Comcast’s streaming television service Now TV has rolled out new monthly plans that allow sports fans in the United Kingdom to watch live programming from Sky Sports, without having to purchase other news or entertainment channels.
The new packages include a Multi-Sport Membership, starting at £20 (around U.S. $27) per month, and a Football Membership, priced from £24 (U.S. $32) monthly. Now TV (stylized as NOW) will continue selling its All Sky Sports Membership, which includes the full collection of Sky Sports channels and programming, for £28 (U.S. $37) per month.
The Multi-Sport package covers live sporting events outside football, including every Formula 1 race weekend, major golf tournaments, men’s and women’s international cricket, ATP and WTA tennis, darts, rugby and NFL games. The Football Membership provides access to more than 1,500 live matches this season across competitions including the English Premier League, Women’s Super League, English Football League and Scottish Professional Football League.
Customers who want both categories of programming can subscribe to All Sky Sports, which costs £4 more than the Football Membership and £8 more than Multi-Sport each month. The separate subscriptions allow NOW to offer less expensive entry points for sports viewers whose interests are concentrated in specific competitions, while retaining the full package for customers who want broader coverage.
“With our new memberships, fans have more choice over the sport they pay for,” Carli Kerr, the Managing Director of Sky TV and Now TV, said in a statement this week. “Football fans can choose Football, and fans of F1, cricket, golf and more can pick Multi-Sport. And those who want everything can still get All Sky Sports. It’s a simpler, more flexible way to get the sport you love on Now.”
The new memberships are available through the Now TV application, which supports more than 60 compatible devices. The app organizes live and upcoming events according to each subscriber’s package, allowing customers to browse programming included with their membership. Now TV also offers a Multiview feature that can display selected Premier League matches simultaneously when games overlap.
Subscribers can purchase the optional Boost upgrade, which provides 1080p video, Dolby Digital 5.1 surround sound and simultaneous streaming on two devices. An Ultra Boost option is available for customers subscribing to Multi-Sport or All Sky Sports, although supported features depend on the programming and device being used.
Now TV is distributing the new Football and Multi-Sport memberships through its own subscription platform, Apple and Amazon. Customers who receive NOW through British telecommunications provider EE will continue to receive the complete Sky Sports lineup through the All Sky Sports package.
