Sky is believed to be planning an increase for NOW TV viewers, which could see them paying an extra £12 a year. If the rumoured price rise, which was shared by usually-reliable team at ISPreview, proves to be accurate, this will mark the second time in as many years that Sky has increased the price of its streaming service, which is available on a range of Smart TVs, video game consoles, set-top boxes, smartphones, and tablets.
For those who are unaware, NOW TV offers viewers access to a slew of live channels and on-demand content you would usually only be able to watch on a Sky box, like Sky Atlantic and Sky Cinema. NOW TV customers can subscribe one-month at a time – cancelling anytime without paying a penalty.
That means it’s ideal for anyone who wants to watch one or two exclusive show available on Sky TV, like the Emmy award-winning Succession, documentaries like Divide And Conquer: The Story of Roger Ailes, and fan-favourites like WestWorld, Last Week Tonight With John Oliver, Gangs Of London, and Chernobyl, without committing to an 18-month contract.
Sky bundles its channels into so-called NOW TV Passes. Viewers can subscribe for 24-hours, a week, or a month at a time – depending on what Pass you’re looking to watch. But unfortunately, those who want to keep bingeing boxsets from the NOW TV Entertainment Pass will need to spend a little extra every month from September 1, 2020 onwards, ISPreview – which has a solid track record with past Sky rumours – claims.
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The Entertainment Pass, which currently costs £8.99 a month, includes the likes of Sky Atlantic, Sky One, FOX, Gold, MTV as well as newly-launched channels like Sky Documentaries, Sky Nature, and Sky History. Sky is rumoured to be increasing the monthly cost by £1, so NOW TV viewers will only get 1p change from a tenner to keep watching when the change kicks-in later this year.
That might not seem like a lot, but that’s still an extra £12 a year. So, if you can find a good deal on the Entertainment Pass – you might want to buy sooner rather than later to ensure you get the old price locked-in. This could save you paying the extra monthly cost from September 1, 2020 – delaying it a few months or so.
And it’s not just the Entertainment Pass that’s believed to be set for a price increase.
Hayu, which airs the latest reality television shows at the same time as episodes premiere in the United States, is also going to cost slightly more from early September. The bundle of channels, which includes access to Keeping Up With The Kardashians, currently costs £3.99. However, that’s set to rise to £4.99 a month from September 1, 2020.
In a statement about the rumoured changes, a NOW TV spokesperson said: “We don’t comment on speculation. Our customers will always be the first to be notified of any changes to the cost of their Passes.”
This isn’t the first time that NOW TV has adjusted their prices. Last year, NOW TV customers were asked to cough-up an extra £1 each month for the Entertainment Pass – increasing from £7.99 to £8.99 in October 2019.
In an email sent at the time to those with a NOW TV account, the Sky-owned firm said: “We’re constantly bettering our service with exclusive shows, the latest award-winning box sets and new features like downloading to watch on the go. That’s why on 9 October, for the first time in 2 years, your Entertainment Pass will be going up by £1, to £8.99 a month.”
If this becomes a regular occurrence, it might soon be more economical to sign-up for a fully-fledged Sky Q box. The UK broadcaster has some pretty competitive deals around at the moment, so if you don’t mind committing to an 18-month contract – it might be a better option.