Virgin pushes quad-play via Big Brother deal

Virgin Media has confirmed that it will sponsor Channel 4's Big Brother 8, with the option to sponsor subsequent series including the next Celebrity Big Brother. 

The company formerly known as NTL/Telewest will use the Big Brother campaign to promote its quad-play offering of broadband, phone, mobile and on-demand TV.

Virgin Media spokesman John Moorwood told vnunet.com that the campaign will focus on the brand's mobile offering, with ads featuring mobile products and services.

Virgin is looking at opportunities to create tie-in content designed for web and mobile viewing, he added.

Moorwood declined to say how much Virgin Media had paid to sponsor the Channel 4 show, which returns in May.

Carphone Warehouse paid around £3m to sponsor the January 2007 series of Celebrity Big Brother, before pulling out in response to the Jade Goody bullying controversy.  

The Big Brother contract is not a poisoned chalice, insisted Moorwood. "We have had assurances from Channel 4 that this kind of thing will not be allowed to happen in future series. We trust them as a responsible broadcaster.

"Virgin is a brand known for taking risks. It makes sense to tie up with a TV show that has been genuinely innovative."

Meanwhile, Moorwood confirmed that Virgin Media customers will have on-demand access to all three seasons of Lost from this August, following a deal with Disney Buena Vista. 24, rights to which are owned by Rupert Murdoch's Fox, is unlikely to be made available.

Virgin Media is continuing to invest heavily in TV content, according to Moorwood. "We are investing all the money we saved by not paying the huge amount that Sky wanted for their channels," he said.

Virgin has revealed that Sky wanted £48.5m per year to retail Sky channels on Virgin Media, nearly double the existing fee. 

Bad relations with Sky are unlikely to heal if Virgin Media buys broadband provider Pipex, valued at £335m.

Virgin has emerged as the leading bidder for the UK's fifth biggest ISP, and the acquisition would boost Virgin's UK broadband customer base of 570,000 allowing it to close in on Sky.