Virgin Media TiVo customers could soon get Amazon’s Prime Instant Video on their TV screens.
In the same way that Netflix is currently available through an app in on demand section of the TiVo menu, subscribers to Prime Instant Video – the new name for Lovefilm Instant – will be able to catch up with episiodes of Ripper Street and Vikings alongside House of Cards and The Killing.
Virgin Media chief executive Tom Mockridge revealed that talks between the cable network and the online shopping giant were taking place at a Broadcasting Press Guild event in London.
The Guardian broke the news, revealing that Virgin Media is open to the idea, but that it “takes two to tango”.
Amazon is is still working out its proposition since it rebranded from LoveFilm a while back. Last year, Virgin made a deal with Netflix that saw the streaming service become available to Virgin Media customers via an app on Virgin Media’s TiVo set-top boxes.
Virgin Media has been at the forefront of catch up, offering customers the ability to tap into programmes available on BBC iPlayer, ITV Player, 4oD and Demand 5 years before Sky did and before YouView even existed.
But times have changed, with on-demand platforms like Netflix offering customers their own exclusive titles. While the BBC will be showing the third series of Ripper Street, it’ll be Prime Instant Video customers who will get it first.
When asked about Premier League football rights, Mockridge reiterated that this was an area Virgin Media was keen to avoid, adding that the company would continue to make deals with Sky and BT.
Netflix is available to subscribers through the apps section of Virgin Media TiVo set-top boxes.
Virgin Media customers can currently get Sky Sports 1, 2, 3 and 4 plus Sky Sports F1 in standard definition for £27.25/month. To get Sky Sports 1 and 2 in HD, customers need to pay an extra £7/month.
BT Sport HD is free for Virgin TV XL customers, but costs £15/month with all other Virgin TV packages.
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