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This clever new trick lets you access exclusive Sky content for a fiver
Sky this week treated us to some brand-new NOW TV hardware.
Dubbed NOW TV Smart Stick, the new HDMI dongle is the cheapest streaming stick on-sale in the UK.
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The lightweight Smart Stick plugs directly into your HD TV and allows viewers access to a huge swathe of premium television channels, on-demand box sets, movies and live sports coverage from Sky TV.
The Roku-powered streaming stick has access to Sky channels, including Sky Atlantic, Sky One, Comedy Central, FOX, Discovery, MTV, Sky Arts, Sky Sports, Sky Cinema, and more.
These are accessed with Passes, which can be bought contract-free for a pre-determined duration.
Both NOW TV Entertainment, Movies and Kids Passes are available to buy per-month.
Viewers can buy the NOW TV Sports Pass for 24 hours, a week or a full month contract-free.
NOW TV
The discount dongle enables access to Sky Atlantic, Comedy Central, FOX, MTV, Sky Sports, Sky Cinema
NOW TV Smart Stick retails at £14.99, however, the HDMI dongle is available as part of a number of bundles at launch which offer some significant savings.
For £19.99, new customers will be able to buy the NOW TV Smart Stick with a two-month NOW TV Entertainment Pass – allowing access to 11 Sky TV premium channels and over 300 binge-worthy Box Sets.
That’s access to Sky TV content – live and on-demand – for a fiver on-top of the Smart Stick’s £14.99 RRP.
Alternatively, the NOW TV Smart Stick is being sold with a one-month Sky Cinema Pass for £19.99.
It can also be bought with a one-month Sky Sports Pass for £29.99.
Once you’re up-and-running with the NOW TV hardware, Entertainment, Cinema, Sport, and Kids Passes can be renewed online or via the Smart Stick.
NOW TV
Sky offers access to its exclusive content via contract-free packages, dubbed NOW TV Passes
Entertainment Pass costs £7.99 a month, Sky Cinema Pass is £9.99 a month, and Kids Pass is £2.99 a month.
Sky Sports Pass costs £6.99 for 24 hours, £10.99 for a week, and £33.99 for the month.
The NOW TV Smart Stick also ships with access to some of the UK’s most popular catch-up services, including BBC iPlayer, ITV Hub and All 4.
You can also download more than 50 apps including YouTube, Sky Store and Vevo.
NOW TV’s brand-new Smart Stick will launch in the UK late next month, the company has confirmed.
The latest NOW TV deals come as Sky confirmed plans to allow subscribers to stream its premium television channels over an internet connection.
The UK broadcaster said the forthcoming option was a “major development” and would allow the company to enter new markets.
It made the announcement, which is being regarded as a response to increased competition from video on-demand services like Netflix and Amazon Prime, during its latest financial call.
Sky believes that making its hundreds of channels more widely available will increase both revenue and profits.
The company will still offer satellite dishes to those who would prefer to use the traditional method.
This will allow customers who cannot have a dish or do not want one to still watch Sky programming, a spokesperson confirmed.
Whether you’re watching your channels via a satellite dish or broadband connection – a Sky box will still be required, Sky added.
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Jeremy Darroch confirmed that Sky TV will be available via a broadband connection
Sky also offers content available via an internet connection with its NOW TV hardware and Sky Go service.
Jeremy Darroch, Sky Chief Executive, told investors the consumer environment was expected to remain “challenging”.
We will also introduce Sky over fibre in Italy and our first all IP service in Austria, both without the need for a satellite dish
Darroch said: “In innovation, we are constantly improving our customers’ experience and making it easier for them to take Sky. In the UK & Ireland Sky Q is now in two million homes.
“We recently launched Sky Q in Italy and will roll out the service to Germany & Austria in the next six months.
“We will also introduce Sky over fibre in Italy and our first all IP service in Austria, both without the need for a satellite dish.
“Looking ahead, we expect the consumer environment to remain challenging, however we remain confident in our strategy and our ability to execute our plans.”
Following the earnings’ call, Sky shares rose 1.1 per cent, valuing the company at £17.7 billion.