Amidst the trend of increasing prices for streaming and pay-TV services, it’s notable when a provider goes against the grain by reducing costs – albeit for a limited time.
This is precisely what NOW is doing with its Sky Sports Membership, offering a major discount to new (and some returning) subscribers, for up to 12 months.
The offer sees the monthly cost of the NOW Sky Sports Membership reduced from £34.99 to £21, valid for up to 12 months – without a minimum term contract.
This membership not only grants access to a broad spectrum of live sports events across 12 channels, but also includes the newly launched Sky Sports Tennis channel, which offers over 4,000 tennis matches from more than 80 tournaments annually.
Other channels covered under the NOW Sports Membership include Sky Sports Premier League, Sky Sports Football, Sky Sports Cricket, and Sky Sports Golf, providing a diverse range of sports content to subscribers.
Of course, the offer has a few caveats, so it’s certainly not for everyone (see below for the full details).
Originally launched in 2012 as NOW TV, the service was Sky’s strategic response to the growing popularity of Netflix (and later other streaming services), aiming to offer a flexible alternative to traditional pay-TV with a focus on providing immediate access to Sky’s newest shows, movies, and extensive sports coverage.
NOW differentiates itself by offering segmented “Memberships” rather than a one-size-fits-all approach, allowing users to tailor their subscriptions based on their specific content interests.
This structure provides the flexibility to opt for packages like the latest TV shows, Sky Cinema, or the highly coveted Sky Sports membership without the need for a long-term commitment.
It’s an appealing choice for cord-cutters seeking access to Sky’s premium content, including live sports events, without the constraints and costs associated with traditional cable or satellite services.
NOW offers three main content packages (“memberships”):
- NOW Entertainment, normally at £9.99/m, with Sky’s TV channels, including Sky Atlantic, and content for kids.
- NOW Cinema, normally at £9.99/month. Identical to the Sky Cinema plan on Sky, with new blockbusters and back-catalogue films.
- NOW Sky Sports, normally at £34.99/month. Almost identical to Sky Sports on Sky.
Despite the added flexibility, however, NOW is still typically more expensive than most of the other streaming services (if you combine both the Cinema and Entertainment memberships) – but special offers tend to improve the value-for-money front.
Another cost to keep in mind with NOW is that of NOW Boost – which costs £6/month.
It’s an add-on, which adds Full HD (1080p) video quality, Dolby Digital 5.1 sound, no adverts (for on-demand content – you’ll still see adverts on Sky’s live channels), and the ability to stream on up to 3 devices at the same time (instead of just one).
Furthermore, NOW Boost promises smoother sporting action, as all the Sky Sports channels stream at 50 frames per second when you have Boost.
NOW’s Sports Membership and the New Sky Tennis Channel
NOW’s Sports Membership is designed for sports enthusiasts who crave live-action from the comfort of their homes or on the go.
This membership grants subscribers access to various sports content, including live events, comprehensive coverage, and in-depth analysis across various sports disciplines.
A key highlight of NOW’s Sports Membership is the inclusion of the recently launched Sky Tennis channel, further enriching Sky’s sports broadcasting portfolio
Launched in February 2024, Sky Sports Tennis is dedicated to bringing over 4,000 tennis matches from more than 80 tournaments annually, including the ATP & WTA Tours and exclusive live coverage of the US Open.
In addition to the new Sky Sports Tennis channel, NOW Sports includes the following live channels (with some of the content also available on-demand) –
Sky Sports Main Event: This channel showcases the biggest live events from across the sports spectrum, including premier league football, international qualifiers, and major sporting events.
Sky Sports Premier League: Dedicated exclusively to the Premier League, this channel offers coverage of England’s top football league, including live matches, analysis, and special programming focused on the Premier League.
Sky Sports Football: Beyond the Premier League, this channel covers a wide range of football content, including domestic cup competitions, European football, and international fixtures.
Sky Sports Cricket: Offering extensive coverage of domestic and international cricket, this channel features live matches, including test series, one-day internationals, and T20 competitions, alongside expert commentary and analysis.
Sky Sports Golf: Golf enthusiasts can enjoy live coverage of major golf tournaments, including the PGA Tour, European Tour, and the Masters, with in-depth analysis and player interviews.
Sky Sports Formula 1: This channel is a must for Formula 1 fans, providing comprehensive coverage of every race weekend, including practice sessions, qualifying, and the race itself, along with analysis and behind-the-scenes access.
Sky Sports Action: A channel dedicated to various sports, including rugby union, boxing, and NFL, offering live events and magazine shows.
Sky Sports Arena: This channel covers a range of sports, including wrestling, darts, and more, providing a platform for sports not covered by the other dedicated channels.
Sky Sports News: A 24/7 news channel that delivers the latest sports news, transfer updates, and breaking stories from around the world of sports.
Sky Sports Mix: This channel offers a variety of sports content, including live events across different sports, catering to a broader audience with diverse interests.
Sky Sports Racing: Dedicated to horse racing, this channel covers major racing events, providing live coverage, expert analysis, and tips for racing fans.
The New £21 Offer for NOW’s Sports Membership
This week, NOW has introduced a significant price reduction for its Sky Sports Membership, lowering the cost from £34.99 per month to just £21 per month for up to 12 months.
In addition, new subscribers will get a free trial of NOW Boost for 1 month.
Unlike other recent deals from NOW, this one does NOT include a minimum term – which means you can cancel at any time.
It’s worth noting that this isn’t the cheapest offer we’ve seen for the Sports Membership – and existing subscribers who try to cancel sometimes get even cheaper deals (I remember a £19/month offer, for example).
Still, this offer represents a substantial saving for sports fans seeking access to a broad range of live sports content, and you get the discount for up to 12 months, which is a longer-than-usual period (just remember that it doesn’t always make sense to keep the Sports subscription for 12 months – depending on your preferred sports and teams).
As always, there are a few caveats with this offer.
The reduced price of £21 per month is applicable for up to 12 months, after which the subscription will revert to the standard pricing (currently £34.99/m) unless there is a new deal available at that time.
NOW Boost will also renew automatically after the free month is up, at £6/month, so don’t forget to cancel if you don’t need it.
The offer is available exclusively to new or returning customers, or existing customers with less than 30 days left on their current offer.
This restriction means current subscribers with more than a month left on their deals cannot directly benefit from this offer.
NOW Sports VS Sky Stream Sports Subscription
NOW TV isn’t the only option to get Sky Sports via streaming – as there’s also Sky Stream, the 4K streaming puck from Sky.
Unlike Sky’s traditional devices (such as Sky Q), Sky Stream doesn’t require a satellite dish – and instead, uses broadband to stream TV shows to you (including Freeview channels) – positioning itself alongside the likes of Amazon Fire TV, Roku, and Google’s Chromecast in the streaming device market.
Furthermore, Sky Stream doesn’t require a long-term contract (so it’s similar to NOW in that regard) – although the optional Sky Stream long-term contracts do offer lower prices.
If you just want Sky Sports, Sky Stream offers less flexibility – as you must get the basic Sky Ultimate package with Sky Stream, which includes Sky’s entertainment channels and Netflix.
Then, you can add Sky Sports on top.
So, for example, as of this writing Sky has a deal that offers Sky Stream Ultimate with Netflix and Sky Sports – for £37/month.
Note, however, that this offer comes with an 18-month contract.
The offer I received from Now was just £19.99 pcm.
However, you are right to highlight the cost of Boost.
Why are we expected to pay for HD? and why so much?
Paying for 4K, I can understand (though I’d still complain!) but HD is surely the ‘norm’ nowadays and you would/should not expect to pay extra for it.
Every time I see the subscription rates of Sky and associated outlets I’m astounded by the rates. Even this reduced rate is is high.