What NOW TV does

NOW TV is a contract-free streaming service operated as a trading name of Sky UK Limited and Sky Ireland Limited — both subsidiaries of Sky Group, which has been owned by Comcast Corporation since October 2018. The service delivers subscription-based video-on-demand and live television to consumers in the United Kingdom and Republic of Ireland through a cloud-based streaming platform accessible on 60+ compatible devices, including smart TVs, streaming sticks, gaming consoles, mobile devices, and web browsers, without requiring a satellite dish. Core membership tiers comprise Entertainment, Entertainment & HBO Max (bundling HBO Max Basic with Ads), Cinema, Sports, Sports Extra, and a one-time-payment Sports Day Membership, priced from £3.99 to £34.99 per month, with discounted minimum-term 'Saver' plans and a pay-as-you-go sports option. Enhancement add-ons Boost (£6/month, Full HD, Dolby 5.1, 2 devices) and Ultra Boost (£9/month, 4K UHD HDR, Dolby Atmos, 3 devices) provide upsell pathways, and an AdSmart advertising product layers targeted household-level advertising on top of subscription revenue.

The platform's content moat is built on exclusive access to Sky Originals, the full HBO Max library, all 12 Sky Sports channels plus Sky Sports+ streams, and Sky Cinema's blockbuster catalogue, with partnerships spanning HBO, NBCUniversal, Disney, Paramount, and Universal. Underlying technology supports 1080p and 4K Ultra HD HDR streaming with Dolby Atmos, offline downloads on iOS/Android, accessibility features (subtitles, audio description, British Sign Language), and personalization through 'More Like This', Continue Watching, and Watchlists powered by first-party viewing data. Distribution operates exclusively through self-serve digital channels — the NOW TV website, mobile apps, smart TV apps, gaming-console apps, web browsers, and proprietary NOW Smart Stick and Smart Box hardware — complemented by NOW Broadband ISP service as a connectivity upsell. Revenue mechanics combine recurring monthly subscriptions, add-on subscriptions, occasional one-time sports passes, and Sky's AdSmart targeted-advertising revenue shared with content partners, all managed under the broader Sky/Comcast corporate umbrella.

Name

NOW TV

Legal name

NOW is a trading name of Sky UK Limited and Sky Ireland Limited

Website

https://nowtv.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2012

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

501–1,000 employees

Short description

NOW TV is a contract-free streaming service operated by Sky UK and Sky Ireland (Comcast-owned) for UK and Ireland consumers, offering subscription-based entertainment, cinema, sports, and HBO Max memberships across 60+ devices without a satellite dish.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Video Streaming

NAICS

Broadcasting and Content Providers (516)

SIC

Cable & Other Pay Television Services (4841)

akta.pro primary industry

Live TV Streaming (vMVPD/IPTV OTT) (MPACAAAD)

akta.pro secondary industries

Direct-to-Consumer (DTC) Sports Streaming Platforms (MPAKAOAA), Direct-to-Consumer (DTC) Network/Studio Streaming Channels (MPABAHAG)

Keywords

• Video streaming service
• Live sports streaming
• On-demand movies
• TV entertainment subscriptions
• HBO Max distribution

Headquarters

HQ city

London

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Digital Commerce or Content

Cost components

Technology or R&D, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales, Operations, Personnel, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Monthly Membership Subscriptions: Recurring monthly subscription revenue from Entertainment, Entertainment & HBO Max, Cinema, Sports, and Sports Extra memberships. Customers pay monthly fees with flexible cancel-anytime options or discounted saver plans with minimum terms. Memberships auto-renew until cancelled.
2. Boost Add-on: Enhanced streaming experience add-on priced at £6/month (UK) or €5/month (Ireland) providing Full HD, ad-free on-demand, Dolby 5.1, and 2-device streaming. Auto-renews monthly.
3. Ultra Boost Add-on: Premium streaming add-on priced at £9/month (UK) or €8/month (Ireland) providing 4K UHD, ad-free on-demand, Dolby Atmos, and 3-device streaming. Auto-renews monthly.
4. Sports Day Memberships: One-time payment access to sports content for 24 hours (Sports Day Membership at £14.99/€14.99) or 7 days. Does not auto-renew.
5. AdSmart Targeted Advertising: Sky's tailored TV advertising solution delivers targeted ads within NOW services. Profiles households based on interests, age, location to define audience groups of at least 5,000 households for ad targeting. Revenue shared with content partners.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

NOW TV is a contract-free streaming subscription service offering access to entertainment, movies, sports, and HBO Max content across 60+ compatible devices in the UK and Republic of Ireland. The service delivers monthly memberships (Entertainment, Cinema, Sports, Sports Extra) with optional Boost and Ultra Boost add-ons for enhanced video quality, ad-free on-demand viewing, and multi-device streaming. Customers subscribe directly online or via app stores without any hardware or long-term satellite TV contract requirements.

Product overview

NOW TV is a streaming platform offering flexible, contract-free television, movie, and sports subscriptions. The core product portfolio includes Entertainment Membership (Sky Originals and exclusive shows), Entertainment & HBO Max Membership (adds HBO Max Basic with Ads access), Cinema Membership (movie streaming), Sports Membership (Sky Sports channels), and Sports Extra Membership (Premier Sports and TNT Sports). Enhancement add-ons include Boost (Full HD on 2 devices with Dolby 5.1) and Ultra Boost (4K UHD on 3 devices with Dolby Atmos). The service is also available as NOW Broadband. All memberships are contract-free with monthly rolling options or discounted minimum-term saver plans.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Entertainment Membership Monthly streaming subscription providing access to Sky Originals, exclusive US shows, live pay TV channels, on-demand box sets, and kids TV content for viewers in the UK and Ireland.
• Entertainment & HBO Max Membership Combined subscription that includes all Entertainment content plus access to HBO Max Basic with Ads tier, featuring the complete HBO library including Game of Thrones, The Pitt, and Euphoria.
• Cinema Membership Streaming subscription offering access to the latest movie blockbusters, Sky Cinema exclusives, and hundreds of films across multiple genres, plus 10 live Sky Cinema channels.
• Sports Membership Streaming subscription providing live access to all 12 Sky Sports channels and Sky Sports+ streams, covering Premier League, Formula 1, golf, darts, cricket, tennis, and more.
• Sports Extra Membership Streaming subscription providing access to Premier Sports and TNT Sports channels, covering UEFA Champions League, UFC, MotoGP, Wimbledon, and other premium sports events.
• Sports Day Membership One-time payment access to live Sky Sports channels for either 24 hours or 7 consecutive days, offering flexibility for casual sports viewers without a monthly commitment.
• Boost Enhancement add-on enabling ad-free on-demand streaming (excluding live channels), Full HD 1080p video quality, Dolby Digital 5.1 surround sound, and simultaneous streaming on 2 devices. Requires 12Mbps minimum internet speed.
• Ultra Boost Premium enhancement add-on enabling ad-free on-demand streaming (excluding live channels), 4K Ultra HD HDR video quality, Dolby Atmos surround sound, and simultaneous streaming on 3 devices. Requires 30Mbps minimum internet speed.
• NOW Broadband Internet service provider offering broadband packages as an add-on to streaming memberships, providing connectivity for streaming content.
• NOW Smart Stick Dedicated streaming device manufactured by NOW for accessing the service on television sets, connecting via HDMI for streaming NOW TV content.

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability2 records

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and minor.

• HBO (Home Box Office, Inc.)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHBO Max content partnership providing NOW Entertainment & HBO Max members access to the full HBO Max library including Game of Thrones, The Wire, The Sopranos, Euphoria, House of the Dragon, and new series like The Pitt. HBO Max Basic with Ads is included with the Entertainment & HBO Max membership tier.
• Sky SportscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNOW streams all 12 Sky Sports channels live plus Sky Sports+ streams. Sports membership provides access to Premier League football, Formula 1, golf, tennis, darts, cricket, and other sporting events.
• TNT Sports and Premier SportscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNOW Sports Extra membership provides access to 4 TNT Sports channels and 2 Premier Sports channels, including UEFA Champions League, UFC, MotoGP, and other premium sports content.
• Sky CinemacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNOW Cinema membership provides access to Sky Cinema's library of movies including new releases, Sky Original movies, and 10 live Sky Cinema channels.
• Comcast CorporationcoreOthersComcast is the parent company of Sky and NOW. References to Comcast include sharing of viewing data, product analytics, telemetry data, and voice data. Comcast and NBCU companies may process personal data in the USA and India.
• NBCUniversal / PeacockmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNOW shares data showing how many customers have watched NBCUniversal or Peacock content on NOW with NBCU. NBCUniversal is part of the Comcast Group.
• Virgin MediaminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNOW works with Virgin Media to enable AdSmart tailored advertising for Virgin Media customers on their TV platforms. Uses the same AdSmart process as on Sky platforms.
• Sky (Group Companies)coreOthersSky Group companies include Sky UK Limited, Sky Subscribers Services Limited, Sky In-Home Service Limited, and Sky Retail Stores Limited. These companies process personal data under NOW's instructions.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Sky Stream: Sky's main streaming product and the closest direct peer. NOW TV is essentially a contract-free variant of Sky Stream, sharing the same content library (Sky Sports, Sky Cinema, Sky Originals) and operating from the same parent (Sky UK Limited / Comcast).
• Netflix: Global SVOD leader and direct competitor for entertainment/movie viewing time and subscription wallet. NOW competes with Netflix on entertainment and HBO Max content, though Netflix lacks live sports.
• Disney+: Direct competitor in UK streaming for premium entertainment content including Disney, Marvel, and Star franchises. Targets overlapping family/entertainment viewer segments with NOW.
• Amazon Prime Video: Major UK streaming competitor bundling video, live sports (Premier League matches in UK), and shipping benefits. Competes for the same monthly subscription dollar and now offers live sports similar to NOW's positioning.
• Apple TV+: Premium SVOD competitor with original content (Ted Lasso, Severance) targeting similar entertainment subscribers. Lower content breadth but high production value competes for share of entertainment viewing time.
• DAZN: Global sports-focused streaming service. DAZN is a direct competitor in sports streaming, with NOW uniquely positioned in UK sports via Sky Sports rights and DAZN competing via boxing and other sports rights internationally.
• Discovery+: UK streaming competitor for entertainment and reality content (similar to NOW's Hayu offering). Targets overlapping entertainment subscribers with non-scripted content focus.
• BritBox: UK-focused SVOD service from BBC Studios/ITV, offering British content. Competes with NOW for entertainment viewing in UK/Ireland, particularly for British TV audiences.

Regional players

• BBC iPlayer: UK public broadcaster streaming service (free, license-fee funded). Competes for entertainment viewing time in the UK market; not a direct subscription competitor but reduces marginal willingness to pay for NOW's entertainment tier.

Emerging players

• TNT Sports (via discovery+): Warner Bros. Discovery's sports streaming brand. While NOW distributes TNT Sports channels, discovery+ is also a direct competitor in the broader sports streaming market in the UK via TNT Sports digital platforms.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/NOWTV
• Facebookfacebook.com/NOWTV

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about NOW TV