Sky looking at Virgin Media’s TV channels

The bidding war for the Virgin Media TV channels is about to get under way, with BSkyB getting through to the second round to join Channel Four and Time Warner.

The popular Virgin Media TV channels, including Bravo, Virgin1, Living and Challenge will be sold separately, while the UKTV stake, which includes Watch, G.O.L.D., Dave, Alibi, Eden, Blighty, Yesterday, Home, UKTV Food and UKTV Gardens is for sale too.

Virgin Media owns fifty per cent of UKTV in a joint partnership deal with the BBC, which is thought also to be interested in taking UKTV on.

Bids have been said to be for at least £80 million, but it was not that long ago when BSkyB was looking to takeover the entire Virgin Media Television unit, including the fifty per cent holding in UKTV, for around £600 million.