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Virgin Media has unlocked 14 channels to watch at no extra cost in a surprise update to millions of set-top boxes. The channels are available to everyone with a TV box from Virgin Media until August 17, 2025.
This bundle of premium channels usually costs £12 per month, so it's a decent freebie. Virgin Media decided to unlock its Asian Mela bundle — packed with thousands of hours of premium South Asian entertainment and sport — for everyone in recognition of South Asian Heritage Month.
Discussing the decision to unlock the £12 bundle of channels for millions of Virgin Media subscribers, David Bouchier, Chief TV & Entertainment Officer at Virgin Media O2, stated: "We want to celebrate South Asian Heritage Month the best way we know how – by giving Virgin TV customers access to world-leading South Asian entertainment to enjoy at no extra cost. It’s an incredibly important time for families and friends to come together and celebrate the living legacy of South Asian Heritage, we hope there’s something for everything to enjoy across the 14 premium Asian Mela channels."
Switch to Virgin TV, and unlock Sky TV channels and full-fibre broadband
Switch to the broadband-powered Virgin TV box to stream the likes of Sky Sports News HD, Sky Sports Mix HD, Virgin TV Ultra HD, Sky Showcase HD, Sky Witness HD, Sky Max HD, Sky Comedy HD, Sky Sci-Fi HD, U&GOLD HD, Comedy Central HD, TLC HD, and MTV HD, to name a few. You can pause and rewind live television, or jump into shows and films from streamers like Netflix, Prime Video, and Disney+ on the same box. The Bigger Combo also comes with 362Mbps broadband speeds, much faster than the UK average connection
Bigger Combo bundle
$34.99
Cricket fans will be able to watch the World Championship of Legends on Sony MAX HD. This T20-style tournament is packed with cricket greats like Yuvraj Singh, Shahid Afridi, Eoin Morgan, Brett Lee, and AB de Villiers.
Virgin Media TV viewers can also stream six dedicated Indian movie channels, with schedules packed with blockbusters like Pushpa: The Rule Part 2 — India's highest grossing film last year — and Bollywood classics.
There's also family entertainment, like Indian television’s most beloved game show Kaun Banega Crorepati with its longstanding host Amitabh Bachchan. It's available to stream at no cost every weekday to find out who will accompany him in the hot seat for a chance to become a millionaire.
India’s biggest dance reality show — Super Dancer – returns to UK screens for season 5 on Sony TV HD (CH 805)
|VIRGIN MEDIA O2 PRESS OFFICE
Here's the complete list of channels from Virgin Media's Asian Mela bundle:
Utsav Gold HD
Channel number: 801
Utsav Bharat
Channel number: 802
Utsav Plus HD
Channel number: 803
Sony TV HD
Channel number: 805
Sony MAX HD
Channel number: 806
Sony MAX 2
Channel number: 808
Zee TV HD
Channel number: 809
Zee Cinema HD
Channel number: 810
Zee Punjabi HD
Channel number: 811
B4U Movies
Channel number: 815
Colors Gujarati
Channel number: 825
Colors HD
Channel number: 826
Colors Rishtey
Channel number: 827
Colors Cineplex
Channel number: 828
The temporary bonus will come to an end at 11.59pm on August 17, so you'll need to binge-watch everything before then, or cough-up an extra £12 per month to return these channels to your set-top box.
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It comes a few weeks after Virgin Media added two brand-new channels permanently to its telly service at no extra cost. Both new arrivals to the TV Guide were FAST channels (Free Ad-Supported Streaming Television), which means they're delivered via a broadband connection and not aerial.
The new channels are:
- British Screen Classics | Channel 450
This new FAST channel arrives with a packed schedule of film and television gems from the classic libraries of ITV STUDIOS and STUDIO CANAL. This ad-supported channel is designed to take viewers on a journey through Britain’s great cinematic heritage by delving deep into the history of legendary British film studios and production houses to provide a 24/7 stream of adored titles such as This Sporting Life, Doctor in the House, Heaven's Above! and Clockwise. From comedy to horror, war, adventure, drama, and romance; every theme and genre is covered.
- wedotv movies | Channel 451
This contemporary film channel promises a catalogue with over 500 movies that covers all genres. The channel has organised themed stunts every day, such as Romance Mondays and Sci-fi Wednesdays, as well as special seasonal events tied to key calendar moments including Halloween and Christmas.
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