Mobile is offering its customers 3p per minute Virgin to Virgin voice calls in the UK until March 31st 2007. For more details please go to www.virginmobile.co.uk.
