Top Tech: Virgin Media's free TV giveaway ends soon as 48-hour countdown begins

Virgin Media is urging customers to act now to avoid missing out on a free TV giveaway. The provider recently relaunched a popular deal offering new customers a free 50” Hisense Ultra HD Smart TV or £200 bill credit when they sign up for select TV and broadband bundles.

However, Virgin has now started a countdown to the end of the deal at 11.59pm on Wednesday, July 9. One major difference to the latest deal is its eligibility across a range of plans; usually, Virgin’s giveaways are only available with its most pricey packages, but the latest deal can be secured by those on a range of budgets.

The most affordable option is the £44.99 Bigger Combo bundle + Movies, which provides access to more than 200 TV channels including Sky Cinema HD, plus 362Mbps fibre broadband. Sports fans may prefer the £65.99 Bigger Combo bundle + Sports as it replaces Sky Cinema with eight dedicated Sky Sports channels.

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There’s also the option for a faster internet connection, with the £78.99 Biggest Combo bundle boosting the broadband to a speedy 516Mbps alongside more than 210 channels, as well as both Sky Sports HD, Sky Cinema HD and Netflix’s Standard with ads plan. Virgin’s all singing, all dancing package is the £84.99 Mega Volt bundle, which boasts more than 230 TV channels including Sky Sports HD, Sky Cinema HD and Netflix Standard with ads, plus a mega 1,130Mbps broadband.

Members also receive an O2 SIM card with unlimited data, minutes and texts. New customers securing any one of these four packages can choose between the free Hisense TV or £200 deducted off their monthly bills.

However, Virgin recently made a change to its TV and broadband plans that may be off putting for Brits who value flexibility. Previously, Virgin’s plans ran for 18 months, but they have now been extended to last for 24, matching the minimum term of rivals like Sky.

While Virgin does not charge a set-up fee with these plans, the same contract length makes the cheaper price point of Sky’s £35 Essential TV and Full Fibre 150 Broadband bundle more appealing. While this plan includes roughly 100 channels less than Virgin and offers slower broadband, it may be a better option for those looking to keep costs down.

It’s also worth noting that, like most providers, Virgin plans to increase its monthly prices every April in an inflation-linked rise. Virgin has already confirmed members on the Bigger Combo bundle + Movies will pay £48.49 per month from April 2026 and £51.99 from April 2027.

Here's a full breakdown of the eligible TV and broadband packages:

Bigger Combo bundle + Movies – £44.99 per month

• 362Mbps average download speed
• 200+ TV channels
• Sky Cinema HD and Sky channels

Bigger Combo bundle + Sports – £65.99 per month

• 362Mbps average download speed
• 200+ TV channels
• Eight Sky Sports channels, including Main Event and F1

Biggest Combo bundle – £78.99 per month

• 516Mbps average download speed
• 210+ TV channels
• Sky channels, Sky Sports HD and Sky Cinema HD
• Netflix Standard with ads

Mega Volt bundle – £84.99 per month

• 1,130Mbps average download speed
• 230+ TV channels
• Sky channels, Sky Sports HD and Sky Cinema HD
• Netflix Standard with ads
• O2 SIM card with unlimited data, calls and texts
• Six-month O2 Extra such as Disney+ or Amazon Prime