Virgin Media to raise mid-contract price hikes to £4 – but adds Netflix to more bundles

The move comes after BT (including Plusnet and EE) recently pushed its annual increase to the same level. Under Ofcom’s rules, providers must now be upfront about mid-contract rises in pounds and pence when you sign up, rather than tying them to inflation. That makes the increases clearer – but it doesn’t stop them going up.

Virgin Media has long been criticised for having some of the steepest mid-contract rises, but the change is relatively small this time. Even so, it means many households will see an extra £48 a year added to their bills.

A Virgin Media spokesperson defended the move, saying the “13p a day rise” is outweighed by the company’s £5m daily investment in its network and services. They also confirmed that existing customer contracts won’t change immediately – the increase will only apply from April 2026 onwards.

Netflix now standard in more bundles

Alongside the price hike, Virgin Media announced some positive changes to its bundles. The most eye-catching update is that Netflix (Standard with Ads) is now included as standard across all TV bundles and also with broadband-only packages of M500 and above, at no extra cost.

Other changes include:

• TV packages simplified – now five core bundles, with the minimum broadband speed upgraded to M250 (was M125).
• Sky premium channels in HD – Sky Sports and Sky Cinema now come in HD as standard, saving customers an extra £7 a month.
• Cheaper home phone add-ons – Talk Anytime is now £8/month (was £15), while Weekend Chatter drops to £3/month.

Christian Hindennach, Chief Commercial Officer at Virgin Media O2, said:

“Netflix is one of the biggest streaming providers across the globe, and through our enhanced partnership, Virgin Media customers can enjoy even more value and access to the greatest shows, movies, documentaries and more as part of their bundle – at no extra cost.”

What does this mean for customers?

For existing customers, nothing changes today – the first £4 rises will hit bills from April 2026. The bigger story for households weighing up a switch is that Virgin Media’s bundles have been refreshed to include better speeds, HD sports and Netflix at no extra cost.

What you can do

If you’re a Virgin Media customer – or thinking of joining – here are your options:

• Check your contract end date – If your deal is nearly up, you’re free to switch without penalties.
• Shop around – Other providers like Sky, BT, Vodafone, TalkTalk and altnets may offer cheaper or more flexible packages.
• Use your postcode – Broadband availability varies by area, so check what speeds and deals you can get locally.
• Negotiate with Virgin Media – If you want to stay, call up and ask about retention deals – you’ll often be offered discounts.
• Consider contract length – Some altnets and smaller ISPs now offer rolling or 12-month contracts with no mid-contract hikes.

Compare broadband deals in your area to see if you could save before the April 2026 price rises.