Comparison

Virgin Media Play vs RÚV

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

Virgin Media Play

Stream popular TV shows, dramas, and Irish content live or on demand. Enjoy features like restarting live shows, accessing all channels, and improved accessibility services. Discover new titles and search for favorites.

Highlights
  • Stream live and on-demand TV shows
  • Restart live shows from the beginning
  • Access all Virgin Media channels
  • Improved accessibility (subtitles, audio description)
  • Watch major shows minutes after airing
  • Browse and search for new titles and favorites
Features
Read full description

It’s Playtime! Virgin Media Play is Virgin Media Televisions revamped and brand new on demand Player. Looking to stream some of the most talked about TV shows for free? You’re in the right place. From homegrown Irish content and unmissable sport to reality boxsets and jaw-dropping dramas, Virgin Media Play has it all available live or on demand. What you’ll love about Virgin Media Play • Restart shows live from the beginning so you don’t miss a single moment. • Seamlessly watch all our channels within the app. • Improved accessibility services, including subtitles and audio description. • Stream major shows such as Love Island and Gogglebox Ireland minutes after they’ve aired so you don’t get FOMO. • We add new TV programmes and films all the time, so why not browse new titles or search for your favourites and stream to your device? So, what are you waiting for? Download the new and improved Virgin Media Play app to your mobile, tablet or smart TV and open up a world of entertainment at your fingertips. Got a feature you love? Share the love! Found a bug? We're here to squish it! Think there's a smoother way to do things? Let's optimize like there's no tomorrow! Don’t hesitate to get in touch to share your feedback by contacting playsupport@virginmedia.ie.

About

RÚV

Access live and on-demand Icelandic television and radio broadcasts. Enjoy featured content, search schedules, and listen to radio in the background. Some content may be restricted outside of Iceland.

Highlights
  • Live TV and radio streaming
  • On-demand content
  • Featured content panels
  • Search and schedule
  • Background radio playback
  • AirPlay and Chromecast support
Features
Read full description

RÚV spilar upptökur fyrir sjónvarps– og útvarpsrásir RÚV, í beinni útsendingu á símum og spjaldtölvum. Hlaðborð yfir nýtt efni í boði eru sýnd fyrir sjónvarps– og útvarpsefni. Leit og dagskrá er einnig í boði. Hægt er að horfa á sjónvarpsrásirnar og hlusta á útvarpsrásirnar. Útvarpið heldur áfram þó farið sé úr spilaranum og hljómar í bakgrunni, þegar slökkt er á símanum eða spjaldtölvunni og hægt er að velja útvarpsrásir með hraðsnertingu (e. 3D Touch). Útvarpið er öllum aðgengilegt, hvar sem er í heiminum. Fréttir í sjónvarpi eru einnig aðgengilegar allsstaðar en sumir dagskrárliðir eru ekki aðgengilegir utan Íslands, ef RÚV hefur ekki sýningarrétt. AirPlay og Chromecast stuðningur. RUV plays Icelandic tv and radio channels from The Icelandic National Broadcasting Service. There are featured tv and radio panels, search and schedule. The radio plays in the background and may be activated with 3D Touch. All the tv shows are in Icelandic or have Icelandic subtitles. The radio is in Icelandic also. Many of the tv shows are restricted and thus, can not be watched outside of Iceland.

Screenshots

Virgin Media Play4 screens
RÚV4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: RÚV at 4.3 against Virgin Media Play's 2.3. RÚV also leads on ads (none vs shown) and ratings volume (228 vs 3). On price, update cadence, in-app purchases and device support there is nothing between them.

Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

RÚV holds the better App Store score, 4.3 against 2.3. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: RÚV has 228 ratings behind it against 3, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 12% of Virgin Media Play's written reviews are positive against 29% of RÚV's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Both ship on a similar rhythm, roughly monthly. The most recent releases landed on November 6, 2026 and November 2, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard5 real differences · 5 level
Virgin Media Play versus RÚV: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterVirgin Media PlayRÚV
PriceFreeFree
Rating2.3 (3 ratings)4.3 (228 ratings) — better
Positive reviews11.8% of reviews28.6% of reviews — better
Number of ratings3228 — better
Update frequencyMonthlyMonthly
AdsYesNo — better
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationAd-supportedFree — better
DevicesiPhone, iPad, Apple TViPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS16.015.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size86 MB50 MB
Age rating12+12+
DeveloperTV3 TELEVISION NETWORK LIMITEDRíkisútvarpið ohf

Customer experience

Virgin Media Play

All ratings3 ratings
Positive33.3%
Neutral0.0%
Negative66.7%
Written reviews17 reviews
Positive11.8%
Neutral5.9%
Negative82.4%

RÚV

All ratings224 ratings
Positive81.7%
Neutral5.8%
Negative12.5%
Written reviews14 reviews
Positive28.6%
Neutral28.6%
Negative42.9%

In-app purchases

None

Virgin Media Play

No in-app purchases

None

RÚV

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Virgin Media Play free?
Virgin Media Play is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is RÚV free?
RÚV is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Virgin Media Play or RÚV?
RÚV is rated higher. Virgin Media Play averages 2.3 out of 5 from 3 ratings, while RÚV averages 4.3 from 228 ratings.
Do Virgin Media Play or RÚV have ads?
Virgin Media Play shows ads; RÚV does not.
Which is updated more often, Virgin Media Play or RÚV?
Virgin Media Play ships an update monthly, and RÚV monthly. Most recently, Virgin Media Play was updated on November 6, 2026 and RÚV on November 2, 2026.

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