- Sky has entered into a new multi-year distribution agreement with Disney
- A new ‘Sky Ultimate TV’ package will be available from March
- This will integrate Netflix, HBO Max, Disney+ and Hayu into one app
It’s a great time to be a Sky customer, as not only will you soon be able to access HBO Max when it launches in the UK on March 26, but Disney+ and Hayu in one neat subscription package as part of a landmark new distribution deal.
From March, new and existing users signed up to a qualifying Sky TV plan will get Disney+ and selected content from Hayu for free. That means for just £24 a month, the ‘Sky TV Ultimate’ package will include HBO Max, Disney+ and Hayu, plus the usual Sky Entertainment package and Netflix.
This applies to anyone with Sky Stream, Sky Glass or Sky Q. Meanwhile, those with Sky+ can expect HBO Max and Hayu to be added alongside Sky TV. If you’re already signed up to Disney+, you’ll be able to move to Sky at no extra cost – just like all existing HBO Max users.
There will also be the option to combine the entertainment package with broadband in a new bundled plan which offers better value as you can get full fiber broadband and ‘Sky TV Ultimate’, with a Sky Stream device, from £41 a month.
While those who sign up for Now won’t get Disney+, they will automatically be able to watch HBO Max with ad content at no extra cost starting March 26 as part of the new plan. New customers will have to pay £6.99 a month for Now Entertainment and HBO Max, while Now Entertainment will soon cost £4.99 a month.
Sophia Ahmad, Sky’s chief consumer officer, announced the new package, calling the new Sky TV subscription a “world first”. She said Sky OS will see all the top streaming services’ apps integrated directly into the Sky website, meaning you’ll be able to easily access all the extra content across the different apps in ‘Top Picks’, ‘Continue Watching’ and ‘Playlists’ (where you can save and pause movies and shows you’re watching), as well as via voice control.
What will you soon be able to watch on Sky TV?
Sky customers in the UK and Ireland are about to get access to a host of new content as part of their new deal with Disney and expanded partnership with Warner Bros. Discovery.
By saving £5.99 a month, existing Sky TV users will be able to unlock the Disney+ ‘Standard’ plan with ads for free, allowing them to watch the service’s full breadth of on-demand content from hit FX shows such as The bear to blockbuster Disney movies like Moana 2 and Marvel’s The Fantastic Four: First Steps.
As part of the deal, Sky Cinema customers will also soon get a brand new Disney+ Cinema channel. Movie from Warner Bros. Discovery will continue to be available on Sky Cinema alongside those made by Sky, Paramount and NBCUniversal.
Content from Disney’s reality TV streaming service, Hayu, will also be available on Sky TV plans, but this will see a staggered rollout. Only a small selection of shows like under deck and The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills will be available from sometime in March. The full library of Hayu content is set to be integrated in July, which is when you’ll be able to watch new episodes the same day they air in the US.
In addition to Disney+ and Hayu, Sky TV customers will also soon be able to get HBO Max with ads as part of their subscription. The Sky Atlantic channel will continue to be home to existing HBO Max hits, but you’ll be able to watch new HBO shows through the app.
To top it all off, if you’re an existing Disney+ subscriber, you’ll be able to move your current subscription to Sky without losing any of your existing playback history or account setup, making for a seamless transition to a more unified streaming app experience.
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