It’s been a very long time coming, but homes with Virgin Media TV are finally getting access to Sky Atlantic from tomorrow, April 1st. The major boost, which arrives at no extra cost, means customers with Virgin TV 360 and Stream boxes will be able to watch a swathe of bonus content such as Heated Rivalry, Under Salt Marsh, The Last Of Us and Amadeus. There’s also classic drama such as the award-winning Succession series along with Hacks, The White Lotus and I Hate Suzie Too. Sky Atlantic also broadcasts 24 hours a day, so there’s plenty to watch during the day and night.

From tomorrow, all customers need to do is visit channel 111 on the Virgin TV platform to tune in. Things get even better as Sky Atlantic programming is also available on-demand and via Virgin TV Go as well.

Explaining more about the Sky Atlantic update, David Bouchier, Chief TV and Entertainment Officer, Virgin Media O2 told Express.co.uk.

“We’ve carried all of Sky’s services apart from Atlantic. There’s a long history in that; it was a way of differentiating their service, which they were very keen to keep. But now I think, given the overwhelming competition in premium drama, it’s actually beneficial for Sky to allow our additional 15% of TV households to have it available to them.

“We’ve chosen to make it available at no extra cost.

“So it’s a great customer trust message. It’s a great customer value message.”

Although Virgin is bringing Sky Atlantic to customers, the firm isn’t planning to copy Sky’s recent update and offer a swathe of other services such as Disney+, HBO Max and Hayu in one single bundle.

Sky recently launched its Ultimate TV plan, which includes all of this content for a single monthly fee, but Virgin isn’t offering something similar. Customers do currently get Netflix as standard with the option to then add other services – a bit like pick and mix.

“So we believe in flexibility and choice management rather than a big bundle,” Boucher explained.

“We don’t particularly want to saddle users with a top price monthly subscription.

“So you’ll find that we are consistently more competitive than our competitors, including Sky, and a good £3 or £4 cheaper for the for an entertainment pack because we don’t bolt on everything. We’d rather give them value and choice.”

Virgin TV customers have something else to celebrate. Along with Sky Atlantic’s arrival, the provider has announced that a major content upgrade is available at no extra cost. Virgin’s TV Ultra HD channel has been unlocked for all TV customers, not just those on select premium plans. This update runs until Sunday, 12 April.

So what can you watch on the channel?

Viewers will be able to enjoy a nightly lineup of advert-free entertainment, including family-friendly films, legendary rock and roll performances, and a wide variety of documentaries.

Finally, Virgin is keen to point out that its FAST (Free Ad-supported Streaming Television) channels continue to grow.

Virgin currently has over 30 free-to-view platforms, all available on the TV planner.

“We were the first to integrate fast channels into the free-to-air section of our service,” Boucher told us.

“So, our fast channels are fully integrated, unlike when you have a smart TV, where you have to go into another environment.

“Also, Sky chose not to go down the fast route as quickly as we did. We integrated them totally into the electronic programme guide. It’s a huge value benefit for our customers.”