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Latest News from Media Boy UK HQ on Virgin Media UK latest channel changes

Last updated on June 24th 2025 (THIS POST WILL STAY AT TOP OF BLOG):

Coming up Changes to Virgin Media, Sky Q and Freesat

Here is a list of Changes at time of posting (Up until 2029):

Virgin Media UK

Media Boy UK Blogs updates

When Media Boy UK do some label some changes information appearing on this post:

BizAsia: BBC Asian Network’s annual cost remains at £7 million for fifth year

Story from BizAsia:

The BBC Asian Network spend for 2024-2025 remained at £7 million for the fifth year in a row.

BBC News; MasterChef crisis: Wallace and Torode were 'never friends'

Story from BBC News:

"Everyone is reeling."

Deadline: Elon Musk’s X Sets First UK Original With In-Season Docuseries On Premier League Club Burnley

Story from Deadline:

Elon Musk‘s X has set its first UK Original in the shape of docuseries Keeping The Faith about Premier League club Burnley, we can reveal.

Deadline: How ‘MasterChef’ UK Is Putting Its Own Survival On The Menu After A Manic Misconduct Scandal

Story from Deadline:

MasterChef is “much bigger than individuals” and can “absolutely survive and prosper.”

Advanced Television: Virgin Media TV offers 14 free South Asian channels

Story from Advanced Television:

From now until August 17th, Virgin Media is giving its TV customers access to 14 South Asian TV channels at no extra cost in celebration of South Asian Heritage Month.

Deadline: ‘MasterChef’ Creator & Owner Franc Roddam “Saddened” By Misconduct Storm On UK Series

Story from Deadline:

Franc Roddam, the British film and TV impresario who owns MasterChef, has said that he is pained by the presenter misconduct scandal that has engulfed the UK series.

BizAsia: Sony MAX UK to broadcast exclusive coverage of the World Championship of Legends Cricket 2025

Story from BizAsia:

Sony MAX UK has confirmed that it will exclusively broadcast the World Championship of Legends 2025.

Advanced Television: S4C reports record digital viewing

Story from Advanced Television:

S4C has reported that viewing hours across its digital platforms are at an all-time high.

Broadcast Sport: BBC iPlayer to stream up to 15 live Major League Baseball games

Story from Broadcast Sport:

BBC iPlayer will stream 11 consecutive Sundays of live Major League Baseball MLB Network broadcasts plus two Postseason doubleheaders.

Advanced Television: POP Channels on Pluto TV in UK

Story from Advanced Television:

Narrative Entertainment is expanding the reach of its children’s channels with the launch of POP, Tiny Pop and POP Up on FAST platform Pluto TV.

Advanced Television: CMF “deeply concerned” as Sky Kids ceases commissions

Story from Advanced Television:

Sky has announced that it is to halt children’s commissioning in favour of solely acquiring content for its Sky Kids service.

Media Guardian: Toxic behaviour in TV jeopardises key British industry, experts warn

Story from Media Guardian:

Toxic behaviour in British television is jeopardising one of the UK’s most important cultural and economic assets, industry experts have warned.

Advanced Television: Sky, ITV extend content and platform partnership

Story from Advanced Television:

Sky and ITV have announced an extension of their partnership, which will see ITV’s content and services remain available across all Sky TV platforms in the UK.

Advanced Television: Narrative launches TV ad sales house

Story from Advanced Television:

Narrative Entertainment has launched Frame in the UK, a fully independent, ad sales house bringing together broadcast experience and digital expertise.

Deadline: Finite Films & TV Opens Northern Ireland Office With Andrew Gunn Psychological Horror ‘The Fears’

Story from Deadline:

London-based production company Finite Films & TV has opened a new base in Northern Ireland‘s capital of Belfast.

Deadline: BBC Taking Longer Than Ever To Resolve Bullying Complaints Amid Misconduct Crackdown

Story from Deadline:

The BBC is taking longer than ever to resolve bullying and harassment complaints, as the UK broadcaster’s chair admitted that it remains an “unbearable” place to work for some.

BBC News: Who's missing from the BBC salaries list, and why?

Story from BBC News:

The BBC's annual report has been published, with Gary Lineker and Zoe Ball topping the star salaries list, probably for the last time.

BBC News: BBC sacks several people over 'abusive behaviour'

Story from BBC News:

The BBC has confirmed that several members of staff have been sacked following a recent review into the corporation's culture.

Hollywood Reporter: BBC Touts Record Digital Audience in Annual Report, Finds “No Evidence of Toxic Culture”

Story from Hollywood Reporter:

The BBC has reached a record number of people on its digital platforms and spotlighted a review into its workplace culture.

Variety: BBC Outlines Editorial Failures, Workplace Reform and Funding Strains in Annual Report: ‘We’ve Made Mistakes On and Off Screen’

Story from Variety:

The BBC has acknowledged a turbulent year marked by editorial lapses, internal cultural failures, and structural funding pressures, according to its 2024/25 annual report.

Deadline: BBC License Fee Income Hits Record High

Story from Deadline:

At last some good news for the BBC.

Deadline: ‘MasterChef’ Is “Much Bigger Than Individuals,” Says BBC Boss In Wake Of Gregg Wallace Exit

Story from Deadline:

Under fire BBC show MasterChef is “much bigger than individuals” and can “absolutely survive and prosper” without Gregg Wallace, the BBC Director General has said.

Deadline; After Numerous Scandals, BBC Boss Tim Davie Says He’s Had A “Tough Period” But Is Going Nowhere: “This Job Is Not One You Take If You Want A Quiet Life”

Story from Deadline:

Following numerous scandals, it was perhaps unsurprising that BBC Director General Tim Davie faced questions over his position at today’s Annual Report press briefing.

Deadline: Fiona Bruce & Nick Robinson Become Highest-Paid BBC News Presenters After Huw Edwards’ Exit

Story from Deadline:

BBC News has two new highest-paid presenters after Huw Edwards exited in ignominy last year.

Deadline; ‘Doctor Who’: BBC Studios Chief Says Disney Is “Key Partner” As Co-Pro Deal Hangs In Balance

Story from Deadline:

BBC Studios is “really committed to Doctor Who and is continuing to look at ways in which we can bring the show to fans,” according to its CEO Tom Fussell.

Deadline: ‘MasterChef’ Host John Torode Will Not Have Contract Renewed After Allegation Of Racist Language Upheld

Story from Deadline:

Gregg Wallace’s MasterChef co-host John Torode will not have his contract renewed after having a complaint against him upheld for racist language.

Advanced Television: MPs to quiz BBC leadership

Story from Advanced Television:

BBC Director General Tim Davie and Chair Samir Shah are to appear before the Culture, Media and Sport Committee of the UK House of Commons in September for a session on the work of the Corporation, including editorial standards and decision making, and its workplace culture.

Media Guardian: BBC to look at overhauling licence fee as 300,000 more households stop paying

Story from Media Guardian:

A further 300,000 households have stopped paying the licence fee, as the BBC said it was looking at overhauling the payment to secure the corporation’s future “for the long term”.

Advanced Television: 2.4m watch Chelsea win FIFA Club World Cup on 5

Story from Advanced Television:

5’s live coverage of the FIFA Club World Cup Final on July 13th, in which Chelsea beat Paris Saint-Germain 3-0, was watched by a peak of 2.4 million viewers on the linear channel.

Advanced Television: Ancestry channel sponsor deal with Sky History

Story from Advanced Television:

Hearst Networks UK has announced a new sponsorship partnership for Sky History and Sky History2 with Ancestry, the specialist in family history and consumer genomics.

Advanced Television: Premier Sports to show every Investec Champions Cup fixture

Story from Advanced Television:

Premier Sports will serve as the lead broadcaster of the Investec Champions Cup and EPCR Challenge Cup in the UK and Ireland for the 2025/26 season.

Broadband TV News; U&GOLD to bring Fawlty Towers: The Play to TV audiences

Story from Broadband TV News:

U&GOLD has acquired the broadcast rights for Fawlty Towers: The Play.

Broadband TV News: BBC Annual Report warns of Big Tech threat; DG says Gaza “most challenging editorial issue”

Story from Broadband TV News:

The corporation has published its Annual Report, just 24 hours after a separate investigation into “inappropriate behaviour” by MasterChef presenter Gregg Wallace had upheld more than half of the allegations against him.

Deadline: UK Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy Cools Attacks On BBC, Praising “Big Strides” In Gripping Crises

Story from Deadline:

UK culture secretary Lisa Nandy has reduced the temperature of her attacks on the BBC after the publication of two damning reports into misconduct allegations against Gregg Wallace and editorial failings on documentary, Gaza: How to Survive a Warzone.

Advanced Television: BBC reports record digital audiences for Wimbledon

Story from Advanced Television:

The Wimbledon tennis Grand Slam attracted a record breaking 69.3 million online requests for BBC Sport from June 30th to July 13th – the highest ever digital engagement for the championships on record.

Advanced Television; CMS Committee Chair: “Long way to go” with BBC complaints processes

Story from Advanced Television:

Dame Caroline Dinenage MP, Chair of the UK House of Commons Culture, Media and Sport Committee, has suggested that production company Banijay and the BBC need to “raise their game” in terms of complaints processes following the publication of the investigation into the behaviour of TV presenter Gregg Wallace.

Advanced Television: Byker Grove on ITVX, STV Player

Story from Advanced Television:

Nearly two decades after its final episode, Byker Grove has returned to UK screens – with classic episodes available to stream for free on STV Player and ITVX.

Media Guardian: BBC breached accuracy guidelines over Gaza documentary, review finds

Story from Media Guardian:

A BBC documentary about children in Gaza breached the corporation’s editorial guidelines for accuracy by failing to disclose its child narrator was the son of a Hamas official, an internal review has found.

Advanced Television: Channel 4 launching digital comedy channel

Story from Advanced Television:

Channel 4 has unveiled plans to launch a dedicated digital comedy channel for original unscripted comedy content.

Variety: BBC Cuts Ties With Gregg Wallace Following Inappropriate Conduct Investigation: Former Host’s ‘Return to “MasterChef” Is Untenable’

Story from Variety:

The BBC has officially severed ties with longtime “MasterChef” presenter Gregg Wallace following the publication of an independent investigation into his conduct, marking the end of his 20-year tenure on the flagship culinary competition series.

Deadline; BBC To Publish Delayed Review Of Gaza Doc Debacle: “Everyone Feels Like They Could Be The Fall Guy”

Story from Deadline:

When the BBC screened Gaza: How to Survive a Warzone in February, there were hopes that the film would win awards.

Advanced Television: BBC extends Athletic Ventures deal

Story from Advanced Television:

BBC Sport and Athletic Ventures have confirmed a new five-year deal to broadcast coverage of some of the biggest UK athletics events, including the London Athletics Meet, until 2029.

Media Guardian: Thousands of BBC jobs at risk as broadcaster considers major outsourcing drive

Story from Media Guardian:

The BBC is examining a significant outsourcing drive that could put thousands of jobs at risk as it desperately searches for savings, the Guardian understands.

Deadline; Gregg Wallace: Banijay Hired Welfare Coach To Support ‘MasterChef’ Star For Months Amid Misconduct Claims

Story from Deadline:

MasterChef producer Banijay UK hired a full-time welfare specialist to support presenter Gregg Wallace as he faced misconduct allegations.

Advanced Television: Scottish Rugby tests on Premier Sports

Story from Advanced Television:

Scottish rugby fans can watch full live coverage of Scotland’s two remaining tests on their summer Pacific tour on Premier Sports – with a big fixture against Fiji in the early hours on July 12th (Premier Sports 2 from 3.55am UK – repeated at 8.30am UK).

Advanced Television: NBCU’s The Paper coming to Sky

Story from Advanced Television

Sky has announced that the new US comedy series The Paper will be landing on September 5th in the UK on Sky and streaming service NOW.

Deadline; BBC Tells ‘MasterChef’ Host Gregg Wallace: Your Conduct Is Threat To Safety Of Co-Workers

Story from Deadline:

The BBC has told Gregg Wallace that it can no longer work with the former MasterChef presenter because his behavior is a threat to the safety of others.

Variety: ‘Neighbours’ Wraps Final Production for Prime Video as 40-Year Australian Soap Ends Revival With ‘Possibilities for a Future Chapter’

Story from Variety:

Production on the iconic Australian soap opera “Neighbours” has officially wrapped for Prime Video, with the cast filming their final scenes at Nunawading studios on Friday.

Advanced Television: Samsung Ads promotes Barnett to Head of UK Sales

Story from Advanced Television:

Samsung Ads, the advertising arm of Samsung Electronics’ media division, has promoted Lauren Barnett to Head of UK Sales.

Advanced Television: 5’s Milkshake grows live action slate

Story from Advanced Television:

5’s Milkshake has commissioned new preschool series, Move It, Milkshakers! from Doc Hearts, alongside two additional seasons of the factual entertainment format, Animal Care Club from Daisybeck Studios.

Broadband TV News: Macron announces UK support for Eutelsat

Story from Broadband TV News:

French President Emmanuel Macron has said the UK will follow France with a new investment in European satellite operator Eutelsat.

Deadline; Channel 4 Launches Comedy YouTube Channel As Digital Boss Reveals Strategy Insight: “The Show Starts At Minus 10 Seconds”

Story from Deadline:

Having kickstarted the careers of David Mitchell, Chris Morris and Jamie Demetriou, Channel 4 is taking its rich comedy heritage to YouTube with the launch of a new channel.

Variety: Disney and ITV Strike ‘First-of-Its-Kind’ Deal to Share Select Content Across Streaming Platforms

Story from Variety:

Disney and U.K. network ITV have signed a pact billed as a “first-of-its-kind initiative” that will see them share a curated selection of content across their streaming services.

Variety: Banijay U.K. Chief Addresses Gregg Wallace Scandal as 50 More Accusers Come Forward

Story from Variety:

Banijay U.K. executive chair Patrick Holland confronted the mounting Gregg Wallace scandal head-on during a London media dinner Tuesday evening, hours after BBC News revealed that the longtime “MasterChef” presenter had been sacked following 50 new allegations of misconduct.

Advanced Television: SPFL, Premier Sports extend Premier Sports Cup deal

Story from Advanced Television:

The SPFL has signed a deal with Premier Sports to extend their Premier Sports Cup coverage and title sponsorship until 2031.

Deadline: Edinburgh TV Festival To Spotlight “Truth & Trust In The Media” With Former BBC News Boss Delivering MacTaggart

Story from Deadline:

Former BBC News chief James Harding will deliver the annual Edinburgh TV Festival MacTaggart lecture as the fest turns 50.

Deadline: UK Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy Accused Of Jeopardizing BBC Independence After Repeated Attacks On Tim Davie

Story from Deadline:

British culture secretary Lisa Nandy’s repeated attacks on BBC boss Tim Davie have sparked concern about the national broadcaster’s independence, with a Deadline analysis revealing the frequency of her interventions when compared with Conservative predecessors.

Deadline: ‘MasterChef’ Host Gregg Wallace Attacks BBC Amid Reports He’s Been Fired After Misconduct Probe

Story from Deadline:

Gregg Wallace has launched a furious attack on the BBC amid reports that he has been fired from hosting MasterChef UK following an inquiry into his conduct.

Advanced Television: Watsham to exit UKTV

Story from Advanced Television:

UKTV has announced that Richard Watsham, Chief Creative Officer at UKTV and Global Director of Acquisitions for BBC Studios/UKTV, will step down from his roles in September following a 14-year tenure in the business.

Media Guardian; The Guardian view on the BBC’s future: the broadcaster’s independence and funding face challenges

Story from Media Guardian:

The BBC will soon charge US users for full news access.

Advanced Television: Raducanu drives record audiences across BBC Sport

Story from Advanced Television:

Emma Raducanu’s Centre Court at Wimbledon on July 4th appearance attracted a peak TV audience of 5 million on the BBC – the third-highest peak for a non-final match in four years behind only her own fourth-round clash with Lulu Sun last year and Andy Murray vs John Isner in 2022.

Deadline: Channel 4’s Head Of Creative Diversity Exits

Story from Deadline:

Naomi Sesay, Channel 4‘s head of creative diversity, is stepping down after three years.

Media Guardian: Lisa Nandy questions lack of BBC sackings over Gaza war documentary

Story from Media Guardian:

The culture secretary, Lisa Nandy, has demanded to know why no one at the BBC has lost their job over the airing of a documentary on Gaza.

City AM: Losses continue at maker of BBC Question Time as jobs shed

Story from City AM:

Losses have continued at the production company behind the likes of Amazon’s UK Premier League coverage and Question Time for the BBC after its turnover was slashed by £70m over two years.

City AM: BBC-owned Inside the Factory maker rakes in millions

Story from City AM:

Turnover has spiked at the production company behind the likes of Inside the Factory which was taken over by the BBC in 2022, it has been revealed.

Liberty Media: Liberty Media Corporation Completes Acquisition of MotoGP

Story from Liberty Media:

Liberty Media and Dorna Sports, the exclusive commercial rights holder of the MotoGP World Championship, announced today that Liberty Media has completed its acquisition of Dorna.

City AM: F1 owner Liberty Media’s MotoGP deal creates motorsporting behemoth

Story from City AM:

By the close of play today Formula 1 owners Liberty Media will finalise a £3.6bn deal to buy MotoGP.

Advanced Television: Spitting Image returning with vodcast series

Story from Advanced Television:

Spitting Image will return to screens this autumn with a new YouTube series titled Spitting Image: The Rest Is Bulls*!t.

Advanced Television: MPs to probe kids TV content provision

Story from Advanced Television:

The Culture, Media and Sport Committee of the UK House of Commons is to explore the provision of children’s TV and video content in the UK and what can be done to ensure future generations continue to have access to high-quality British-made programming.

Advanced Television: Cork Super Cup on Premier Sports

Story from Advanced Television:

Premier Sports will screen live and exclusive coverage of Celtic’s pre-season match against Cork City on July 8th.

Deadline: BBC Boss Tim Davie Survives His Darkest Days (Exited)

Story from Deadline:

“In my many years of making editorial calls across the BBC, this is as tough as it gets.”

Advanced Television: DAZN scores Serie A deal

Story from Advanced Television: 

DAZN, the sports streaming platform, has signed a deal that secures exclusive and non-exclusive rights to Lega Serie A, Italy’s top football league, competitions, in several international market.

Advanced Television: EFL confirms broadcast schedule for August and September

Story from Advanced Television:

Sky Bet EFL broadcast selections for the period up until the end of September have been confirmed, with all 72 EFL Clubs set to feature at least twice.

Advanced Television: GAA All-Ireland Senior Hurling final live on BBC

Story from Advanced Television:

GAA All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship final will air live on BBC iPlayer, BBC Two Northern Ireland and on the BBC Sport NI website with audiences across the UK able to watch it live.

Broadband TV News: Amazon’s Freevee to shutter next month

Story from Broadband TV News:

Amazon has confirmed the final closure of its ad-supported streaming service Freevee.

BBC News: BBC senior staff told to 'step back' from duties following row (Exited)

Story from BBC News:

The BBC has told a small number of senior staff to step back from their day-to-day duties on music and live events, following the broadcast of Bob Vylan's controversial Glastonbury set.

Advanced Television: ITV, Guinness bring audio descriptive commentary to Euro 2025

Story from Advanced Television:

ITV, in partnership with Guinness, is bringing live audio description commentary to its coverage of matches during UEFA Women’s Euro 2025.

Variety: U.K. Government Formally Rejects Streaming Levy, Doubles Down on Mixed Production Ecology

Story from Variety:

The U.K. government has firmly rejected calls for a 5% levy on streaming platforms and mandatory IP retention rules, instead emphasizing the benefits of a “mixed ecology” that welcomes both international investment and local production in its formal response to parliamentary recommendations on British film and high-end television.

Broadband TV News: BBC makes new statement on Bob Vylan Glastonbury telecast (Exit)

Story from Broadband TV News:

The BBC will no longer broadcast “high-risk” acts during its coverage of music festivals.

Advanced Television: Extreme H signs broadcast deal with Warner Bros Discovery

Story from Advanced Television:

Extreme H has signed a new multi-year agreement with Warner Bros Discovery that will bring motorsport fans live and on-demand race coverage across the UK.

Advanced Television: World Downhill Skateboarding Championship on Channel 4

Story from Advanced Television:

The World Downhill Skateboarding Championship (WDSC) has agreed a broadcast deal with Channel 4 in the UK.

The Media Leader: Can Tim Davie survive the Glastonbury scandal? (Edit)

Story from The Media Leader:

Davie’s authority has been undermined by his handling of Bob Vylan’s Glastonbury set and the refusal to pick up a new documentary on Gaza.

Daily Express: BBC could lose Wimbledon and face huge bill to stop Sky Sports or TNT snatching it

Story from Daily Express:

The BBC is reportedly at risk of losing its Wimbledon coverage to a rival competitor, unless they significantly increase the fee they pay to the All England Club for rights.

Advanced Television: Ofcom OKs 3 new BBC DAB+ stations

Story from Advanced Television:

UK broadcast regulator Ofcom has published its final decisions on the BBC’s plans to launch four new DAB+ stations and extend the hours of Radio 5 Sports Extra.

Advanced Television: UKTV commissions Dom Chinea’s Cornish Workshop

Story from Advanced Television:

UKTV has announced the commission of new series, Dom Chinea’s Cornish Workshop (5 x60’), produced by Beagle Media, for factual channel U&Yesterday and free streaming service U.

Media Guardian: Allies of BBC chief Tim Davie fear latest controversy may damage his leadership (Exited)

Story from Media Guardian:

Allies of Tim Davie fear a mounting list of problems could affect his leadership of the BBC for weeks to come, as Labour continues to press the corporation over its livestreaming of Bob Vylan’s Glastonbury performance.

BBC News: Ravens set up home on TV and radio mast

Story from BBC News:

A family of ravens have set up home on a Lincolnshire TV and radio transmitter.

Deadline: ‘BBC Breakfast’ Editor Richard Frediani Returns To Work Amid Bullying Allegations

Story from Deadline:

BBC Breakfast editor Richard Frediani has returned to work as a misconduct row continues to grip the UK’s most-watched morning show.

Advanced Television: Genesis sponsors Channel 4 films

Story from Advanced Television:

Channel 4 Sales has announced that Genesis, the Korean premium car brand with the luxury experience, will sponsor film programming across Channel 4.