Sky Atlantic to launch on Virgin TV in April

Sky Atlantic will launch on Virgin TV on 1 April, making the premium drama channel available on the platform for the first time.

Virgin Media customers with Sky Entertainment channels will be able to watch its programmes, including major HBO series, at no extra cost.

The move comes ahead of the UK launch of HBO Max, as long-standing exclusivity arrangements around HBO content begin shifting toward wider distribution.

Illustration: Choose.co.uk

Sky Atlantic coming to Virgin TV

Sky Atlantic will launch on Virgin Media's TV plans on 1 April 2026, becoming available on the platform for the first time.

The channel will be added for customers with a Virgin TV 360 or Stream box who subscribe to packages that already include Sky Entertainment channels, including Mega TV and Flex's Essential Entertainment add-on.

Customers will receive the channel at no extra cost as part of their existing subscription. It will appear on channel 111 in the TV guide and be available live, on demand, and through the Virgin TV Go app.

Virgin Media says the update will give viewers access to Sky Atlantic's line-up of dramas and originals. Titles include House of the Dragon, as well as upcoming seasons of HBO series such as Euphoria and The White Lotus.

Because Sky Atlantic has historically been exclusive to Sky and its NOW streaming service, its arrival represents a major addition for Virgin TV customers who have not previously had access to its programmes.

Note: Have a Virgin Media V6 box? Find out how to upgrade the V6 to the TV 360 platform to watch Sky Atlantic.

Where HBO shows will appear: Sky Atlantic vs Max

With HBO Max launching in the UK in March with shows that have previously aired exclusively on Sky Atlantic, and the channel itself joining Virgin TV in April, the key question is what content Virgin TV customers are actually gaining access to.

Sky Atlantic will continue to show HBO series already covered by Sky's UK rights deals, including titles such as A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms, The Last of Us, House of the Dragon, Euphoria, The White Lotus and True Detective. Those programmes will therefore become available to eligible Virgin TV customers when the channel launches on the platform.

Virgin viewers will also gain access to Sky Atlantic's own commissions and exclusives, including series such as Under Salt Marsh, Amadeus, All Her Fault, Heated Rivalry, The Miniature Wife, The Good Daughter and the returning Sweetpea, which are produced for Sky's channels rather than external streaming services.

Separately, Virgin Media boxes - including Stream and TV 360 - will support the HBO Max app from launch. Subscribers will therefore also be able to sign up separately to watch Max-exclusive titles such as Lanterns, the upcoming Harry Potter television series and medical drama The Pitt.

In short, Sky Atlantic will continue to carry HBO titles already licensed to Sky alongside its own Originals, while HBO Max will host series produced specifically for its streaming platform.

Competition shifts as exclusivity fades

As HBO content moves to HBO Max, Sky Atlantic matters less as an exclusive reason to choose Sky. Distributing the channel more widely therefore makes strategic sense, and its arrival on Virgin TV removes one of the biggest remaining differences between the UK's main pay-TV platforms.

For years, Sky Atlantic helped distinguish Sky from rivals because it carried premium US dramas unavailable elsewhere. That advantage disappears once HBO Max carries the same shows, because they're no longer exclusive to Sky.

For Virgin Media, adding the channel closes one of the most visible gaps in its TV line-up and brings it closer to parity on content. But Sky has already been shifting beyond that battleground. Its upcoming TV bundle combines services such as Netflix, Disney+, HBO Max and Hayu alongside traditional channels, showing that aggregation - rather than exclusivity - is now central to its strategy.

For viewers, that shift changes what actually matters when choosing a provider. As platforms begin to carry similar content, differences increasingly come down to price, bundles and broadband performance rather than which service has a particular channel.