Sky has officially announced that its highly anticipated Sky Sports+ service will launch next week, marking a major milestone in sports broadcasting in the UK.
Sky Sports+, an expansion of Sky’s existing sports offering, will integrate into current platforms including Sky Glass, Sky Stream, and Sky Q.
It aims to provide subscribers with significantly expanded live sports content, featuring the capability to stream up to 100 live events simultaneously.
The service will also be available, with some variations, to Virgin Media and EE TV customers (see more on that below), as well as NOW customers with both monthly and day passes.
Sky Sports+ will be rolled out in two stages: the new streaming app will be available from August 6, 2024.
Just two days later, on August 8, 2024, the dedicated Sky Sports+ linear channel will go live (replacing Sky Sports Arena), showcasing a selection of the best live sports from the new streaming platform.
And to celebrate the launch – Sky has brought back its lowest-ever Sky Sports bundle.
What is Sky Sports+?
As we previously reported, Sky Sports+ is not a separate streaming service, but rather a streaming-based addition to Sky Sports (along with the new linear channel).
It’s designed to enhance subscribers’ viewing experience by offering more live content and improved features at no extra cost to existing Sky Sports subscribers, across several platforms.
Expanded Live Coverage
One of the major aspects of Sky Sports+ is the significant increase in live sports coverage. Subscribers can expect over 50% more live sports compared to the previous year, with the capability to stream up to 100 live events simultaneously.
Football fans will be particularly pleased with the expanded EFL coverage.
Sky Sports+ will offer four times as many matches from the EFL, with all 72 teams featured over 20 times a season. Every match from the men’s Super League will also be available.
Beyond football, Sky Sports+ will provide expanded coverage of the ATP and WTA Tours, the US Open, the PGA Tour, and more, aiming to reach a wide range of sports fans.
Sports documentary enthusiasts will be pleased to know that Sky Sports+ will give exclusive early access to Sky’s sports documentaries, such as the upcoming Darts documentary, two weeks before general release.
Enhanced Features
Sky Sports+ will introduce several new features aimed at enhancing the viewing experience.
Live pause and rewind functionality will be available on all concurrent streams, including – for the first time – on NOW.
The ‘Recap’ feature, currently available for Premier League and Championship games, will be extended to EFL games shown on the Sky Sports+ linear channel.
Improved Mobile App
Alongside the launch of Sky Sports+, Sky recently introduced a revamped Sky Sports mobile app. The app features a refreshed design and navigation, including a much-requested dark mode to improve usability.
New personalisation features will help fans follow their favourite teams and competitions more easily.
An improved multi-sports scores section will offer fixtures, live scores and an extended view beyond the usual seven-day football calendar.
How to Access Sky Sports+
Only customers with the complete Sky Sports pack will get access to Sky Sports+ at no extra cost. Those with individual sports packs will need to upgrade to access the new service.
For existing Sky customers with a full Sky Sports subscription, access to Sky Sports+ will be automatic – the service will simply be integrated into the existing Sky experience across Sky Glass, Sky Stream and Sky Q.
NOW customers, both with monthly and day passes, will gain access to all Sky Sports+ content, including live streams and on-demand catch-up content.
And, as mentioned, NOW members will be able to pause and rewind live sports content for the first time.
The Sky Sports+ linear channel, which is launching on August 8, will showcase a selection of games and events from the Sports+ catalogue, replacing the Sky Sports Arena channel:
- Sky Q: Channel Number 412
- Sky Glass / Stream: Channel Number 410
It’s worth noting that subscribers with the older Sky+ box will receive the new Sky Sports+ linear channel (if they have a full sports subscription), but they won’t have access to the live streams as Sky+ is not compatible with the Sky Sports+ streaming app.
Sky Sports+ on Virgin Media and EE TV
Sky Sports+ will be available to Virgin Media TV customers who subscribe to Sky Sports, but with some limitations.
At launch, the streaming aspect will only be accessible on Virgin Media’s TV 360 and Virgin Media Stream boxes. Unfortunately, older boxes such as the V6 will not support the streaming features of Sky Sports+.
However, all Virgin Media TV customers with a Sky Sports subscription will be able to watch the new Sky Sports+ linear channel.
This channel will be available on Channel Number 508 (HD), regardless of which Virgin Media box you’re using.
EE TV Customers
For EE TV customers, accessing Sky Sports+ is more straightforward. EE TV customers who subscribe to Sky Sports do so via a NOW Sports subscription, which is included in EE TV’s Big Sport and Full Works plans.
As NOW Sports Membership holders, EE TV customers will automatically gain access to all Sky Sports+ content, including live streams and on-demand catch-up content, when the service launches.
This will be available on both the EE TV 4K Pro Box and the new custom Apple TV box.
The Sky Sports+ linear channel will be available on Channel 447 (HD) for EE TV customers with the appropriate subscription.
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