sky.com
Sky is the biggest pay-TV service provider in the UK. It has a presence in major European countries, such as Germany, Ireland, Switzerland, Austria, Spain, and Italy. Sky also has exclusive rights to the worlds? most popular blockbusters. Sky's biggest draw is its involvement in one of the most lucrative sports competitions in the English Premier League. Movies and sports are not the only genres that Sky dominates; catch-up and on-demand TV content is an integral part of the Sky Network.
The success and dominance of the Sky network in Great Britain allowed the brand to launch its own streaming service, called Sky Q. Apart from satellite broadcasting, you can find a wide range of content on the network. Sky Q was launched less than five years ago and has come a long way in providing a comprehensive television viewing experience to its audience.
History
Sky Limited is a media and telecommunications conglomerate currently owned by Comcast. Comcast bought the company outright in 2018 for £17.28 per share. Sky has a complicated history of acquisitions, with News Corporation wanting to buy the network along with Disney, but Comcast acquiring the company after agreeing to pay more than double what News Corporation was willing to pay.
Design
I love websites that have a cohesive and uniform design throughout the pages. Sky's website is visually appealing, with a red and purple color palette that flows throughout the banners. The slider option on the hero section makes it easy to understand the content within seconds after entering the website. The homepage banners include CTA buttons asking users to "Join Now" or "Find Out More" about the service.
If you look down, you'll find three horizontal tiles with different headings: TV, broadband, and mobile. You can click on each to learn more about it in detail. Sky is not just a streaming service; you can also choose from a wide range of options such as TV, broadband, and mobile. This is like AT&T in the US, except its rise to dominance can be attributed to its broadcasting rather than its telecommunications services.
If you scroll further, you'll find six thumbnail descriptions highlighting the key offerings on the network. These include Sky Cinema, Mobile & Broadband Services, Sky Sports, Sky O, On-Demand Content, and Sky Kids.
I absolutely love the Find & Watch TV page on the website. The layout is beautiful and full-width banners offer an immersive browsing experience. Well-made banners are complimented by small text which doesn't take away from the beauty of this page. Each of the creative banners has a title followed by a short description and CTA prompting you to learn more about a show. It is definitely the most user-intuitive website in the streaming world and can easily compete with FX for the throne.
Content
Sky's content prowess is unquestionable. From Sky Box Sets to its individual buckets, it provides great value for money. With the SkyBox sets, you get digital content of the 400 most excellent series from HBO, AMC, SKY and other creators. To access this service, you just have to pay a few extra pounds and you can enjoy popular series such as ?Game of Thrones?, ?The Walking Dead?, ?True Detective?, ?Big Little Lies?, ?Vinyl? , ?Blacklist? , ?Fortitude? , ?Bounty Hunters? , and ?Dexter? .
SkyBox can't hold a candle to the other services available at Sky. There are Sky Cinema, Sky Sports, Sky Kids, and Sky Multiroom services that offer a much more varied and interesting experience than what you can get with SkyBox. Let's discuss each of these services in detail to see which one is best for you.
Sky Cinema
Sky Cinema is a movie streaming service with over 11 channels that lets you watch movies on demand at any time and anywhere. You can also access 1000+ titles, which change seasonally. It's slightly more expensive than the SkyBox, but is an add-on you don't want to miss.
Sky Sports
If you're an EPL fan, it's hard to go without subscribing to this network. Apart from football, you can enjoy golf, cricket and even Formula One. The reason why Sky Sports is twice as expensive as Sky Cinema is because they have to pay enormous licensing fees for the Premier League.
Sky Kids
The Under the Sky Kids Pack allows you to access 11 kids channels, as well as on-demand content comprising of 4500+ episodes of current and classic kids' shows.
Sky Multiroom
With the introduction of Sky Q, you no longer need to have a set-top box in every room. You can have a Multiroom TV with the help of Sky Q minis. These little boxes plug in your additional TV and channel themselves via the main Sky Q box to help you stream content via an internet connection, preferably a Wi-Fi.
Sky Q has uplifted the compatibility
Sky's arrival has transformed the ways content is delivered. The Mini Q boxes though they don't support 4K yet are great for feeding content in all of the TVs across the house. The revamped Sky GO app is available on a wide range of platforms, such as iPhones, Android and Amazon's Fire tablets.
Well-managed On-demand Content
I believe that Sky truly has the potential to compete with Netflix, as it has managed its on-demand content well. Its interface is without any bumps, and viewers can always access the content they need without experiencing any delays. I really enjoyed watching content on the iPlayer; since shows are already downloaded to my box, there was never any buffering whatsoever. This makes it possible for even those with poor internet connections to watch without issue.
The initial praise (which is unfortunately paid) sounds great but reviews will definitely turn sour in the end.
4K Content is only available via broadcast
If you have a 4K UHD TV, you can enjoy 4K content on broadcast and TV shows. If you don't andwant the 4K experience, you need a Sky Q experience pack with 2TB Sky Q box which can allow you to watch broadcasts such as Premier League Games, F1, Boxing, Rugby, Darts and other sports on 4K quality.
Doesn?t have the best customer feedback
Sky has a poor viewer rating when it comes to streaming experience and doesn't have the best of streaming technology. This can be seen via the Q box, which is yet to receive HDR support. Apart from that, there's no way to watch 4K unless you're streaming live events.
Plans & Pricing
Sky's payment plan is complex, just like all pay-TV providers. The amount you pay correlates with the type of content you want. Sky Q boxes which come in 1 and 2TB versions allow you to record three shows simultaneously, while allowing you to watch the fourth title. To get the best 4K experience, you'll need to subscribe to Sky Q experience.
sky q experience costs £13/month and is required for 4k streaming. With sky q, you can watch content via the q mini boxers or sky go app. by spending an additional £5/month you can download content on your device and get four-screen 4k capabilities in netflix if you pair it up with ultimate on demand.
-A monthly subscription that charges $9.99/month
-An annual subscription that charges $119.99/year
Apart from these, there are other subscription options which include a monthly charge of $9.99/month, an annual charge of $119.99/year, or a one-time payment of $59.99.
Sky Entertainment: Monthly cost for standard definition is £22 and for HD content it is £5. This includes 42 channels and unlocks HD content in kid's packs, on-demand, and HD content. You can access up to two screens on Netflix, ITV, BBC, and Channel 4 HD with this service.
An affordable £12/per month on-demand service with 500 of Sky's box sets and Netflix subscription is now available.
Sky Cinema: An HD movie service with a large movie library that costs £11 per month.
An HD offering from Sky Sports that offers a range of prices, depending on the channels you want to watch.
Sky Kids TV is a £5 per month service that offers 11 channels and over 5000 episodes on-demand content for children.
Suggestions I have for Sky
Sky needs to up its game because BT Sport is catching up very quickly. Sky needs to be more competitive with its pricing. I have heard about Sky trying to go completely digital and that transformation will be appreciated only if they keep the plan feasible for end customers.
Conclusion
If you want an extensive library of content featuring a plethora of channels across various genres, then you won't really think of any other service other than Sky or BT. However, I do feel that they need to tone down their plans and pricing when they go all digital.
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