Virgin set sights on BskyB:

Richard Branson met with bosses of NTL at the Royal Opera House in London to launch their new cable group Virgin Media, a new company born for the merger of NTL, Telewest and Virgin’s phone division.

The new company will bundle television, on-demand video, broadband and fixed line and mobile services in packages in the hopes of becoming a major force in entertainment and communications.

In 2006 NTL bought Virgin mobile and made Branson a major shareholder.

Virgin Media has said that it will offer two of its packages for £20 per month, three for £30 or 4 for £40. At the top of its range they will offer a VIP package which will include all four and a high-definition enabled video recorder high-speed internet unlimited landline calls and free mobile with a number of free text messages and calls, all for £125.

Virgin Media has also announced the launch of Virgin Central, a TV channel that offers programs like ‘Little Britain’ ‘West Wing’ and ‘Nip Tuck.’ They also announced they hope to reach 97 percent of the country by the end of this year.