Virgin Media gets Rakuten TV app

Virgin Media TV customers will now have free access to the Rakuten TV streaming app, which offers 8,000 titles on-demand as well as 150 live streaming channels.

Support has been added to the Virgin Media TV 360 and Virgin Stream boxes. To access the new content customers just need to go to the app section on their TV.

The Rakuten app joins recent support for Apple TV+, Sky Sports Ultra HD, Paramount+, and Disney+, helping Virgin Media to rival Sky.

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Rakuten TV

Rakuten TV is a streaming app that offers free access to content on-demand and across several live streaming channels, including Top Movies, Comedy, Drama, Action, Sci Fi, and Romance.

More specific channels include FIFA, Redbull TV, Tastemade, Great British Menu, Robot Wars, and others covering Entertainment, Sports, Lifestyle, Cooking, Music, Kids, Reality, Crime & Mystery, and Documentaries.

While the majority of content is Free Ad-Supported TV (FAST), users also have the option to buy or rent popular new releases, including Despicable Me 4, Twisters, The Bikeriders, and The Garfield Movie.

Rakuten also have their own range of Rakuten Originals movies available to watch for free.

The Rakuten app has been added to both the Virgin TV 360 and Stream boxes, with users with the V6 box able to upgrade to the TV 360 platform to gain access to the app.

To watch, users simply need to go to the app section of the Virgin Media TV interface and select the Rakuten app.

Sidharth Jayant, Chief Product Officer at Rakuten TV, said: "Rakuten TV offers a great choice for Virgin Media Customers with the premium new releases to rent or buy and a great selection of Movies, TV Shows and FAST channels for free. We are pleased to collaborate with Virgin Media to offer this high-quality experience to its customers. This partnership is a further step in our strategy to bring our TV offer to telco clients across Europe".

Rival to Sky

Virgin Media have undoubtedly been trying to increase their user proposition by adding additional content options to rival Sky TV.

While Sky had the head start on app support, Virgin Media have been playing catch-up over the past year, adding support for Apple TV+, Paramount+, Disney+, and Sky Sports Ultra HD.

They've also previously added more content via FAST providers, including Pluto TV, boosting the content available on even their lowest priced Stream TV and Big Bundle packages.

The latest addition of the Rakuten TV app helps to add even more free content for all users of their TV 360 and Stream box-sets, regardless of the plan they're on and how much they're paying each month.

David Bouchier, Chief TV and Entertainment Officer at Virgin Media O2, said: "Virgin TV is the home of great entertainment with a host of must-have apps, on demand shows and popular channels. The addition of the Rakuten TV app to our platform gives our customers access to even more unmissable content and fan-favourite films at the click of a button."

Read more on Virgin Media TV packages and how Virgin Media TV compares to Sky TV.