Virgin TV Launches Personalized Kids VOD Channel

U.K.-based Virgin Media has launched a personalized video on demand channel for children, My Virgin TV Kids, in partnership with zone·tv. My Virgin TV Kids is designed to let young viewers customize their viewing experience and programming lineup in real time.

The introduction of My Virgin TV Kids is the first European launch for zone·tv and will enable Virgin TV’s youngest viewers to create their own personalized playlists. The new feature will be available through Virgin Media’s smallest, smartest, fastest set-top box — the V6, powered by TiVo — later this month.

Kids will be able to enjoy a range of TV favorites, including Teletubbies and Bob the Builder, by entering the VOD channel through the Virgin TV programming guide. They can then watch TV or scroll forward or backward in the guide to pick the show they want — regardless of when it’s scheduled to run.

My Virgin TV Kids will use advanced technology from zone·tv to learn and personalize programming as kids choose what to watch or to skip; developing recommendations based on the child’s favorite themes, characters and programs and generating intelligent, personalised playlists.

Among the programs on My Virgin TV Kids are household favorites including:

• Teletubbies — Pre-schoolers can catch up with the adventures of Tinky-Winky, Dipsy, Laa-Laa and Po.
• Pingu — The Claymation series features your favorite heartwarming penguin hero.
• Caillou — This young boy proves that “growing up is the greatest adventure of all.”
• Bob the Builder — Children worldwide have shared Bob’s love of construction.
• Franny’s Feet — Franny tries on various pairs of shoes which lead her to global adventures.

The new VOD channel will be powered by technology and programming provider, zone·tv, and, Virgin Media says, “will combine artificial intelligence with human editors to curate the content, designing an experience which reflects kids’ individual interests while they are watching TV.”

The company adds that “My Virgin TV Kids is a safe environment for children, no personal data will be collected or stored, and once in the VOD channel, all of the content is child-friendly and free from adverts. Kids can create their own profile or simply watch TV as they would on any other linear channel.”