Virgin Media TV users face the biggest channel reshuffle the platform has seen early next month, as Virgin completes a long-awaited tidy up of its list, grouping +1 channels and adding FAST (streaming) channels to its Electronic Programme Guide.
The changes will be implemented just after midnight on Tuesday 4th July with over 80 channels expected to move.
As part of the changes, +1 entertainment, factual and lifestyle channels will move to the 300 – 399 channel range.
Music channels will move up to higher-ranking slots in the channel list, starting from channel 280. Virgin Media’s UHD channel will migrate to channel 175.
Most factual and lifestyle channels will be added to the end of the Entertainment section, starting above channel 176. UKTV’s Eden will appear on channel 176. PBS America moves to channel 187.
Sources told Clean Feed that Virgin Media had offered broadcasters with lower-ranking slots the option to take up slots in the 130s and 150s for those wishing to spend extra on an annual rental agreement.
One source said they were interested to see how these higher-ranking slots would impact viewing figures.
Virgin Media’s delay in publishing the channel number means TV listings guides have gone to press without the revised channel numbers. However, you can find the changes listed below.
At the same time, Virgin Media is preparing to implement another aspect of its current carriage deal with Paramount (formerly ViacomCBS). The deal, which was first announced in November 2022, sees selected Pluto TV streaming channels being added to the main Virgin Media channel list, in a first for UK television platforms.
Pluto TV is a free, ad-supported streaming television (FAST) platform, offering a range of niche channels at no extra cost to viewers. The service is already widely available across a variety of devices in the UK, but its channels have never been integrated alongside regular TV channels on Electronic Programme Guides.
Clearing space on the Electronic Programme Guide above channel 200 means there’s room for the future addition of Pluto TV channels.
Meanwhile, TCM Movies HD is due to be removed from Virgin Media during the early hours of 7th. TCM is closing on all platforms in the UK and Ireland, but Virgin Media was the only UK provider of TCM Movies in HD after its removal from Sky.
The closedown is officially billed as happening on 6th July, but in the world of television, a day runs from 6am to 6am.
Virgin Media TV EPG changes
| NEW | OLD | CHANNEL NAME |
|---|---|---|
| ENTERTAINMENT | ||
| 114 | 126 | Alibi HD |
| 116 | 130 | Drama HD |
| 120 | 153 | 5USA |
| 126 | 151 | 5STAR |
| 130 | 150 | 5ACTION HD |
| 131 | 198 | Crime + Investigation HD |
| 133 | 270 | Sky History HD |
| 136 | 269 | Together TV |
| 137 | 169 | Quest HD |
| 138 | 152 | 5SELECT |
| 164 | 166 | S4C HD (not Wales) |
| 165 | 167 | TLC HD |
| 166 | 168 | ID |
| 168 | 170 | Quest Red |
| 169 | 171 | DMAX |
| 170 | 189 | GREAT! tv |
| 171 | 192 | Horror Xtra |
| 172 | 197 | Reality Xtra |
| 174 | 199 | BLAZE |
| 175 | 228 | Virgin UHD |
| 176 | 245 | Eden HD |
| 177 | 250 | Discovery HD |
| 178 | 251 | Animal Planet HD |
| 179 | 252 | Discovery Science |
| 180 | 256 | Discovery Turbo |
| 181 | 257 | Discovery History |
| 182 | 265 | Nat Geo Wild HD |
| 183 | 266 | National Geographic HD |
| 186 | 272 | Sky History 2 HD |
| 187 | 273 | PBS America |
| 188 | 277 | Sky Documentaries HD |
| 189 | 278 | Sky Nature HD |
| 190 | 285 | Food Network |
| 191 | 286 | HGTV |
| 192 | 292 | God TV |
| MUSIC | ||
| 280 | 310 | MTV Music |
| 281 | 311 | MTV Live HD |
| 282 | 312 | MTV Hits |
| 283 | 313 | MTV 90s |
| 284 | 316 | MTV 80s |
| 285 | 335 | The Box |
| 286 | 336 | 4Music |
| 287 | 337 | E4 Extra |
| 288 | 338 | KISS |
| 289 | 340 | Magic TV |
| 290 | 342 | Kerrang |
| 291 | 344 | Vevo |
| 292 | 345 | Clubland |
| 293 | 346 | Now 70s |
| 294 | 347 | Now 80s |
| 295 | 348 | Now Rock |
| TIMESHIFT | ||
| 303 | 114 | ITV1 +1 / STV+1 / UTV +1 |
| 304 | 142 | Channel 4 +1 |
| 305 | 155 | Channel 5 +1 |
| 306 | 146 | E4 +1 |
| 310 | 163 | Sky Witness +1 |
| 314 | 191 | Alibi +1 |
| 315 | 116 | ITV2 +1 |
| 316 | 226 | Drama +1 |
| 317 | 174 | ITV3 +1 |
| 318 | 175 | ITV4 +1 |
| 319 | 120 | ITVBe +1 |
| 320 | 185 | 5 USA +1 |
| 321 | 164 | Sky Crime +1 |
| 324 | 194 | Gold +1 |
| 325 | 190 | W +1 |
| 326 | 186 | 5 STAR +1 |
| 327 | 131 | Dave Ja Vu |
| 329 | 217 | Yesterday +1 |
| 331 | 222 | Crime + Investigation +1 |
| 332 | 133 | Comedy Central +1 |
| 333 | 271 | Sky History +1 |
| 337 | 213 | Quest +1 |
| 347 | 196 | More 4 +1 |
| 348 | 218 | CBS Reality +1 |
| 365 | 172 | TLC +1 |
| 366 | 173 | ID +1 |
| 369 | 214 | DMAX +1 |
| 371 | 219 | Horror Xtra +1 |
| 376 | 246 | Eden +1 |
| 377 | 258 | Discovery +1 |
| 378 | 259 | Animal Planet +1 |
| 379 | 260 | Discovery Science +1 |
| 381 | 261 | Discovery History +1 |
| 383 | 267 | National Geographic +1 |
| 391 | 290 | HGTV +1 |
Acknowledgements
PICTURED: Virgin Media logo. COPYRIGHT: Virgin Media.
They should sort out the major faults first, like internet downtime, TV downtime and constant streaming issues before they get rid of or move channels.
Can’t get any worse internet. Phone never working properly. Virgin don’t seem to be interested. All they ever say is we’ve done a test and can’t see any problem. 🤔
Totally agree. They’re not interested.
Totally agree, they are getting worse if that’s possible.
How much are bills going up? Mine went up from 53 for basic to 65.
Virgin need to get more UHD channels. It’s long overdue!!
Will this affect Virgin streaming box?
Been unable to access my windows live mail since the crash. Should be sorted before any channel changes!
Wow they couldn’t cope with changeover of the phone. This will be interesting. I’ve been with cable long before Virgin took over and I must say that the service and quality has gone down hill. The Internet that they pride themselves in is a joke. The customer service is even a bigger joke.
You phone up by the way – I use my mobile as the phone line is crap. When you talk to someone who has a clue and you think you think you got things sorted, you get a text that doesn’t match what was said. You challenge them to check the records as they say they tape every conversation – you even give them the time and date and customer service member. They come back and fob you off. One person says it’s sorted and they text you something completely different. Maybe sort out your disgusting customer service first.
I have lost all my emails and they still have not sorted that out. Never in all my years have I ever come across a firm that treats their customers with so little regard. Absolutely useless and if you are able to get to speak to someone it can take hours to get through. And if not not prepared to wait so long then you can forget it. This company is an absolute joke.