NOW TV brand for Sky’s OTT service
March 21, 2012
By Colin Mann
Sky has revealed that its new Internet TV service, offering access to Sky content on a wide range of broadband-connected devices, will be called NOW TV. The new brand was revealed by Sky’s Chief Executive, Jeremy Darroch, as he delivered the opening keynote at the Media Guardian Changing Media Summit in London.
Launching later in 2012, NOW TV will provide instant access to some of Sky’s most popular content, including hundreds of films from Sky Movies. Sky suggests that with a distinctive look and identity, it will stand out from the existing Sky TV service and offer even more choice and flexibility to customers.
According to Darroch, the launch of a second brand presented an exciting opportunity with a very simple rationale. “Having two brands will allow us to meet the needs and preferences of different customer segments more effectively. We’ll offer two distinctive ways to watch: the market-leading full Sky service for the whole family, complete with the widest range of channels, high quality products like Sky+, HD and Sky Go, and the peace of mind of a monthly bill; or the flexible, more spontaneous, pay-as-you-go service of NOW TV,” he advised.
“Because NOW TV will also be ‘powered by Sky’, customers will still know that it will give them the best, exclusive content and a high quality experience, from a provider they can trust. Either way, we believe we can offer even more customers a product that’s just right for them.”
He confirmed that the service would be available on a wide range of devices and offer instant access to a range of “high-quality” Sky content, with no install and no contract. “Starting with movies, it will soon expand to offer sport and entertainment as well. And customers will be able to pay monthly or rent a movie on a simple, pay as you go basis,” he said.
NOW TV is part of Sky’s mission to make it as easy as possible for customers to access and enjoy its content. Darroch told the conference that, alongside the continued growth of its satellite TV service, broader distribution on other platforms was an opportunity for Sky to reach even more customers. “As the quality of the TV experience over broadband has improved, people have become more willing to consume content in different ways,” he noted.
“That presents a great opportunity to distribute our programmes which wasn’t there even a year or two ago. With the long-awaited explosion of connected devices now upon us, this opportunity is only going to grow. And it’s something we believe is highly complementary to our existing service. Today, we know that around thirteen million homes don’t yet take pay-TV from any provider. So we can reach out to them and offer them another way to access and watch our content,” he noted.
More details about NOW TV will be revealed closer to launch.