Sky Q customers rejoice! Sky has announced that beginning next month, it will progressively roll out product features that will make the Sky Q experience even better.
Sky Q launched in Ireland just over two years ago and it’s been a love affair with Irish consumers ever since. Sky go even so far as to claim it is “Europe’s best home entertainment experience.”
Offering multi-device viewing, simultaneous recording, a Bluetooth remote control and much more, it’s not hard to see why when the service offers such convenience to TV viewers.
Whether you're already a Sky Q customer or you're looking at investing in a subscription to the service, check out the following existing and soon to come features of the service and we'll leave it to you to decide if Sky Q is worth your while.
Let’s take a look at the details.
Newly enhanced features
Sky Q recently began a rollout in March 2018 to enhance many of its viewing features to make it even easier for customers to find and enjoy the content they love. Here are some key features customers will be able to enjoy:
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A newly designed homepage including ‘Most Recent Recordings’ and ‘Favourite Channels’ along with editorially curated selections of Box Sets, Movies, and Catch-Up TV.
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Greater personalisation based on a household’s viewing habits will ensure customers are served content most relevant to them.
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Voice functionality extended to give personalised recommendations - e.g. “show movies for me” - and app specific requests – e.g. “what is the weather today?”
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The ability to stream content to more devices at the same time, plus a Sky Q app will become available on Smart TVs and third-party devices.
More HD content
In order to create an even better viewing experience, a new, wide-screen, user interface has been introduced and the amount of Ultra HD content available will double this year, with over 1,000 hours of UHD content on Sky including the whole Spider-Man franchise.
Kids mode
Sky Q will become one of the safest places for kids to watch TV with the introduction of a new Kids mode, giving parents peace of mind over what their children can access and watch whilst at the same time offering a fun environment for younger audiences.
Sports personalisation
The Sports section will be personalised to reflect customer’s favourite sports and teams, seamlessly integrating with the Sky Sports app, ensuring customers always know what’s on and what the latest relevant news is.
New partnerships
Now for something really special! The new upgrades to Sky Q include two amazing new partnerships with Netflix and Spotify, bringing your favourite entertainment apps into one place.
Spotify on Sky Q
Since April 2018, the world’s leading music subscription service, Spotify, has been available on Sky Q in the UK and Ireland. Customers who have already hooked themselves up with the recently launched Sky Soundbox will be delighted to hear this as this partnership offers customers a simple set-up for a high-quality home music solution.
Customers can use the ad-supported Spotify service for free, or log in to their premium account.
From late September, Sky will launch integrated billing, which will allow customers to pay for Spotify Premium directly through their Sky TV account, with customers who are new to Spotify Premium able to enjoy a three or six month free subscription offer.
Along with Sky Soundbox, customers can augment their existing Sky Q audio services, including the ability to stream to TV speakers via AirPlay or Bluetooth. Nice one!
Netflix on Sky Q
Sky and Netflix have announced a new partnership to bundle the full Netflix service into a brand new Sky TV subscription pack. This partnership will give millions of Sky customers seamless access to Netflix through the Sky Q platform.
Sky will make available the extensive Netflix service to both new and existing customers by creating a brand-new entertainment TV pack, combining Sky and Netflix content side-by-side for the first time. Netflix’s service includes over a thousand hours of Ultra HD content, complementing Sky Q’s extensive UHD programming.
With the Netflix app integrated into Sky Q, and Netflix programmes promoted alongside Sky content, customers can enjoy shows such as Britannia, Billions and Big Little Lies alongside The Crown, Stranger Things and Black Mirror, as well as free-to-air TV, all on the Sky platform. At the same time, customers will enjoy the simplicity of one monthly bill and easy to use, integrated user interface.
As part of the new partnership, Sky customers will be able to seamlessly access Netflix content in the Sky Q menu, plus quickly find their favourite Netflix programmes including the use of Sky Q’s search and voice search functionality. Existing Netflix customers will be able to easily migrate their account to the new Sky TV bundle, or sign into the Netflix app using their existing account details, to enjoy Netflix with even greater convenience.
However, Netflix has yet to roll out on Sky Q so we'll wait with baited breath...
A commitment to innovation in entertainment
Sky has evidenced its commitment to innovation and quality of service numerous times in the last year, whether it’s with their competitively priced deals, new products like the Sky Soundbox or NOW TV, its premium loyalty programme Sky VIP - or even just great introductory incentives like a brand new free TV when you sign-up as a new customer.
The company is very excited to bring its customers more and is especially excited about its new partnership with Spotify;
Jeremy Darroch, Group Chief Executive, Sky, commented: “Sky Q keeps getting better and better. With this suite of innovation, we are taking the user experience to another level - and we won’t stop there. We will continue enhancing Sky Q and finding new ways to bring customers more of what they love, and in so doing ensure we appeal to every household and everyone in that household. With Spotify joining our Sky Q platform, we are giving customers the best home entertainment experience in Europe.”
Stephen van Rooyen, Chief Executive, UK and Ireland, Sky, added: “The new features represent a further step change for Sky Q and we are confident customers are going to love them. At the same time, by adding Spotify to the platform in the UK and Ireland, we are offering customers the very best in home entertainment all in one place. The arrival of the world’s biggest and most popular music streaming service is a great addition to the platform as it will allow TV buffs and music fans to switch between their favourite shows, online video apps and music in an instant.”
Jorge Espinel, VP of Business Development, Spotify, commented: “Spotify and Sky share a focus on innovation, disruption and delivering an excellent experience to our customers. We're delighted that consumers in the UK and Ireland will soon have another means to listen to all the music and podcasts they love on Spotify via Sky Q. The partnership between Spotify and Sky will offer consumers the chance to enjoy great entertainment from two leading media brands, and we are excited for what the future of the partnership may bring."
Like the sound of Sky Q?
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