Virgin Media has today confirmed that two of Sky's four premium HD sports channels - Sky Sports HD1 and Sky Sports HD2 - will be made available via the cable service starting August 2nd.
The announcement follows Sky's recent acquisition of Virgin channels, a deal through which Virgin gained the option to carry Sky's HD services.
In offering Sky Sports HD1 and HD2, Virgin Media's total number of HD channels will pass 30, with ESPN HD, EuroSport HD, BBC HD and ITV1 HD completing the lineup of channels offering HD sport.
Virgin Media customers will be able to subscribe to Sky's premium HD services at a cost of £7 per month. The additional cost covers HD versions of all registered Sky channels, ensuring customers who subscribe to the Sky Sports or Movies packs receive the equivalent HD versions for a single set fee.
In addition to Sky's two HD sports channels and ten HD movie channels, Virgin Media will also add Sky 1HD and Sky Arts HD to its range of "basic HD channels" in the near future, all of which are available for no extra monthly fee.
Cindy Rose, executive director of digital entertainment said: "As the new home of HD telly, we're delighted to bring our customers Sky Sports in HD at incredibly competitive rates. With the rapid growth of HD content, customers are demanding more and more from their TV service, and with our growing range of HD channels and on demand content in HD, Virgin Media is the best place for the whole families' entertainment needs."
Taking Virgin Media's current pricing into account, the cheapest package to provide Sky Sports HD1 and HD2 will combine the M+ TV service and a Virgin phone line at a cost of £44.99 per month. In comparison, Sky's cheapest HD Sports package is priced at £46 per month.
In an effort to entice customers, Virgin Media will kick off a new advertising campaign in the weeks building up to the start of the new football season.
