Scotland’s HD STV Channels Come to Virgin Media’s Cable Network

Cable operator Virgin Media has complemented the expansion of their UK ultrafast broadband ISP and TV network in Scotland today by signing a new 4 year strategic partnership with STV, which among other things will enable them to broadcast STV in HD in all cabled STV regions (Glasgow, Edinburgh and Dundee) on EPG slot 103.

In addition, Virgin Media will integrate the STV Player app and STV catch-up programming on their set-top-boxes (STB) hardware for the first time and there will also be enhanced promotion for STV’s brand and programmes on Virgin STBs as well as through their customer channels. On the flip side the cable operator expects increased marketing presence for Virgin Media on STV’s services.

The move supports VM’s planned expansion to cover a further 360,000 homes and businesses across Scotland (here) via their Project Lightning network deployment, which since 2016 has been going a bit slower than expected but has so far completed 120,000 premises passed of the target.

David Bouchier, VM’s Chief Digital Entertainment Officer, said:

“We are very pleased to have agreed this long term partnership with STV. It is fantastic news for our customers in Scotland as it will be the first part of the UK where channel 3 will be fully regionalised in HD. Virgin Media’s Scottish customers will be able to watch their local version of STV for the first time in HD, no matter in which part of the country they live.”

Simon Pitts, CEO of STV, said:

“Virgin Media’s TV platform is very popular right across Scotland and we’re delighted to be enhancing our partnership and extending the reach of STV’s fantastic programmes through this innovative, long term agreement. We’ll be giving our Virgin viewers two “firsts”, the launch of STV Player and the launch of all STV regional variants in full HD, allowing Scottish audiences to access our popular shows however and whenever they want them.”

Sadly it sounds like if you’re Scottish and live outside of STV’s three cabled regions then you won’t be able to access the HD channels, at least not via Virgin Media’s network. On the other hand STV does tend to carry ITV’s content and so that’s perhaps not such a big deal.