Comcast’s Sky Group has debuted new pricing for its pay TV service in the United Kingdom.
Starting this week, new customers can sign up for Sky Essentials TV for just £15 per month (around U.S. $19 per month), which includes free-to-air and premium linear channels like BBC, ITV, Channel 4, Channel 5 and Sky Atlantic, along with access to the ad-supported tiers of Netflix and Discovery Plus. The price is based on a two-year contract, though customers can also purchase Sky Essentials TV on a limited 31-day contract for just £18 per month (around U.S. $23 per month).
Sky customers who purchase Sky Essentials TV also have the option to add Sky Ultimate TV for an extra £7 per month (around U.S. $9 per month), which will unlock additional channels like Sky Max, Sky Comedy, Sky Showcase, Sky Witness, Sky Documentaries and Sky Crime, among others. Sky Sports, Sky Cinema and Sky Kids are also available for separate fees, and customers can upgrade to ultra high-definition (UHD) streaming with Dolby Atmos support, too.
The packages are available through Sky’s streaming platforms, including the Sky Stream device and Sky Glass smart TV sets powered by Entertainment OS, which is similar to Comcast’s X1 operating system in the United States. Both devices support Netflix and Discovery Plus, as well as other streaming services like Disney Plus, Prime Video, BBC iPlayer, ITV X, YouTube, Peacock and Channel 4.
The Sky Essentials package is similar to a slim, streaming-only cable TV bundle launched by Comcast in the United States last year. Now TV — no relation to the similarly-branded service in the U.K. — offers more than 40 general entertainment, lifestyle and knowledge channels, with the ability to add Peacock, Netflix and Apple TV Plus for separate fees.
