Looking to buy Sky Glass? Here’s an interesting twist: Starting today (October 31), you can walk into your local Currys store and get Sky’s streaming TV right there… sort of.
Yes, the same Currys that started selling Sky Stream last year – is now expanding its Sky offerings with the company’s all-in-one TV solution, bringing it to more than 200 stores across the UK.
It’s worth noting, however, that Currys won’t actually carry any stock of Sky Glass, other than for display purposes – customers who order it in-store will then get it delivered by Sky (same as if they ordered it from Sky directly).
This expansion comes hot on the heels of Sky’s recent partnership with EE (where they started offering Sky Stream earlier this month) – but there’s a catch worth considering before you rush to the shops.
Sky Glass, while innovative in its approach, is showing its age a bit – the hardware was first launched back in October 2021, and hasn’t been updated since (though the software does get regular updates throughout the year).
To try and sweeten the deal – Sky and Currys are offering a limited-time discount on the content side – but it’s not a price point we haven’t seen before.
What Is Sky Glass?
Unlike Sky Q (which is still around, but losing its popularity fast), Sky Glass doesn’t require a satellite dish – and instead uses broadband to stream everything to your house.
Think of Sky Glass as Sky’s complete TV package – literally. Instead of getting a separate TV and a streaming box, Sky Glass combines everything into one device:
- A 4K QLED TV (available in 43″, 55″ and 65″)
- A built-in Dolby Atmos soundbar
- Sky’s streaming platform with all the popular apps
- Everything streams via broadband, so you don’t need an aerial or dish – but there’s no recording
- Voice control capabilities
The Pricing Puzzle
Sky Glass works on a unique pricing model where you’re essentially paying for two things: the TV itself and Sky’s TV service.
The TV payment can be spread across 48 months, starting from £14/month for the 43″ model (yes, that’s a four-year contract – longer than your typical phone contract).
Remember that if you pay via instalments, this is a loan from Sky – which you have to finish paying regardless of whether you stay subscribed to Sky’s services or not.
Alternatively, you can pay for Sky Glass outright: The 43″ TV costs £699, the 55″ is £949, and the 65″ is £1,199.
On top of that, you need Sky’s Ultimate TV package, which normally costs £31/month without a long term contract, or £28/month if you sign up for 24 months.
Sky Ultimate includes Sky’s Entertainment channels (including Sky Atlantic), Freeview-over-broadband, and Netflix’s ad-supported plan.
You can then also add other paid content bundles, such as Sky Sports, Sky Cinema (which includes Paramount+), Sky Kids and more.
For the launch at Currys, Sky is offering a special deal where you can get Sky Glass with Sky Ultimate TV from £33/month (£14 for the TV and £19 for the service) – but the service price will increase to £31/month after 24 months, unless you get a new deal at that time.
Keep in mind that, as with all Sky products these days, prices typically increase annually around March – and with such long contracts, you’ll likely see multiple price hikes during your commitment period.
The Currys expansion gives potential customers more chances to see Sky Glass in person before committing, whereas before, it was only available to see in Sky’s stores.
Ed Connolly, Chief Commercial Officer for Currys plc, said: “We’re delighted to be ranging Sky Glass online and across our store portfolio. The customer demand for Sky Glass is clear, a unique all-in-one solution that brings together amazing content, sound and picture, and now our customers can see and experience Sky Glass at Currys for themselves”.
Is It Worth It?
While having Sky Glass available in Currys makes it easier to see and try before you buy, it’s worth considering a few things:
- The hardware is nearly three years old now
- You’re committing to very long contracts
- Annual price increases (for the content plans) are pretty much guaranteed
- The TV payments and service are separate contracts
That said, if you’re in the market for a new TV and want Sky’s services anyway, being able to get it all in one device might make sense for some – and now you can actually see the picture quality and hear the sound before making that long-term commitment.
Sky Glass will be available in Currys stores starting today. The special deal will also be available on Currys’s website, but only from November 7.
The introductory offer runs until December 3.
- Want to know more about Sky Glass? Check out our detailed Sky Glass review
- Looking for alternatives? See our Sky Glass VS NOW TV comparison
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Sky Glass is an overpriced lump of garbage. Combined with an overpriced TV service and an abysmal ad-skipping con, would anyone be stupid enough to buy it?
Oh, added, I would never buy anything from Curry’s after having had problems in the past.
Does the tv work only with sky?
Any Freeview/Freely?
Yes, it only works with Sky (as a Smart TV – you can always connect other standalone streaming devices via the HDMI ports). You can also connect an aerial for Freeview channels.
Thanks, but it seems it’s only worth it if you want Sky, and even then it’s expensive.
Will currys deliver and install only I’ve heard this is quite a heavy bit of kit. Will it work without a sky contract, and I’ve also heard you have difficulty trying to sell second hand cannot transfer sky contract, I might be wrong but these are all things I have read about elsewhere.
You don’t actually buy it from Currys – once you order in-store, you get it from Sky – same as if you ordered it directly from Sky. Without a Sky account, it will mostly go “dumb” – you can connect an aerial for Freeview channels, but for apps and streaming you would need to connect a streaming device via the HDMI ports.
This is frankly ridiculous.
Please DO NOT BUY Sky Glass. It’s a woeful, wildly over-priced TV.