‘World first’ as Sky brings four major streaming platforms to its membership
Sky has announced a “world first” plan to bring together multiple streaming platforms as part of a single TV subscription.
Viewers will soon be able to watch Sky’s own original shows and exclusives along with Disney+, Netflix, Hayu and HBO Max as part of a new entertainment offering.
The deal, which Sky says is the best value in the market, means the platforms will be available together as part of the broadcaster’s Ultimate TV package from £24 per month.
HBO Max, coming to the UK and Ireland in March, will air the upcoming and highly anticipated Harry Potter series upon release and will also be the new streaming home for Friends.
It also brings the medical drama The Pit – long-awaited outside the US following its Emmy and Golden Globe wins – to the UK and Ireland for the first time.
Hayu, known as “the home of reality TV”, features The Real Housewives back catalogue, as well as British shows such as Made in Chelsea and The Only Way Is Essex.
Both streamers join Disney+, which features film franchises like Star Wars and Marvel and the hit series Rivals, as well as Netflix—the home of shows including Stranger Things, Black Mirror, and Adolescence— which is being offered as part of a Sky subscription.
The service will launch in March, with Hayu available in July.
Adolescence, starring Stephen Graham and Owen Cooper, was a big hit for Netflix in 2025. Image: Netflix
Sky, which owns Sky News, has shows like Brassic and A League of Their Own and is also set to launch the first UK version of the hit US comedy show Saturday Night Live in March.
Viewers love watching their favourite shows and movies in one place, so this announcement gives Sky an attractive offering amid increasing competition from streamers.
Bosses say the deal now marks “a new era” for the broadcaster and its own streaming service.
“For the first time in the world, we’re bringing together Sky, Netflix, Disney+, HBO Max and HU into one Sky TV subscription,” said Sophia Ahmed, Sky’s chief consumer officer.
“Nowhere else is such a breadth of incredible entertainment delivered in a fully integrated experience; customers love seeing everything come together so viewers can easily move from one show to the next.”
Sky fights back by bringing together streamers with ‘new era’
They say traditional TV is dying – but has Sky found a way to fight it?
When it comes to bringing entertainment into our living rooms, the broadcaster is best known as the home of shows like The Day of the Jackal, Brassic and League of Their Own – but no one can deny the fact that traditional telly is in the middle of a bit of an existential crisis.
The rise of social platforms and streamers means broadcasters have to fight much harder to capture viewers’ attention – and with attention turning elsewhere, it’s a battle that linear TV is losing. In this digital, internet-driven, highly competitive market, Sky needs to reinvent itself.
So now, instead of just trying to bring streamers on board, it has announced an “if you can’t beat ’em, join ’em” approach – bringing together some of the world’s biggest streaming platforms under a single TV subscription starting next month.
So the USP is eliminating the hassle of multiple payments and bundling those third-party streaming services into one flat fee. As the advertising market has shifted to online technology platforms like Google and Meta, Sky’s business has shrunk, and it really needs to do something big. This represents a significant change, as Sky is essentially transitioning into a content aggregator.
Bosses say the deal marks “a new era” for the broadcaster. It’s a simple idea. Now the question is whether it will be paid.
He said millions of existing customers with Sky Q, Sky Stream, or Sky Glass subscriptions would get “easy access” to the new line-up as standard.
“We’re proud to continue Sky’s legacy of innovation, making it easier than ever for people to enjoy the best entertainment and the best experiences in one place.”
Sky Plus basic subscriptions to HBO Max with ads, Disney+ Standard with ads, Hue with ads and Netflix Standard together will be available to new customers as part of Sky Ultimate TV from £24 per month, Sky has said, while existing customers will get access as part of their Sky TV subscription.
