Connected Sky+HD boxes, Sky Go Extra and access to the UK’s biggest library of on demand content has seen Sky TV figures grow yet again – by more than double the amount of growth experienced last year.
In the last three months, 74,000 new punters signed up, putting the total number of people paying for Sky TV at 10.6 million, a year-on-year increase of 222,000.
This sees the pay TV operator inching closer to overtaking subscription-free Freeview, which is the main-set TV provider in over 11 million British homes.
Over quarter of a million (284,000) Sky TV customers now take Sky Go Extra, which allows you to catch up on Sky TV shows on more device. Sky Go, included with Sky TV subscriptions as standard lets you access channels on up to two devices.
Sky Go Extra which costs £5/month on top of your Sky subscription, and lets you watch on up to four devices, including Windows and Mac machines, iOS and Android phones and tablets and games consoles including Xbox 360 and – eventually – PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 3. Sky Go Extra is bundled free if you’re paying for Sky Multiscreen (formerly Sky Multiroom).
On demand use has tripled over the last year, thanks largely in part to availability of TV Box Sets with Game of Thrones seasons 1-3 leading the charge; the popular HBO series based on George R.R. Martin’s fantasy book series has become Sky’s most downloaded box set ever. On demand viewing now accounts for more than 5 per cent of viewing in connected Sky homes.
Sky chief executive Jeremy Darroch said: “Our investment in connected TV services is delivering results. Almost 50 per cent of Sky homes are now connected and this is transforming their viewing experience: connected customers are watching more TV, they’re more loyal and they’re more likely to recommend Sky.”
The number of Sky+HD boxes that are connected to the internet rose by 600,000 in the last three months taking the total to 4.9 million – a 2.6 million increase on the number of connected boxes from last year.
Sky also recently revamped the home page of the Sky+HD TV Guide, putting access to on-demand and catch-up content front and centre. As more and more TV customers hook their Sky+HD boxes up to the internet the number
Sky is intent on making sure that customers remain loyal to the brand by securing content deals with studios including Paramount, which will see titles like Noah and Anchorman 2 being exclusive to Sky Movies and Now TV for more than a year.
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