Sky TV UK Confirms Netflix and Ultimate On Demand for November

Sky (Sky Broadband) has today revealed the first details of their new ‘Ultimate On Demand’ (UOD) service on the Sky Q platform, which for a single monthly fee of £10 will bring together hundreds of Sky TV’s on-demand Box Sets from their various channels and also adds the full Netflix service.

Most UK Pay TV and ISPs that bundle Netflix tend to merely include the service as an app, which is sometimes offered alongside a temporary subscription discount for existing subscribers, although Virgin Media have recently been able to integrate it direct into their packages and billing (here). Sky has also been working on integrating the full Netflix experience into their own packages / bills and they’ve today revealed how this will work.

The solution that Sky has developed is called Ultimate On Demand, which will cost an extra £10 per month for all new and existing customers alongside their existing Sky Q subscription (plus a 31-day rolling contract is available). Existing Sky Q customers with Netflix will be able to move their account to the new pack or sign-in to the Netflix app on Sky Q using their existing Netflix account details.

Customers with a Sky Q Entertainment subscription can thus expect to get Netflix’s Standard plan (2 HD streams) and Sky Box Sets in HD as part of UOD, while anybody with their premium Sky Q Experience (multi-room viewing and Ultra HD) should get Netflix’s Premium plan (4 Ultra HD / 4K streams).

Stephen van Rooyen, CEO of Sky UK and Ireland, said:

“We want Sky Q to be the number one destination for TV fans. Partnering with Netflix means we will have all the best TV in one great value pack, making it even easier for you to watch all of your favourite shows.”

Any titles available to download can also be watched on the go, with Sky shows available through the Sky Go app and Netflix shows through the Netflix app. Customers will also need the 2TB Sky Q box, as well as the Sky Q Experience package, in order to access Ultra HD content on Sky Q.

Sky is keen to point out that any Netflix subscribers who migrate to the UOD service will keep their existing Netflix profiles and recommendations and continue to be able to watch Netflix on all their usual devices.

Personally speaking we find that the combination of NOW TV’s Entertainment Pass (£7.99) and Netflix (£7.99 for standard or £9.99 for premium) works out better than having to take both UOD and a Sky Q subscription, but it depends upon what you’re looking for and the range of content involved as to which is more attractive.

The new service will launch in November 2018.