The great rebundling is underway. Sky announced a new package yesterday. It brings together Netflix, Disney+, HBO Max and Hayu alongside Sky. That is £20 per worth of streaming apps, included as part of Sky Ultimate TV, from £24 a month.
HBO is launching in the UK on 26th February, with Disney+ with ads joining the package in March. Sophia Ahmad, Chief Consumer Officer at Sky, described it as “a new era for Sky and NOW.” She added:
Millions of existing customers will get easy access to this new line-up as standard at unbeatable value. All NOW Entertainment customers will get access to HBO Max, included at no extra cost, fully integrated within the NOW app.
We’re proud to continue Sky’s legacy of innovation, making it easier than ever for people to enjoy the very best entertainment and best experience, all in one place.”
Sky’s New Rebundling Strategy
Innovation? Sort of. We all know the great rebundling is happening, and this is just further proof. Tom Harrington, Head of Television and Enders Analysis, explained to how this move is idinicative of a new strategy from Sky:
It’s the next move in Sky’s gradual pivot from being the only place to watch certain exclusive content (Premier League, HBO, Disney films) to the best and easiest place to watch everything that is available. It’s a change that was originally driven by content companies wanting and being expected to go it alone with [direct-to-consumer] DTC offerings, but now with growth slow, these same companies are coming back to the platforms that they originally turned their backs on. It’s good for the consumer and the reaggregation of video should be a good thing for TV generally.
Amazon Prime Video has long been determined to be the platform through which you subscribe to a multitude of services. Apple TV, too. DAZN also offers some sporting season passes. However, this Sky bundle is a notable development in the entertainment space, giving a clear insight into the future.
Consumers are undoubtedly looking for ways to reduce both the cost of streaming and the number of apps required. It is a large part of the reason why illegal streaming boxes and dodgy Fire TV Sticks are so popular, as this article in The Verge makes clear.
Ultimately, there is a growing demand for consolidated access to a widerange of content. We used to call it cable TV…