The landscape of UK media distribution may change in a significant way soon: UK cable operator NTL, in which Virgin founder Richard Branson has a majority stake, will be rebranded as Virgin Media by next year, in an effort to highlight its quad-play/multiplatform services. This follows the long buyout saga that saw NTL and Telewest merge and then acquire Virgin Mobile. Now the consumer division of the combined company, NTL:Telewest, will go under the new name Virgin Media from Q1 of next year.
Post-rebrand, the company will push content across various delivery platforms and has already announced its first quadruple play offering, where users can buy their broadband access, pay TV, fixed and mobile phone from a single supplier. Pre-rebrand, the business units will continue to operate under their own names.
Also today, news came out that NTL is in talk to merge with ITV PLC, Britain’s biggest commercial broadcaster, and that Branson has thrown his support behind the proposal. In the increasingly cutthroat market for TV and Internet customers, Branson believes a deal would create a stronger rival to satellite operator BSkyB, says the story.
ITV has been struggling with a dismal advertising market and losing viewers to the growing number of digital channels offered in Britain. It is also without a CEO after Charles Allen stepped down earlier this year.
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