Anyone with a Virgin Media set-top box plugged into their TV is getting yet another slew of new channels added to their account at no extra cost today. Having spent much of 2025 bolstering its selection of FAST (Free Ad-supported Streaming TV) channels, the firm is continuing that into 2026 with three new Rakuten channels for customers with Virgin TV 360 and Flex packages.

Those Virgin subscribers will now find Rakuten TV Drama, Rakuten TV Comedy and Rakuten TV Sci-Fi at channels 462, 463 and 464 respectively on their set-top boxes.

Virgin says these channels will bring blockbusters such as The Big Short, Gosford Park and JFK to TVs, plus comedies including Big Momma’s House, The Internship and Bedazzled, while sci-fi is served up in the form of The Fountain and Predestination, among many others.

“Virgin TV customers can also dive into hundreds of TV shows episodes and movies on demand via the Rakuten TV app – at no extra cost – which is accessible via the Virgin TV app store,” Virgin said in a press release.

Rakuten is a Japanese tech firm that owns retail site Buy.com and instant messaging app Viber. It also previously acquired Canadian e-reader outfit Kobo, which is considered the Amazon Kindle’s main competitor. Rakuten TV is its video-on-demand service.

With these new additions, Virgin now gives its customers access to more than 40 FAST channels including British Screen Classics, Inside Crime and U&Transport. All FAST channels intersperse content with ads.

“We know that amazing content and value are a priority for our customers, and the launch of these exciting new streaming channels provides exactly that – unmissable entertainment, including great Hollywood blockbusters, at no extra cost,” said David Bouchier, Chief TV and Entertainment Officer at Virgin Media O2.

“From drama to comedy and everything in between, our line-up of streaming channels offers something for everyone, and these exciting additions will provide our customers with everything available from Rakuten TV, all in one place.”

Paid TV service providers such as Virgin Media and Sky are keen to highlight new and existing perks such as the addition of FAST channels at no extra costs for their customers in the face of competition from streaming service platforms such as Netflix, Disney+ and Amazon Prime Video.

These standalone streaming providers charge monthly fees on easy-to-leave rolling contracts, and of late offer many TV shows and films exclusively thanks to deals with studios or by producing the content themselves.

Traditional, contract lock-in services from Virgin Media and Sky can offer desirable services as add-ons, such as Sky Sports, but often come with high monthly fees. In a world where viewing habits have changed considerably in the last decade and continue to morph, it remains to be seen if the addition of perks such as FAST channels, with linear programming, can keep customers happy in the age of on-demand subscription streaming.