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Sky embraced the wire-cutting revolution by launching a satellite-free television product, described by CEO Dana Strong as the “first platform to fully integrate content from local broadcasters with global giants.”
Unveiled at a chic event in Greenwich, London this morning, Sky Glass will offer Sky subscription packages starting at £ 13 per month after the cost of TV. Sky, UK & Ireland CEO Stephen van Rooyen said TV products are around 30% below the market average.
The product is effectively a smart TV, without a satellite dish, as the pay-TV giant owned by Comcast is adjusting to a world in which cord cutting has become the norm.
It will launch in the UK later this month and roll out to other territories next year.
The platform is ‘voice first’ and has been described by various senior Sky executives as the natural evolution of Sky Q.
A ‘Sky Puck’ product for an additional £ 10 per month transfers Sky Glass to other platforms and the product is launched with Australian company Foxtel as a ‘syndication partner’, with other partners to be revealed in the course of next months.
CEO Dana Strong said Sky Glass is “the first platform to fully integrate content from local broadcasters with global giants such as Netflix and Disney +.” with all Sky channels, public service broadcast channels and streaming apps.
“The streaming revolution has brought a whole new set of challenges,” Strong said, speaking to a crowd of hundreds.
“Most people use multiple apps to find content, but those experiences can feel fragmented and we end up spending more time searching for content than sitting down and enjoying it. In our already complex lives we need to keep things simple and this will greatly simplify experiences and transform the role of television in the home. “
Strong added that Sky Glass would not have been possible without Comcast’s acquisition of the company. Comcast CEO Brian L Roberts attended the event, after yesterday visiting Sky’s new Elstree Studios location just outside London.
Roberts told the Greenwich event that Sky Glass is the culmination of 13 years of work, fulfilling Comcast’s vision of “making every piece of content available to our customers – live, on-demand, streaming TV. and user generated “.
“What really changes the game is what is hidden behind the glass,” he added.
“Everything you see here is powered by a remarkably flexible and intelligent platform that finds what you love effortlessly. We are reinventing the role of TV and Sky in the living room.
“Next step in aggregation”
Speaking to reporters after the speech, Strong said the launch “signals the next step in Sky’s integration into aggregation,” overcoming “mass frustration” experienced by consumers.
She described the move as an “offensive game” rather than a defensive one against the threat from the streamers, saying Sky was “blown away” by the response from all of the partners when they saw the product.
UK public service broadcasters (PSBs) will be given ‘clear branding’ on Sky Glass, she added, at a time when these broadcasters are desperate for better visibility on smart TVs and devices. decoders.
All of Sky’s platform deals with PSBs have been renegotiated in the past nine months, according to Strong.
“We will give [the PSBs] clearly branding and have no intention of doing anything other than celebrating PSB programming as content. “
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