Sky and UKTV signed new multi-year agreement

• UKTV’s network of pay TV channels to be made available across all Sky TV products
• UKTV’s portfolio joins Sky On Demand and Sky Go with catch up and online VOD services
• Popular British comedy channel, Gold joins NOW TV – the internet TV streaming service from Sky
• Sky customers can enjoy premiere content such as Gold’s You, Me & Them, Watch’s Believe and Alibi’s Rizzoli & Isles when and where they want to for the first time

London, United Kingdom, 4-11-2013 — /EuropaWire/ — Sky and UKTV have extended their long-term partnership with a new multi-year agreement that will see UKTV’s network of award-winning pay TV channels made available across Sky’s full range of TV products for the first time.

The new multi-platform agreement further expands UKTV’s footprint in the British broadcasting market, which currently sees the network reach over 42 million viewers a month. In addition to the continued availability of popular Pay exclusive channels Gold, Watch, Alibi, Dave HD, Good Food, Eden and Home, UKTV content will be available through catch-up, on demand, on the go, and, where available, in High Definition.

To give Sky customers ultimate control over how, where and when they enjoy UKTV channels, content will be available through Sky On Demand as well as the company’s mobile TV service, Sky Go. More than 3.4 million Sky homes have already connected their Sky box to broadband to enjoy the UK’s most comprehensive catch-up and on demand service, while 3.3 million Sky homes regularly use Sky Go. UKTV will also provide complete series as box sets – including shows such as Red Dwarf X, The Roux Scholarship 2013 and Primeval – to allow customers to watch entire series on their terms.

The addition of UKTV’s channels to On Demand and Sky Go further extends Sky’s leadership in connected TV and strengthens its position as the UK’s leading aggregator of channels across TV, online and on mobile. This agreement also builds on Sky’s commitment to keep increasing value for customers by deepening and strengthening its relationships with channel partners such as UKTV.

In addition, UKTV’s Gold, the popular British comedy channel that celebrates its 21st birthday this year, will join NOW TV, as one of a selection of high-quality partner channels to sit alongside Sky’s own network of channels.

UKTV recently committed to investing a record amount of £110 million on-screen this year, making innovative shows and buying bold and exclusive acquisitions. Upcoming highlights include an exciting new series of award-winning Dynamo: Magician Impossible, JJ Abrams’ new supernatural thriller Believe, a darkly comedic take on storytelling in Crackanory, and Tony Jordan’s new 10 part drama Legion.

UKTV’s free-to-air channels, including Dave, Drama, Really and Yesterday continue to be available to Sky customers.

Rob Webster, Sky’s Commercial Group Director, said: “We are delighted to have extended our partnership with UKTV so that we can offer our customers even more great ways to enjoy some of their favourite shows. We’ll be adding UKTV’s content to our Catch Up, On Demand and Sky Go services, which is great news for customers. This takes our partnership with UKTV to the next level and demonstrates the extra value that we can create with our content partners.”

Keith Porritt, UKTV’s Executive Director Commercial, said: “The extension of UKTV’s partnership with Sky is a clear indicator of the increasing and enduring popularity of our channels as a trusted destination to watch must-see programmes. We are delighted that Sky customers can now enjoy UKTV’s compelling content whenever and wherever they want and that even more homes will be able to enjoy our content through Gold’s availability on NOW TV.”

END

For more information, please contact:

Aaron Begg
Corporate Communications Manager, BSkyB
aaron.begg@bskyb.com

Kerry Parker
Senior Corporate Communications Manager, UKTV
kerry.parker@uktv.co.uk

About Sky:
Sky is the UK and Ireland’s leading home entertainment and communications company.  Around 40% of all homes have a direct relationship with Sky through its range of TV, broadband and home telephony services.

Sky is the UK’s biggest investor in television content, investing more than £2.5 billion a year in channels such as Sky 1, Sky Atlantic, Sky Living, Sky Arts, Sky Sports, Sky Movies and Sky News.   Around two-thirds of Sky’s content spend is invested in the UK and Sky is the fastest-growing source of investment in original British programmes.  More than 30 million people watch Sky content each week.

Alongside its commitment to offering customers a greater choice of high-quality content, Sky is a leading innovator. Customers enjoy total control and flexibility over their favourite TV through Sky+, watch TV on the move through Sky Go, and enjoy the best quality TV experience at home through High Definition and 3D.

Sky distributes its content broadly over several platforms, including satellite, cable, IPTV, mobile and WiFi.  NOW TV, Sky’s second consumer brand, builds on the company’s leadership in internet TV.  Sky is also the UK’s fastest-growing home communications company and favourite ‘triple-play’ provider of TV, broadband and home phone.

Sky believes in making a wider contribution to the communities in which it operates by taking positive action on the environment, supporting grassroots sports and increasing access to, and participation in, the arts.  Sky employs 24,000 people, has annual revenues of £7.2 billion and is estimated to support a £5.4 billion contribution to UK GDP.  Sky is listed on the London Stock Exchange (BSY).

www.sky.com/corporate

About UKTV:

UKTV is the multi-award winning media company that reaches 42 million viewers per month.

UKTV’s ten imaginative channel brands – Watch, Dave, Gold, Alibi, Eden, Yesterday, Drama, Really, Home and Good Food – include the number one channel in the Factual genre, the number one channel in the Lifestyle genre (pay and free) and the most famous channel and programmes in the Entertainment genre.

UKTV has a truly innovative model, curating brand-defining commissions, high-profile acquisitions and the very best of BBC and Channel 4 content, and embracing technology to deliver inspired channels to audiences through Freeview, Sky, Virgin Media, BT Vision, You View, TalkTalk on YouView, plus direct On Demand digital services. The network distributes its highly valued programmes to 200 territories around the world.

Now celebrating its 21st year at the forefront of digital television, UKTV – an independent commercial joint venture between BBC Worldwide and Scripps Networks Interactive, Inc. (SNI) – is proud to be the only British broadcaster to be recognised by Best Companies.

www.corporate.uktv.co.uk

###

Sky and UKTV signed new multi-year agreement