NOW that’s what Sky call TV!
July 16, 2012
By Colin Mann
UK broadcaster BSkyB has revealed launch details of NOW TV, its Internet TV service that it says will give more choice for consumers via flexible payment options.
NOW TV will launch July 17th initially with Sky Movies – followed later this year by Sky Sports – available across a wide range of Internet-connected devices. Available to anyone in the UK with an Internet connection, NOW TV will launch initially on PC, Mac and selected Android smartphones; on iPhone, iPad within the next month, on Xbox later this summer and YouView when it launches. NOW TV will continue to develop for other platforms and devices, including Sony Playstation 3 and Roku streaming player, with further announcements to follow.
Stephen van Rooyen, Managing Director, Sales and Marketing at BSkyB noted Sky’s track record in delivering Internet TV and connected services, dating back to the launch of Sky by Broadband over the Internet in 2006, and more recently with the launch of Sky Go for the platform’s subscribers.
“The huge success of Sky Go in the last twelve months has prompted us to think about how we expanded NOW TV,” he revealed. “NOW TV is about giving us the opportunity to extend our reach to the 13 million households that don’t currently subscribe to a pay service and really to give us an opportunity to use a new model, a no commitment, no-contract way of delivering our services to those households.”
He said the rationale for NOW TV was clear. “Whereas Sky is a full service proposition which makes the widest number of channels available at the highest quality with products like Sky+, 3D and HD all available to it all at a fixed monthly cost and the peace of mind that comes to it, NOW TV is a pay-as-you go service, where you can dip in and dip out and gives customers the flexibility to access Sky’s great content.”
He said the ‘Powered by Sky’ provided customers and prospects with a real endorsement as to the quality and range of the content they will get from Sky and also the peace of mind given by the product.
At launch, the Sky Movies Pass comes with unlimited, instant access to titles such as X-Men: First Class, Bridesmaids, Green Lantern, Cowboys and Aliens and many more.
All NOW TV customers signing up for the Sky Movies Pass can enjoy a free 30-day trial. Following the end of the trial period, the Sky Movies Pass is available for just £15 a month.
Sky Sports is set to launch on NOW TV before the end of the year. As suggested by BSkyB CEO Jeremy Darroch at the Future of Broadcasting Conference in London late June, this will enable NOW TV customers to enjoy live action from the Barclays Premier League, UEFA Champions League, England Test cricket, Heineken Cup rugby, ATP tennis, the Masters from Augusta and much more.
The introduction of Sky Sports will be followed on NOW TV by elements of Sky’s Entertainment package, including Sky 1, Sky Atlantic, Sky Arts and Sky Living, covering home-grown drama, original comedy and US shows.
Simon Creasey, Director, NOW TV, said that following the explosion in Internet-connected devices, Sky know that more and more people were looking for great content to watch over the web, and that was where NOW TV came in. “As we move forward, NOW TV will get even bigger and better, with more devices and more platforms in the coming months,” he declared.