Sky has announced that from today, those with Microsoft’s Xbox 360 will be able to access Sky TV through their gaming hub. News Corporation, who own a 39.1per cent stake in Sky and also own The Times, revealed that a selection of on-demand content would be supplied from across their subscriber channels.
Only currently available to those who pay the £60 per year tariff on the Xbox Live Gold system to access Microsoft’s gaming network, customers of Xbox Live will be able to subscribe to a similar package as long as they are already Sky customers. Director of On-Demand content for Sky, Griffin Parry said “This initiative is designed both for existing Sky subscribers and for people who, for whatever reason, either do not want or are not able to fit a satellite dish to their homes.”
Costing £15 per month to customers who are Xbox Live subscribers but not Sky customers, digital content will be available on-demand, however without content from sports and movie channels. In addition to being able to simple watch content, the move will also encourage socialising across the network. For example, a customer watching a live football match has the option to invite friends to watch as well.
Mr Parry explained “This deal gives Sky the chance to get our content to a new demographic. Our research shows that many Xbox Live subscribers are in their late twenties or early thirties, with no children yet, and no mortgage. A package like this, which is renewed monthly rather than annually, could appeal to a new demographic for us.”
