In view of the welcome news that Virgin is back in the content game, I thought it would be useful to open a thread to bring these stories together in one place.
The latest news to emerge appears to be this one.
Virgin Media orders comedy shorts, buys Magic City
Virgin Media is pushing further into original content. A deal has been reached with Avalon Television to produce a series of comedy shorts and buying US drama Magic City.
Ordering Edinburgh Comedy Shorts (WT) marks the first time the Liberty Global-owned broadband and pay TV company has commissioned programming.
http://www.digitaltveurope.net/58504...ys-magic-city/
This comes after the announcement of a major push into original drama programming with All3Media. This places it more directly in competition with Sky, BT, and Netflix.
Magic City becomes Virgin’s third UK-exclusive US programme following a deal with Starz, after another with Starz for Ash Vs Evil Dead and another with Endemol Shine International for Kingdom.
Virgin Media’s chief digital entertainment officer, David Bouchier, told TBI that Avalon was in Edinburgh this month at the Fringe Festival filming the 15 shorts that would comprise Edinburgh Comedy Shorts, which will be released exclusively on its streaming TV Anywhere services.
The shorts will debut on Virgin Media’s streaming service, which is powered by its super-fast internet infrastructure, for a month. “This is important because it makes our streaming service a destination to go to, and increases the audience.”
Bouchier said the company would also look at co-productions for big-budget programming, which will go alongside the exclusive dramas it gets from the Liberty-All3Media output agreement, and is dipping its “toe in the water commissioning” for short-form exclusives.
Bouchier was drafted in last year to create Virgin Media’s content strategy. He has since hired former Channel 4 buyer Gill Hay as acquisitions chief and David Twallin as head of programming.