Virgin Media Launches and Announces Unique New TV Channel and Expansion Plans

Virgin Media Launches and Announces Unique New TV Channel and Expansion Plans

LONDON, February 8/PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Virgin Media (NASDAQ: VMED), a major new force in
entertainment and communications, launched this morning, pledging to shake up
the industry and to offer consumers quality, value, innovative products and
outstanding customer service.

For the first time, one company will be able to deliver a
simple, one-stop solution to meet consumers' entertainment and communications
needs, providing cutting-edge digital TV services, unlimited broadband, home
phone and a feature-packed mobile service.

Commenting on today's launch, Jim Mooney, chairman said:
"Virgin Media will be the UK consumer's company of choice to bring together
all of the products, new services and great content, such as Virgin Central,
under a totally dedicated and national customer service banner."

A new TV channel with a difference

Virgin Media will launch its most innovative content offer yet
in Virgin Central, a blockbuster interactive cable channel, on 20 February.
It will herald a new way to watch television, combining the simplicity of a
traditional channel with the choice and control of next generation
TV-on-demand technology.

Customers will be able to pick and choose from a selection of
episodes from hit shows such as The OC, Nip/Tuck, West Wing, Little Britain,
Grey's Anatomy, Alias, Criminal Minds, CSI: Crime Scene Investigation and
CSI: Miami, at any one time for free.

The hybrid service will be available on cable channel 119 and
marks a step change in the development of TV-on-demand - making access to a
library of additional viewing more exciting and intuitive than ever before.

Virgin Media customers will also be benefiting from even more
great content very shortly.

National reach and coming to a store near you

Virgin Media also announced plans to extend its reach
nationally by rolling services out into non-cable areas in 2007, enabling it
to compete on a level playing field with key competitors for the first time
ever by reaching over 97% of UK households.

Virgin Media will soon be taking on competitors in the high
street too, via a major retail initiative.

Fifteen stand alone Virgin Mobile stores offering its unique
quadplay of broadband, digital TV, home phone and mobile will open throughout
the UK in 2007.

This is in addition to existing promotional sites in over 100 of the UK's
major shopping centres. The company will also shortly be announcing a major
deal to sell its quadplay services in hundreds of high street retail outlets
across the UK. In addition, it will sell quadplay in 75 Virgin Mobile
concessions in Virgin Megastores.

Simplicity, choice, quality and value

Simplicity and choice are key priorities for Virgin Media.
Customers can choose from a range of products on the quadplay menu in clearly
priced packages to suit their needs. Virgin Media offers two products for
GBP20, three for GBP30 and four for GBP40.

For those who want the best entertainment and communication products
money can buy, the company also announced the launch of its 'VIP' (Very
Impressive Package) service, offering V+, its HD-enabled PVR; 10Mb broadband;
unlimited UK landline calls; and a free TV mobile phone with 500 minutes of
mobile airtime per month, 1,000 texts a month and a VIP bonus of GBP60 free
airtime.

As an alternative to Freeview, Virgin Media can also deliver
outstanding value to its existing home phone customers with its TV-on-demand
service, included in a free TV package. The UK's most extensive TV-on-demand
library has more than 500 movie titles and hundreds more comedy shows and TV
dramas available 24/7.

Focusing on customer service

Virgin Media is putting customer service at the heart of its
business and will make it a key differentiator for consumers. In 2006, it
invested GBP10m (on an annualised basis), hired 300 extra customer service
employees, 30 new trainers and reinvigorated its training programmes. Great
progress has been made, with 71% of calls now answered within 30 seconds
compared to 37% this time last year. And the average speed of answer is now
40 seconds, compared to 176 seconds this time last year. Virgin Media will
continue to focus on achieving and maintaining the highest levels of service
for all its customers.

Steve Burch, chief executive officer said:

"We've been working towards this day for a long time and the
transformation of our business is already well advanced. Virgin values are
starting to permeate all aspects of our company, from the culture to our
product line up. Looking forward, we have a world of opportunity before us.
Consumers are ready for something genuinely different. As a company and as
individuals, their needs and aspirations will remain at the heart of
everything we do."

Richard Branson, founder of Virgin Group, said:

"Today's creation of Virgin Media sees a milestone in the
history of the media industry and cable in particular. For the first time
there is a single brand set to provide a more extensive range of television
entertainment, broadband and communication services than previously offered
by anyone in the UK. Our transition to Virgin Media has been underway since
last July and will continue over the coming months, as we roll out an
outstanding 21st century customer experience in home entertainment and
communications."

Notes to Editors

Launched on 8 February 2007, Virgin Media is a leading
provider of home entertainment and communication services. With almost 10
million customers across the country (5m cable, 4.5m mobile, 250,000
virgin.net), it is the only operator in the UK to offer a 'quad play' of TV,
broadband, home and mobile phone services.

Most of Virgin Media's TV, broadband and home phone services
are distributed across a high-speed cable network which reaches 12.5 million
(predominantly urban) households. An investment programme is currently
underway to extend the quadplay offer to the whole country in 2007.

The company's Virgin Media Television subsidiary produces a range of
popular TV programmes and channels, including Living, Bravo, Challenge,
Trouble and ftn. Through a joint venture with the BBC, Virgin Media
Television is also a 50 per cent partner in UKTV.

High-resolution images are available at www.vismedia.co.uk from 9.30am.

For further information and interview opportunities please
contact:

Nick Fox or Lisa Gordon at M Communications on +44-(0)20-7153-1530 or
+44-(0)20-7153-1540

Source: Virgin Media

Nick Fox or Lisa Gordon at M Communications on +44-(0)20-7153-1530 or +44-(0)20-7153-1540

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