• UK Virgin Media customers to access NBCU movies under new distribution deal
  • Covid-19 causes cinema releases to be suspended
  • Virgin Media extends data and mobile quotes for 2.7M customers on monthly subscriptions

Trolls world tour - universalpictures

Virgin Media: Customers gain access to latest releases

Source: universalpictures.co.uk

UK telco Virgin Media has secured a first of its kind deal with NBCUniversal to offer its customers access to the studio’s new releases on the same day they hit cinemas.

Given the rapidly evolving and unique global circumstances that have made it difficult to view films in theatres, NBCUniversal (NBCU) has partnered with Virgin Media in an agreement that would allow its customers to rent some of NBCUniversal’s new movies as soon as they are available in cinemas.

The deal is available to all Virgin Media customers with NBCU titles available on Virgin Movies for £15.99 and rentals available for two days.

Virgin Media chief digital entertainment officer David Bouchier said: “In these challenging times, its great news for our customers that they won’t be missing out on the latest cinema releases.

“At a click of a button, friends and families can sit back, relax and enjoy the latest blockbusters from the comfort of their sofa.”

Virgin also announced that from today over 2.7 million customers paying for monthly subscriptions will be given unlimited minutes to landlines and other mobile number as well as 10GB of data boosting from their original package, at no extra cost, for one month.

Its customers will be able to watch DreamWorks Animation’s newest film Trolls World Tour, the sequel to the blockbuster hit Trolls, on Monday 6 April which is the same day as its UK cinema release.

The two companies confirmed the partnership last week with NBCU also announcing a widening distribution of its national news programming during the Covid-19 crisis.

In a statement, NBCU said it is “committed to providing a public service during the coronavirus pandemic, generating awareness and ensuring all US households receive the latest news and information on the evolving global situation.”

Additionally, NBC News Now, a 24/7 online streaming service from NBC News, will feature programming drawing upon all the news resources of NBC News, MSNBC and CNBC, free to viewers.

NBC and Telemundo owned stations in the US are also streaming their local newscasts as well as coronavirus-related press conferences, to help local audiences stay informed about developments in their communities.

The owned stations’ newscasts are free and unauthenticated on desktop and mobile web and apps.