Virgin Media: From Sky Atlantic on Your Screen to AI That Flags a Billion Scams — A Night In and a Network on Guard
In a dim living room, the remote hovers over a coffee table as a drama floods the screen and a phone vibrates on silent. For one household the entertainment and the threat arrive almost at once: the arrival of Sky Atlantic on their set, and a flashing label on their caller ID warning them away from a suspected fraud. That dual moment is the new reality built by virgin media and its telecom arm for customers juggling evenings in front of prestige TV and the constant ring of potentially dangerous calls.
What is Virgin Media adding to my TV lineup?
Short answer: Sky Atlantic HD is being added to Virgin Media’s TV packages for qualifying customers, bringing high-profile dramas directly to the guide. Customers who have a Sky Entertainment Channels package and the Stream box or Virgin TV 360 will be able to access Sky Atlantic HD on CH 111 at no extra cost, and a selection of Sky Atlantic shows will also appear On Demand.
The change is designed to make cinematic dramas more accessible. Viewers with the right package can find Sky Atlantic in the guide or by saying “Sky Atlantic” voice search on the Virgin TV remote. On Demand titles will be available to stream, and shows can be watched on the go using Virgin TV Go on iPhone, iPad, Android mobile or tablet, PC and Mac. Households that still use the V6 or TiVo box, or that have a Stream or 360 box but not the Sky Entertainment Channels package, will not see Sky Atlantic until they upgrade either their box or their package.
How does Call Defence stop scam and spam calls?
In brief: an AI-driven label appears before you pick up, and known fraudulent numbers are blocked. The Call Defence service, launched by Virgin Media O2 in partnership with Hiya, uses Adaptive AI to analyse unknown numbers in real time and label them as suspected scam or spam when patterns match risky behaviour.
The technology displays clear warnings on customers’ phone screens and blocks known fraudulent calls. Virgin Media O2 says the system has labelled more than 1 billion suspected scam and spam calls and now flags roughly 70 million calls each month. The pattern shows practical results: calls labelled as “suspected scam” are answered 42% less often and last 89% less time than unflagged calls. Customers are urged to report suspicious activity to 7726 so the company can investigate and block offending numbers and refine its protections.
“At Virgin Media O2, customers are our top priority, and we’re investing heavily to keep them safe from scams and ensure we’re a network they can rely on, ” said Murray Mackenzie, Director of Fraud Prevention at Virgin Media O2. He framed the AI work as a protective layer meant to remove the advantage from fraudsters who impersonate well-known brands and government departments.
Which impersonations and tactics should people watch for?
Fraudsters are using familiar names to lower a person’s guard. Data from the network shows scammers most often impersonate large online retailers and tax authorities; calls pretend to be about orders, fraudulent purchases, unpaid taxes or bank account problems, aiming to extract credentials, card numbers or authorisation to move money. The same AI that flags calls also uses reports from customers to block messages and refine detection; more than 1 billion scam messages have been blocked to date.
Alex Algard, CEO and Founder of Hiya, described the user impact: “A phone call should create connection, not anxiety. By working with Virgin Media O2 to label 1 billion suspected scam calls in real time, we’re giving customers clarity before they ever pick up. ” The partnership underscores a blend of machine learning and crowd-sourced reporting to reduce harm.
On the TV side, the practical response is simple: upgrade the box or add Sky Entertainment Channels if viewers want immediate access to Sky Atlantic content. For calls, the practical steps are to heed labelled warnings, report suspicious numbers to 7726, and keep device software current so the free Call Defence benefit reaches more customers.
Back in the living room the remote finds a scene from a new Sky Atlantic drama while the phone, quietly labelled on its screen, sits unanswered. The twin changes — richer programming available on the set and an AI guard on the handset — reframe ordinary evenings. For viewers and customers, the question now is not whether those two worlds will intersect again, but how confidently they will let the picture play and the phone stay silent under the watch of virgin media.
