Virgin Media Play vs RÚV
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
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.
- 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
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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.
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.
- Live TV and radio streaming
- On-demand content
- Featured content panels
- Search and schedule
- Background radio playback
- AirPlay and Chromecast support
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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
Verdict
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
Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.
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.
Both ship on a similar rhythm, roughly monthly. The most recent releases landed on November 6, 2026 and November 2, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Virgin Media Play | RÚV |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 2.3 (3 ratings) | 4.3 (228 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 11.8% of reviews | 28.6% of reviews — better |
| Number of ratings | 3 | 228 — better |
| Update frequency | Monthly | Monthly |
| Ads | Yes | No — better |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Ad-supported | Free — better |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, Apple TV | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 16.0 | 15.0 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 86 MB | 50 MB |
| Age rating | 12+ | 12+ |
| Developer | TV3 TELEVISION NETWORK LIMITED | Ríkisútvarpið ohf |
Customer experience
Virgin Media Play
RÚV
In-app purchases
Virgin Media Play
No in-app purchases
RÚV
No in-app purchases









