Just days after the soft launch of NOW TV’s new 4K Ultra Boost tier, it turns out it’s not all good news – especially for those considering the original Boost add-on.
Along with the launch of Ultra Boost, which adds Ultra HD to NOW’s streaming library, the company has quietly downgraded its standard Boost tier, reducing the number of simultaneous streams it offers.
This change means that subscribers who’ve grown accustomed to streaming on three devices at once will now need to upgrade to the pricier Ultra Boost tier, which costs £9 per month, to maintain this capability.
It’s worth noting that existing Boost subscribers have been upgraded to the new Ultra Boost tier at no extra cost (until further notice) – so this will only affect them if and when they cancel their subscription. New subscribers, however, will have to choose between the two.
With prices and plans changing all around the streaming market, NOW is not alone in limiting streams – and other technical capabilities – to certain tiers. Netflix, Disney+, and Prime Video have all made similar moves in the past year.
Here’s everything you need to know about these changes.
The History of NOW Boost
NOW, formerly known as NOW TV, introduced its Boost add-on back in 2019.
At the time, it was a long-awaited upgrade for the service, finally offering Full HD (1080p) streaming, Dolby Digital 5.1 surround sound, and the ability to watch on three devices at once.
Originally priced at £3 per month, Boost was designed to enhance the viewing experience (or, some would say, finally bring it in line with the competition) for those willing to pay a bit extra.
In addition, a NOW Boost subscription removes the adverts from on-demand content, and all the Sky Sports channels stream at 50 frames per second.
Over time, the price gradually increased to its current £6/month, but the features remained largely the same – until now.
Enter Ultra Boost
Just days ago, NOW unveiled its new Ultra Boost tier. Priced at £9/month, this premium option finally brings 4K Ultra HD and HDR streaming to NOW, along with Dolby Atmos sound support.
Ultra Boost also includes four live UHD sports channels: Sky Sports Main Event, Sky Sports F1, and two ad-hoc channels (Sky Sports UHD 1 & 2).
Ultra Boost maintains the three-device simultaneous streaming that was previously part of the standard Boost package, but here’s the surprise:
Along with Ultra Boost’s launch, NOW downgraded its regular Boost tier – which now only supports two simultaneous streams.
Why Do Simultaneous Streams Matter?
Should you even care about the number of simultaneous streams? Well, it all comes down to flexibility and value for money.
Imagine a family where dad wants to catch up on House of the Dragon in the living room, mum’s watching a football match on her tablet in the garden, and the kids are streaming Clifford The Big Red Dog on a laptop upstairs.
With three streams, this is no problem. But drop to two streams (or just one), and someone’s going to be disappointed.
For households with multiple viewers or devices, the ability to stream on several screens at once can be important.
And it’s not just about different people watching different shows – it’s also about the freedom to watch on your phone while commuting, without worrying about blocking access for others in your household.
A History of Changes
NOW’s approach to simultaneous streaming has changed over the years.
Initially, before Boost was introduced, NOW supported two simultaneous streams on all its passes. When Boost launched, it upped this to three streams.
However, at some point, NOW reduced the standard offering to just one stream, with Boost maintaining the three-stream capability.
Now, we’re seeing another shift: one stream without Boost, two with standard Boost, and three with the new Ultra Boost.
How Does NOW Compare To Other Streaming Services?
Let’s see how NOW’s new limits stack up against other major streaming services in the UK:
Netflix offers two streams on its ad-supported plan (£4.99/month), two on standard (£10.99/month), and four on premium (£17.99/month).
Disney+ provides two streams on its ad-supported plan (£4.99/month) and standard plan (£7.99/month) and four on premium (£10.99/month) plans.
Amazon’s Prime Video allows three simultaneous streams as part of its standard subscription (£5.99/month or included with Prime membership).
In this context, NOW’s new structure seems less competitive.
To get three streams on NOW, you’re looking at a minimum of £18.99 per month (£9.99 for an Entertainment or Cinema pass, plus £9 for Ultra Boost) – significantly more than its rivals (although NOW tends to offer a lot of discounts).
Choose Your Limits
It’s worth noting that this move by NOW isn’t happening in isolation.
Streaming services increasingly offer different technical benefits at various price points. It’s not just about simultaneous streams – video resolution and audio quality are often tiered as well.
For instance, Netflix reserves its 4K HDR content for premium subscribers. Disney+ recently introduced an ad-supported tier with reduced features.
And let’s not forget Amazon Prime Video’s recent downgrade, removing Dolby Vision and Atmos support from its ad-supported tier, unless you pay an extra £2.99/month.
If you’re a NOW subscriber who relies on streaming to multiple devices, these changes might sting a bit. You’re now facing a choice: accept fewer simultaneous streams, pay more for Ultra Boost, or consider alternatives.
For casual viewers or single-device households, the impact might be less noticeable.
And as mentioned, existing Boost subscribers were given a free upgrade to the new Ultra Boost tier – which should remain in place as long as they don’t cancel their subscription.
NOW Boost: The Essentials
What’s the difference between NOW Boost and Ultra Boost?
Ultra Boost offers everything in the standard Boost package, plus 4K Ultra HD and HDR streaming, Dolby Atmos sound support, and the ability to stream on 3 devices simultaneously.
Standard Boost costs £6 per month, while Ultra Boost is priced at £9 per month.
How many devices can I watch NOW on?
The number of devices you can stream on simultaneously depends on your subscription:
- Without Boost: 1 device at a time
- With standard Boost: 2 devices at a time
- With Ultra Boost: 3 devices at a time
How do I manage my devices on NOW?
You can keep track of your devices in the ‘Devices’ area of ‘My Account’. Up to 6 devices can be stored on your account at any time. When you start watching on a new device, it’s automatically added to your account.
What happens if I try to add a 7th device?
When you start watching on a new device and you’ve reached your limit of 6, the device with the oldest ‘Last used’ date and no downloads will be automatically removed to make space for the new one.
I’m getting a ‘too many streams’ error message. What should I do?
This could be due to several reasons:
1. You’re trying to stream on more devices than your subscription allows.
2. Someone else might be using your account.
3. You recently stopped watching on another device, but NOW’s system hasn’t registered it yet.
4. You’ve recently added Boost or Ultra Boost, but your account hasn’t been updated yet.
Check the ‘Devices’ area in ‘My Account’ to see what devices are in use. If you’ve recently stopped watching on another device, wait about 10 minutes before trying again.
Can I manually remove a device from my account?
No, you can’t manually remove a device. Devices are automatically removed when you exceed the 6-device limit and start watching on a new device.
I’m an EE TV customer. How many devices can I watch on?
EE TV customers can watch on 2 devices at once, as long as one is an EE TV box. If you have Boost, you can watch on 3 devices simultaneously (Ultra Boost is not yet supported on EE TV).
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Sky’s approach to HD is laughable. While some people are happy to listen to tinny stereo or watch rubbish video, I think at least HD is necessary for any extended viewing and opted out of Sky altogether partly because of their trying to charge through Boost what should be an integral part of the service.
Now recently added a pause/rewind/fast forward capability which was extremely useful, sadly it has been removed.
Silly prices from Sky, amongst so many silly prices from Sky, that I am leaving them entirely later this month when my 18 month contract is completed.
Apart from hardly watching any Sky channel apart from Premiership Football and Formula 1, I found their ad skipping service to be appalling.
Carrying on with them would mean a monthly bill of about £60. I’ll exist in YouTube, Netflix, Paramount+ and Crime+Investigation – Probably at a third of what I pay Sky.
Very wise. We’ve gone 8 months since cancelling Sky Stream and don’t miss anything about Sky, particularly the ridiculous cost of it. The Stream puck was dreadful. Painfully slow & still riddled with issues after a year. Lip sync was entirely random on it every day, no consistency when switching between apps.
I’ve tried NOW with Ultra Boost on my TV and it’s functioning so much quicker than Sky Stream, and it’s in perfect sync! I’ll just subscribe every now and again whenever there’s something we want to watch. We get everything we want from various apps now, at less than half what we were paying Sky.