Sky confirms massive shake-up for its NOW TV brand

Sky is shaking up its NOW TV brand …by dropping the “TV”. Yes, in order to simplify the brand, the satellite telly firm has decided to rebrand its contract-free option as “NOW”. Of course, NOW TV has done more than telly for a while now. Customers have been able to order broadband with a 12-month minimum contract.

The rebrand was confirmed by The Drum. Speaking about the change, Manager Director of NOW, Marina Storti said: “By moving from NOW TV to NOW, we marry our world-class quality with brilliant simplicity. This immediacy creates a true destination and community for those who love and live for the best entertainment.”

NOW TV leverages hardware and software developed by Roku. While it doesn’t have the same library of apps and games as a Roku branded box, there are some crossovers. It also uses the same remote, which is easy to get to grips with and has some nice features, like voice search.

Despite a number of new Roku gadgets hitting the market in recent months, including the Roku Soundbar, which smuggles a streaming set-top box inside a soundbar to boost the audio during your next movie night-in, there are no signs of any of this new hardware coming to the NOW (née NOW TV) customers anytime soon.

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Sky has previously announced plans to make its Sky Q service, which offers access to exclusive paid-for channels, sports and movies as well as streaming services like Disney+, Netflix and Prime Video from its set-top box, over an internet connection. This would allow customers who can’t install a satellite dish – like those in rented properties, not facing the right direction, and in tower blocks without a communal dish on the roof, to sign-up for Sky Q. Presumably, this would carry the same 18-month minimum contract, something that NOW doesn’t impose on viewers – who can subscribe for a single month, binge-watch a boxset, and then walk away.

However, aside from the contract length, it would mean there is much less distinction between Sky Q and NOW. Perhaps this latest rebrand anticipates that and paves the way for NOW to offer much more than fibre broadband and telly? We’ll have to wait and see.

The news comes as Sky Q announced a price rise for millions of customers across the UK.