PRESS RELEASE
Sky is launching a brand new subscription service, Sky Go Extra, which lets customers download the latest blockbuster films from Sky Movies and great content from channels such as Sky 1 and Sky Atlantic to watch when and where they want, without the need for a WiFi or 3G/4G connection. The service also lets Sky Go Extra customers register for Sky Go on up to four, rather than two, internet-connected devices.
What is Sky Go Extra? Sky Go Extra – what it is exactly? Basically, Go Extra is an enhanced feature of Go. It is the first mobile TV subscription service in the UK that allows users to download content for offline watching. P397, Nov 10, 2020: I had the same issue with my OnePlus 8, with the Sky Go and NOW TV mobile apps. Had no help with either technical support teams, clueless to the unique problems with the OnePlus handsets, as the same apps work fine on my recently redundant Samsung A90. With these on-screen messages, you would not be able to watch anything on your Sky Go app or Sky Go Extra. For instance, users who have downloaded its new update have rung up Sky’s customer service hotline for one particular reason – a Sky Go black screen.
Launching today and available to all Sky TV customers for just £5 per month, the new service delivers even more flexibility to Sky customers by letting them download movies and TV shows depending on their Sky TV subscription to their smartphone, tablet, laptop or MacBook via WiFi to watch offline later. So whether in a car, on a flight or on the train or Tube, Sky customers will be able to enjoy a wide range of content anywhere, not just where they can find a reliable WiFi or high-speed mobile connection.
The launch of the new service builds on the success of Sky Go, which offers Sky customers access to live and on demand programmes and films from up to 43 channels on a wide range of internet-connected devices including laptops, smartphones, tablets and games consoles. Sky Go now attracts more than 3 million unique users each quarter.
In addition to being able to download content, Sky Go Extra customers are also able to register for Sky Go on up to four, rather than two, internet-connected devices, giving Sky households even more flexibility over when and where they enjoy the service.
Sky Go Extra is the first mobile TV subscription service in the UK and Ireland to offer Hollywood movies to download and watch offline. With a choice of hundreds of titles exclusive to Sky Movies available to download at any one time, Sky Go Extra customers who subscribe to the Sky Movies pack will be able to download blockbuster releases around six months after they have ended their run in cinemas. Once downloaded, customers can store the films on their portable devices for up to 30 days.
Blockbusters such as Avengers Assemble, Sherlock Holmes: Game of Shadows and Pirates In An Adventure with Scientists will all be available for download through the service, alongside the entire James Bond film catalogue, containing all twenty-two official Bond films. All titles are available exclusively to Sky Movies subscribers and will not be available on any other online movies subscription service for a least a year after they first appear on Sky Movies.
Sky Go Extra customers will also be able to download the latest shows from channels including Sky Atlantic, Sky 1, Sky Living and Sky Arts, as well as partner channels such as Nickelodeon and Disney. This includes the best of the US, including Girls and The Following (Sky Atlantic), as well as Sky's own home-grown hits such as Stella, An Idiot Abroad and Trollied (Sky 1). Customers with a 64 GB iPad will be able to store in excess of 400 half-hour shows and more than 80 movies.
Stephen van Rooyen, Managing Director of Sales & Marketing at Sky, comments: 'Building on the ever-growing popularity of Sky Go, Sky Go Extra lets Sky customers download great movies and TV shows to take with them to watch offline whenever and wherever suits them, as well as access to Sky Go on up to four internet-connected devices. Together with our comprehensive On Demand service and our range of award-winning apps, we continue to deliver helpful and innovative ways for Sky customers to enjoy even more flexibility over when, where and how they enjoy Sky.'
During 2012, millions of Sky customers have used Sky Go to watch movies on demand, with Bad Teacher, Transformers: Dark of the Moon and Captain America: The First Avenger the three most popular movies on Sky Go last year. Entertainment series on demand have also proven popular on Sky Go, with more than 2.5 million views of the second series of An Idiot Abroad and 1.1 million views of the latest season of Game of Thrones.
Sky Go Extra is the latest in a series of recent developments from Sky that help customers take full control of their TV viewing. This includes Sky's comprehensive TV On Demand service through the Sky+HD box, which now delivers hundreds of hours of catch-up TV from the BBC, ITV, Channel 5 and Sky channels alongside on demand access to shows from a number of other leading channels including UKTV, MTV and Discovery. Sky also offers its customers a wide range of award-winning apps at no extra cost, including the popular Sky+ app, which can even be used as a remote control for the Sky+HD box.
To sign up to Sky Go Extra, all customers need to do is visit sky.com/shop/offers/sky-go-extra. Once they've done this, the next time they enter the Sky Go app they will be able to download programmes and register two more devices. To provide even more flexibility, Sky Go customers can cancel the service at any time, subject to giving 31 days' notice. Sky Go customers will also be able to sign up for a two month free trial of Sky Go Extra until the end of March.
For more details, please see our blog on Sky Views.
Sky Movies content can be watched for up to 30 days and once viewing commences is available for 48 hours. Most other Sky content can be watched for up to 7 days and once viewing commences is available for 48 hours. Sky Go Extra customers will be able to register up to four internet-connected devices for Sky Go, viewing content via WiFi or 3G/4G on a maximum of two at any one time.
About Sky Go
Sky Go brings together online and mobile TV in a simple service for Sky TV customers at no extra cost. Available on PC, Mac, iPad, iPhone, iPod touch, selected Android smartphones and Xbox 360, Sky Go allows Sky customers to watch content in line with their subscription while on the move in the UK and Ireland through a 3G or WiFi connection. Each Sky home is entitled to register up to two devices, through which they can enjoy access to live channels and selected on-demand content.
On computers customers can access up to 43 live TV channels, including all six Sky Sports channels, Sky Movies, Sky News, Sky 1, Sky Atlantic, Sky Arts, MTV, Disney, G.O.LD, Nickelodeon, NatGeo, History, Eden, Eurosport and ESPN, supported by an extensive library of on-demand content. Sky Go is also available to non-Sky TV customers, with monthly subscriptions priced from £15-£40.
Compatible iOs mobile devices: iPhone 3GS and above, iPad 1 & 2 and iPod touch 4th generation, and is compatible on a total of 26 Android handsets, including OS versions 2.2, 2.3 and 4.0.
About Sky
Sky is the UK and Ireland's leading home entertainment and communications company. Around 40% of all homes have a direct relationship with Sky through its range of TV, broadband and home telephony services.
Sky is the UK's biggest investor in television content, investing more than £2.3 billion a year in channels such as Sky 1, Sky Atlantic, Sky Living, Sky Arts, Sky Sports, Sky Movies and Sky News. Around two-thirds of Sky's content spend is invested in the UK and Sky is the fastest-growing source of investment in original British programmes. More than 30 million people watch Sky content each week.
Alongside its commitment to offering customers a greater choice of high-quality content, Sky is a leading innovator. Customers enjoy total control and flexibility over their favourite TV through Sky+, watch TV on the move through Sky Go, and enjoy the best quality TV experience at home through High Definition and 3D.
Sky distributes its content broadly over several platforms, including satellite, cable, IPTV, mobile and WiFi. NOW TV, Sky's second consumer brand, builds on the company's leadership in internet TV. Sky is also the UK's fastest-growing home communications company and favourite ‘triple-play' provider of TV, broadband and home phone.
Sky believes in making a wider contribution to the communities in which it operates by taking positive action on the environment, supporting grassroots sports and increasing access to, and participation in, the arts. Sky employs 23,000 people, has annual revenues of £6.8 billion and is estimated to support a £5.4 billion contribution to UK GDP. Sky is listed on the London Stock Exchange (BSY). www.sky.com/corporate.
With a huge selection of entertainment, movie and sports channels to choose from, it's easy to see why Sky TV is so popular. But the prices for a full Sky subscription can be eye-watering.
While the lure of shows such as Westworld and Game of Thrones can be appealing, the thought of being tied in to an expensive contract can feel off-putting. The good news is you don't have to take out a long Sky subscription to watch Sky channels.
Read on for more information on TV services that will let you watch Sky TV without a Sky subscription, including Now TV, Virgin Media and TalkTalk.
Use our round up of the best and worst TV and broadband providers to discover how satisfied Sky customers are in comparison to those with other suppliers.
Try Now TV
Now TV is an internet TV streaming service powered by Sky. It offers live streaming and on-demand content from popular Sky channels - so, you can watch Sky shows as they're going out live, or catch up on them at a later date.
Crucially, you don't have to be a Sky subscriber to use Now TV. Instead you simply buy 'passes' for a day, week or month to access the channels that you want. When your pass expires it rolls over into a monthly subscription fee, but you can cancel at any time. See how Now TV compares to popular streaming services like Netflix and Amazon Prime, using our TV streaming service reviews.
Streaming services broadcast over the internet, so you don't need a satellite dish to watch Now TV (though you do need a broadband connection of at least 2.5Mbps or a mobile signal of 180Kbps if you plan to watch using 3G or 4G).
You'll also need a device that can use the Now TV app. Some smart TVs come with this preinstalled, but if yours doesn't, you can watch Now TV in a few different ways.
One of the easiest, cheapest ways to watch Now TV is to buy a dedicated Sky Now TV box or smart stick, which cost as little as £15. This may even include a trial of free passes to watch the content, which in effect pays for the cost of the Now TV box itself.
A YouTube box will also give you access to the Now TV app - or you can install the app on a tablet, smartphone or PC.
Find out more in our guide: What is Now TV?
Sky To Go App
Add Sky channels to a service from another provider
If you've already got a TV subscription with a different provider, such as Virgin Media or BT TV, you can add most of Sky's channels to these services.
To do this, you add a 'bolt on' to your existing pay TV service. For example, you can pay BT £16 a month to add 11 Sky Movie channels to your package. There's usually no contract to do this, you just pay on a monthly basis.
If you're looking for some channels to keep the little ones happy, you can simply add children's channels to yourTV and broadband bundle - for example TalkTalk's Kids Boost adds nine children's channels, including Nickelodeon, Boomerang and Cartoon Network.
Use a shared Sky subscription
If a friend or family member already subscribes to Sky, then you can register as a secondary user and still watch Sky shows.
Now TV (see above), for example, allows you to register up to four compatible devices (such as a Now TV box, a laptop, or a tablet). The service lets you watch programmes on two devices at the same time, so four members of an extended family won't all be able to tune into Game of Thrones simultaneously on different devices.
Alternatively, Sky Go is a streaming service that allows Sky subscribers to watch programmes away from the home. This lets Sky customers register two devices (or four, if you pay more for Sky Go Extra).
In effect, this would let you log in to watch Sky programming if you used the account details of a family member who has a Sky subscription. However, users are meant to be part of the same household as the primary Sky account holder, according to Sky.
Read our Sky TV and broadband review to find out what Sky customers had to say about the service they receive in our latest satisfaction survey.
...or, stick with Freeview
If you decide that none of the above options work for you, then one alternative is to stick with Freeview. It may not offer the same sports or movie range as Sky, but it still gives you a huge selection of channels for no cost at all (other than the charge for a TV licence).
With the addition of a Freeview PVR, you can pause, rewind and record live TV, as well as setting a planner and series-link. These are all features you would get with a Sky box. You won't, however, have access to the same sports, movies and entertainment channels. Head to our round-up of the Best Buy Freeview PVRs to see which models impressed the experts in our lab.
If that's not enough for you, and you want even more channels, then Freesat offers more than 200 channels and on-demand TV from the likes of the BBC and ITV. To get it, you just need a Freesat box or a TV with Freesat built-in, plus a Freesat satellite dish. As with Freeview, there's no ongoing subscription cost. Read in depth reviews of all the latest models using our Freesat PVRs and set top box reviews.
Sky Go Extra Download
Five features to look out for when buying a power bank
Best and worst UK mobile networks revealed for 2021
New 2021 TVs: are their launch prices cheaper than last year’s ranges?
Which? to remove Best Buys from mobile phones with less than a year of support
Cancel Sky Go Extra