Sky’s NOW Is About To Get Its Biggest Shake-up Yet

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In what might be NOW’s most significant update since its launch, Sky’s streaming service is finally getting a complete interface overhaul.

Starting February 18, viewers will see major changes to how they browse and watch content, with new features like Top 10 lists, dedicated sports collections, and – at last – separate profiles.

The changes couldn’t come soon enough. While NOW has been steadily expanding its technical capabilities, including the recent addition of 4K streaming, its interface has remained somewhat dated compared to rivals like Netflix and Disney+ (and even Sky’s own Stream).

But with this update, NOW is promising to deliver what they’re calling a “world-class streaming experience.”

The Story So Far

NOW, formerly known as NOW TV, has had quite the journey since its launch in 2012 (but don’t worry, Sky made a point of saying the brand and name are NOT changing again…)

NOW TV on the Telly
NOW TV – Yes, it used to look like this

Initially positioned as Sky’s answer to Netflix, the service has evolved from a basic streaming platform to become a significant player in the UK streaming market, offering everything from premium entertainment and movies to live sports.

The past year has been particularly eventful for NOW. Last summer saw the introduction of Ultra Boost, which finally brought 4K Ultra HD streaming to the platform, along with HDR and Dolby Atmos support.

However, this came with some controversy, as the standard Boost tier was simultaneously downgraded from three simultaneous streams to just two, forcing users who needed three streams to upgrade to the pricier Ultra Boost option.

The pricing for most of NOW’s memberships, however, has not changed in a few years – which is somewhat unusual for streaming services these days (then again, NOW is already pricier than many other streaming services, especially if you add Boost).

What’s Actually Changing?

The upcoming changes, announced today and coming in February, are more than just a fresh coat of paint.

NOW is migrating to NBCUniversal’s Global Streaming Platform – the same technology that powers Peacock in the US and SkyShowtime in Europe.

Looking at preview images, the new interface bears a striking resemblance to Peacock’s sleek design, which isn’t surprising given that both services (and Sky) are owned by Comcast.

NOW TV February interface upgrade mobile phone

The update brings several significant improvements:

Redesigned homepage: A fresh look that promises to make it easier to discover new content and jump into popular shows like The Day of the Jackal or The White Lotus, with smoother navigation throughout.

New discovery features: Top 10 lists and improved search functionality to help you find what you want to watch faster.

Enhanced sports sections: Curated collections for specific events and tournaments, with SkySports+ streams housed together, making it easier to follow events like The Miami Open tennis tournament in one place.

Profiles: At long last, Sky confirmed to us that NOW users will be able to create up to 6 different profiles per account, letting each family member have their own personalized watchlist and recommendations.

Kids profiles: With access to over 10,000 episodes of ad-free children’s content including shows like Sky Kids Ready Eddie Go! or Boomerang’s What’s New Scooby-Doo.

The migration will also bring improved technical infrastructure. The platform has already proven its capabilities, successfully handling major events like NFL playoff games in the US.

This could potentially mean better stability for NOW’s live sports streams, which have occasionally struggled during high-demand events.

The rollout begins February 18 for UK and Ireland members, with updates coming to various devices, including Smart TVs and tablets, through March.

Is This The Update NOW Needs?

While these changes sound promising on paper, NOW still faces big challenges in the UK streaming market.

With Netflix and Disney+ continuously innovating and Amazon’s Prime Video recently upgrading its interface as well, NOW needs to deliver more than just a pretty new design to stay competitive.

Sky Stream VS NOW TV collage

Furthermore, NOW has some big in-house competition in the form of Sky Glass and, in particular, Sky Stream – which is also a streaming service from Sky, albeit one that only works on a specific device.

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7 thoughts on “Sky’s NOW Is About To Get Its Biggest Shake-up Yet”

    • That’s not going to happen.
      Freeview is an entirely separate brand name.
      The free-to-air channels which are shown on the Freeview service are owned by EveryoneTV who have their own streaming service, Freely, which is currently available on certain brands of smart TV.
      They are not going to allow these streams to be used by their competition – a subscription service, owned and operated by an American company.
      Sky/Comcast have struck a deal to allow these channels to be streamed ONLY on their own Glass and Stream puck hardware.

      Reply
  1. If they’re moving to the Peacock version of the stack, then hopefully this means better audio quality on the non-Atmos DD+ content, because currently its really quite poor!
    I also wouldn’t object to Sky News HD being 50fps either, but i know thats unlikely.
    Profiles is a huge step forward though, and a better interface too because currently the one we have is simply appalling!

    Reply
    • I have noticed that all non-Atmos content is very quiet on Now, doesn’t seem to make any difference if the AV receiver is set to Auto or manually set it to stereo. Don’t experience the same issue with sound from other apps, although the majority of it is at least Dolby encoded even if it’s stereo.

      Reply
  2. Genuinely interested to see what this updated app brings, I’m just hoping we don’t lose the great integration with the AppleTV OS and the AppleTV app.

    Reply
    • Me too.
      The Peacock app on which the new NOW app architecture is based is notoriously bug-ridden on tvOS. I’ve used it for a couple of years and it still won’t match dynamic range correctly. You have to manually set the video output of the Apple TV box to 4K HDR in order to get it to play HDR or Dolby Vision content content correctly. They’ve updated the app numerous times but it’s never been fixed.
      It would be nice if they started showing content with native frame rates too. Most of the HBO stuff for example is sped up on NOW from 24 to 25fps. Somehow I doubt that’ll happen though…

      Reply

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