Sky Go Brings live TV Streaming to iOS and PCs but not Media Center

Last week Sky announced they were pulling the plug on their Windows Media Center service and now we know why. Sky are bringing all their web and TV streaming services together into Sky Go, combining Sky Player and Sky Mobile TV into a free services for subscribers and a paid service £15-£40 for non subscribers. You will be able to watch Sky on an iOS device and while the press release doesn’t specifically say the browser it does say “PCs, laptops, mobiles and tablets at no extra charge” and specifically says “iPhone, iPad, PC and Mac”

So no Windows Media Center support but plenty of Apple love, also the Sky Player services on the Xbox 360 will be renamed Sky.

Sky TV Goes Online and Mobile for all 10 million customers

Sky Go brings together online and mobile TV in a single, simple service,
free to Sky TV customers

From next month, all Sky TV customers will have the opportunity to watch Sky channels and programmes on PCs, laptops, mobiles and tablets at no extra charge.

Available free to all Sky TV customers, Sky Go will provide flexible access to Sky content across multiple devices including the iPhone, iPad, PC and Mac. Launching on July 6 ^th , it brings together two existing services: Sky Player, Sky’s online TV service, and Sky Mobile TV, the UK’s largest mobile TV service, with these services rebranded as Sky Go . Offering even more value from the Sky subscription, this will allow customers to watch live linear channels in line with their subscription while on the move in the UK and Ireland.

Sky Go will give customers yet more control and choice over how, when and where they enjoy Sky. Each Sky home will be entitled to register up to two devices, through which they can enjoy access to live channels and selected on-demand content.

On mobile and tablet devices, customers will be able to access all five Sky Sports channels, ESPN and Sky News, with further channels to be added over time.

On laptops and computers customers will be able to access more than 30 live channels, including all five Sky Sports channels, Sky Movies, Sky News, Sky 1, Sky Atlantic, Sky Arts, MTV, Disney, G.O.LD, Nickelodeon, NatGeo, History, Eden and ESPN, supported by an extensive library of on-demand content.

Sky Go will be available from August to non-Sky TV customers, with monthly subscriptions priced from £15-£40. Sky will also remain available on Xbox and Fetch TV, but will rebrand simply as Sky (currently Sky Player).

In time, Sky Go will be supported by Sky’s acquisition earlier this year of The Cloud, a leading public Wi-Fi network that offers wireless access in over 4,500 public locations – across coffee shops, hotels, restaurants, public transport hubs and other public spaces. Out-of-home Wi-Fi will support a higher quality experience for online services including Sky Go and other high bandwidth services and applications. Further details on the roll out of the network, including timings, will be announced in due course.

Stephen van Rooyen, Deputy MD of Sky’s Customer Group, comments :

“The explosion of smartphones and tablets demonstrates the increasing consumer demand for accessing entertainment and communicating on the move. We have already responded to this by offering a range of services, including live TV, across many new innovative platforms and devices, like laptops and iPhones.

“Clearly the consumer appetite is there, and it’s growing. In responding to that, and to create even more value, choice and flexibility for our customers, we are now going to offer online and mobile access to Sky content at no extra charge. The future support of a nationwide Wi-Fi network will help us supercharge that experience further still.”