Globecast Supplies Virgin Media With Playout Solution for Exercise Channel

Virgin Media, an existing customer, has turned to Globecast to provide a robust and flexible playout solution for its ‘pop-up’ HD exercise channel, Get Moving.

During these ongoing difficult COVID-19 times, online and TV-based exercise classes and workout recommendation shows have become extremely popular as people want to get, or maintain, fitness and to feel part of a group. Virgin Media initially launched the channel itself but then decided that a more robust, flexible, and fully managed playout solution was needed and turned to Globecast.

“We already have a strong relationship with Virgin Media via our partnership in launching the UK’s first dedicated 4K Ultra HD entertainment channel in autumn 2018 – Virgin TV Ultra HD,” says Juliet Bayliss, Sales Director, Globecast. “We’re really pleased that they have once again turned to us to provide the quality of service and robustness needed, as well as quick turnaround launch.”

Globecast is providing Cinergy-based playout at its London facility, along with scheduling, 24-hour monitoring, and fiber delivery services. It’s also providing compliance assurance for the channel.

The ‘Get Moving’ channel is described by Virgin Media as a “cracking new channel featuring sessions led by Olympic gold medallists, including Daley Thompson, and some of the fitness game’s best experts, it’s never been easier, either!”. It includes Yoga classes, challenging fitness workouts as well as family-friendly PE sessions.

Bayliss added, “We have worked to a tight timescale with this launch, using all our playout expertise. We provided Virgin Media with a range of playout options, from which its team selected a preferred option. One issue we had to overcome was completing this project while adhering to all of the Covid workplace restrictions, a situation that required all our years of expertise to overcome.”