David Farnor | On 27, Nov 2015

Ash vs Evil Dead will be released in the UK this December on Virgin Media, we can confirm.

It’s been years since Sam Raimi and Bruce Campbell took us out to an isolated cabin in the woods, only to accidentally open a veritable Pandora’x box of bad things – but it’s felt like even longer for fans of the franchise, as the new Starz TV series premiered in the US at Halloween, then promptly failed to find a home on British soil.

Now, Ash vs Evil Dead has a confirmed UK release date of 1st December.

Where can you watch it on UK TV? You can’t – at least, not on the traditional, old-school telly. The show will not be screened on a channel at a set time, but will be available exclusively on Virgin Media’s VOD platform. In other words, customers can watch the show for free, whenever they want.

The first five episodes will be released for binge-viewing on Virgin’s TV On Demand on Tuesday 1st December, before also being added to Virgin’s TV Anywhere streaming service from 9th December. (TV Anywhere, which is only available to Virgin Media TiVo customers, allows Virgin customers to watch things on the go, with an app available for iOS and Android devices, plus Amazon’s Kindle Fire.)

The box set release of Episodes 1 to 5 will catch UK fans up with the US broadcasts, with further episodes – beginning with Episode 6 – released weekly on Virgin Media On Demand, within days of their US premieres.

The exclusive deal follows a similar agreement between BT TV and AMC for Fear the Walking Dead, as pay-TV providers in the UK increasingly snap up top new US shows to attract customers. It’s a tactic Sky has been using for years, although Sky has since launched its own standalone VOD service (NOW) to give those who don’t want to be locked in a pay-TV contract a way to watch things. So far, neither BT TV nor Virgin Media have followed suit. How much does it cost to sign up with Virgin Media? TV services start from £20 a month, with a variety of short-term discounts available for those signing up to use Virgin phone and broadband as well.

Existing Virgin Media customers will be able to find the show from Tuesday by heading to TV On Demand on their set top box and then heading to “Collections” and “Ash Vs Evil Dead”.

While Amazon has bought the subscription VOD rights to AMC’s Fear the Walking Dead, which will arrive on Prime Video next year, there is no sign yet of any second-run deals for Ash vs Evil Dead. Watch this space for more news.

David Bouchier, Chief Digital Entertainment Officer at Virgin Media, says: “We are very excited about bringing Ash vs Evil Dead to the UK, exclusively for Virgin Media customers. This long-awaited and much anticipated series marks a step-change in our TV programming strategy and demonstrates the true potential for video on demand. By investing in original series and bringing more exclusive TV shows to Virgin Media customers, we are unlocking the power of the boxset once again. Ash Vs Evil Dead is just the start for Virgin Media customers.”

Mara Winokur, Senior Vice President of Digital at Starz, adds: “Fans throughout the world have been thirsting for the return of Ash. Starz is thrilled to partner with Virgin Media and honoured that the truly ‘groovy’ new hit series, Ash vs Evil Dead was selected to kick off its new on demand programming initiative for UK audiences.”

Here’s a trailer for the show:

Updated at 00.01am Tuesday 1st December to include comment from Virgin Media and Starz

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