Sky has finally buried the hatchet with Netflix, striking a deal to allow its subscribers across Europe to access shows such as Stranger Things and The Crown as part of their TV subscription.
While rivals such as BT, Virgin Media and TalkTalk already have deals with Netflix, Sky has resisted offering access to the streaming service via its electronic programme guide for fear it could result in customers scrapping their more expensive Sky TV packages. Netflix charges from £5.99 a month, a fraction of even the cheapest Sky TV package.
Netflix, home to hit shows such as House of Cards, Narcos and Black Mirror, will become available as part of a new Sky entertainment package.
Sky has made the move after finding that very few customers drop their Sky bundles in favour of Netflix, instead they choose to get it alongside their existing TV deal.
“By placing Sky and Netflix content side-by-side, along with programmes from the likes of HBO, Showtime, Fox and Disney, we are making the entertainment experience even easier and simpler for our customers,” said Jeremy Darroch, chief executive of Sky.
As viewers increasingly expect to access the content they want to watch in one place, traditional media players are attempting to broaden their offerings by striking deals with partners they once considered rivals.
“With this innovative new partnership and Netflix’s stellar line-up of original content from across the world, Sky’s customers will be able to seamlessly access and enjoy all the best entertainment in one place,” said Reed Hastings, the chief executive of Netflix.
In December, Sky and BT struck a groundbreaking content-sharing deal that resulted in BT customers getting shows such as Game of Thrones for the first time.
In addition, sports fans will from next year be able to watch all Premier League matches through a single subscription. Currently, Premier League fans need to have BT and Sky subscriptions separately to see all games.