Brandwave

Freely vs Virgin Media:Which is more popular?

In September 2026, Freely had more branded searches than Virgin Media among TV providers in the United Kingdom. Freely had about 27,100 branded searches, while Virgin Media had 17,100. Freely made up 3.1% of all TV provider searches we track, and Virgin Media accounted for 1.9%. When we asked ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews about TV providers, Virgin Media appeared in all five answers and Freely in two. Virgin Media was mentioned before Freely in four out of five answers.

Among TV providers in the United Kingdom in September 2026

Who do people search for more?

Freely, about 58% more searches than Virgin Media

Freely 27.1K searchesVirgin Media 17.1K searches

Who does AI mention more?

Virgin Media, mentioned in every answer we collected

Virgin Media in 5 of 5Freely in 2 of 5

Who does AI recommend more?

Virgin Media, named ahead of Freely in 4 of 5 answers

Virgin Media first in 4Freely first in 1

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Top TV providers in ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews

In three ChatGPT questions and two Google AI Overviews, Virgin Media appeared in all five answers. Freely was mentioned in two out of five: in two of the three ChatGPT answers, but not in either of the two Google AI Overviews. Virgin Media was listed before Freely in four out of five answers.

Most recommended by AI

Brands get a higher ranking if they are mentioned earlier in the answers.

  1. Sky1st
  2. Virgin Media2nd
  3. EE3rd
  4. NOW4th
  5. BT5th
  6. Freely6th
  7. Freeview7th

Mentioned by AI

Each dot is one answer, filled in when that answer mentions the brand.

  • NOW5 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers
  • Sky5 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers
  • EE5 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers
  • Virgin Media5 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers
  • BT4 of 5Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers
  • Freeview2 of 5Named in 1 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
  • Freely2 of 5Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers

See every answer about TV providers

5 answers

Brands are shown in the order each answer named them. The survey took place in United Kingdom on October 22, 2026.

Is Freely or Virgin Media more popular in search?

This chart shows how often people search Google for Freely and Virgin Media by name. Each line represents a brand's share of searches for all seven TV providers we track, month by month, from searches in United Kingdom.

Freely and Virgin Media among TV providers in the United Kingdom, by month

Share of searches by month for Freely, Virgin Media. The figures are in the table below the chart.

View monthly share of searches table
MonthNOWSkyFreeviewFreelyEEVirgin MediaBT
Oct 202553.2%18.7%10.6%7.2%2.6%6.7%0.96%
Nov 202557.6%16.5%11.6%6.3%2.3%4.9%0.85%
Dec 202560.8%13.5%12.2%8.2%2%2.5%0.73%
Jan 202662.9%16.1%12.6%3.8%2.1%1.7%0.76%
Feb 202664.4%15.8%10.5%3.2%2.1%3.2%0.77%
Mar 202664.6%16.3%10.6%2.6%2.6%2.5%0.78%
Apr 202664.3%15.7%12.9%2.6%2.1%1.8%0.63%
May 202663.9%14.3%10.5%5.7%2.1%2.8%0.63%
Jun 202655.8%18.1%13.6%7.5%2.2%1.9%0.82%
Jul 202663.9%14.9%12.8%3.8%2.1%1.9%0.63%
Aug 202667.2%15.6%9%3.3%2.2%1.9%0.66%
Sep 202662.2%17.1%12.4%3.1%2.5%1.9%0.75%

How has the Freely and Virgin Media comparison changed over the last 12 months?

3 findings
  • The lead changed hands 2 times in the 12 months ending September 2026: Virgin Media took it in February 2026, Freely took it in March 2026.
  • Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Freely’s share of searches among TV providers in the United Kingdom moved from 7.2% to 3.1%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 74K to 27.1K.
  • Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Virgin Media’s share of searches among TV providers in the United Kingdom moved from 6.7% to 1.9%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 69.5K to 17.1K.

How did search popularity change for United Kingdom TV providers in September 2026?

2 changes

  1. Freely’s share of searches among TV providers in the United Kingdom has lost ground for 3 months in a row, from 7.5% to 3.1% in September 2026.

  2. Estimated monthly branded searches for Virgin Media in the United Kingdom fell 75.4% over 12 measured months, from 69.5K to 17.1K in September 2026.

How are branded searches counted?

4 search terms

Brandwave collects information about searches that people make online using Freely’s and Virgin Media’s names. When viewed over time, estimated search volumes for these branded terms can be used to understand whether interest in the brands is growing, holding steady, or fading.

Freely

1 branded search term

  • freely tv

Virgin Media

3 branded search terms

  • virgin media tv
  • virgin media tv packages
  • virgin tv

How the Brand Demand Index is measured

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