NOW TV guide: How much does it cost and what's best to watch?
Everything you need to know about the on demand streaming service.
If you’re a fan of crime dramas and 24/7 news coverage, there’s great news coming from Sky next week, with the launch of channels Alibi and NBC News NOW.
Both channels will be available on Sky’s streaming platform as part of the NOW TV Entertainment Pass from 28th June 2022.
Alibi features crime dramas Annika, Clarice, Ragdoll and Limetown, while NBC News Now provides a 24/7 live feed of the latest stories and breaking news on world and US News.
The launch of the two new channels follows the launch of Peacock on Now and Sky, and the addition of channels Sky Comedy, Sky Nature and Sky Documentaries on the 9.99 per month Entertainment package.
Marina Storti, managing director at NOW, said: “We are excited to bring even more value to our Members with two brilliant channel additions coming to our content line up, at no additional cost. NOW members love a good whodunnit, so we’re thrilled to be bolstering our slate of crime dramas with new channel Alibi, which will be available live and on demand for NOW Entertainment members from 28th June”.
Home of the likes of Chernobyl, Game of Thrones and Watchmen, NOW TV continues to bolster its library with new and classic shows from HBO, live sports and first runs from the very best film releases.
In June alone, we have seen Keeley Hawes’ drama The Midwich Cuckoos, Westworld season 4 and We Own This City arrive on NOW TV.
Here's our guide to everything you need to know about NOW TV.
What is NOW TV?
An online streaming service from Sky, which comprises of five individual "passes" - Entertainment, Movies, Sport, hayu (a reality TV-centric pass) and Kids - to which users can subscribe.
The passes are separate monthly subscriptions that give the user access to either live TV broadcasts - as with the sports pass - or a library of TV shows or movies.
How much does NOW TV cost a month?
Entertainment Pass costs £9.99 per month, with a 7-day free trial available for all first-time subscribers. It gives users access to 16 live channels and 300 TV series boxsets.
Sky Cinema Pass costs £11.99 per month, with a 7-day free trial available for all first-time subscribers. Users will have access to all 11 Sky Cinema channels, and over 1000 movies on demand.
Sky Sports Pass costs 33.99 per month or £9.98 for a one-day pass. It gives users access to all 11 Sky Sports Channels.
A mobile-only pass is also available for £5.99 per month, which allows viewers to stream 5 Sky Sports channels on their phones.
NOW TV Kids Pass costs £3.99 per month, with a 7-day free trial available for all first-time subscribers. Users get six channels, plus thousands of episodes on demand.
hayu Month Pass costs £4.99 per month, with a 7-day free trial available for all first-time subscribers. Users get over 250 box sets of top reality TV shows, added the same day as the US premiere.
What channels do I get with NOW TV?
NOW TV's Entertainment Pass allows viewers to watch the following channels live:
- Sky Atlantic
- Sky One
- Sky History
- Sky Nature
- Sky Witness
- Sky Comedy
- Sky Crime
- Sky Documentaries
- Fox
- Gold
- Comedy Central
- Vice
- MTV
- SYFY
- Discovery Channel
- National Geographic
As detailed above, from 28th June 2022, subscribers will be able to watch channels Alibi and NBC News NOW as part of the NOW TV Entertainment Pass.
Is NOW TV different to Sky Boxsets?
Yes, NOW TV is an entirely separate entity to Sky's broadcast TV package (to which Sky Boxsets is an additional on-demand service).
You don't have to be a Sky TV subscriber to use NOW TV, which can give you access to Sky TV channels and programmes from as little as £3.99 per month.
However, Sky does like to run almost continuous deals on its packages so we suggest checking their website before signing up to either.
If you want to watch a lot of Sky TV, or you want a joint TV and broadband deal, it might be cheaper to go directly with them.
How do I sign up to NOW TV?
Go to the NOW TV website and create an account. Then click the TV Passes tab, and select which passes you would like to subscribe to (you can do a 7-day free trial for all but the sports pass).
Once you have an active subscription, you will need to download the NOW TV app for your desktop, smartphone or iPad.
How do I watch NOW TV?
You can watch NOW TV by signing in to your account on your usual web browser, and selecting a TV show/ movie/ sports event that you want to watch. This will then launch your NOW TV desktop app, which will then play your selection.
Alternatively, you can purchase a NOW TV Smart Stick from £17.99, which can be inserted into any TV with a HDMI port. The streaming stick must be connected to your Wi-Fi, and it will then allow you to stream NOW TV - as well as BBC iPlayer, All4, ITV Hub and Netflix - via your TV.
This is a great option if you do not have a smart TV but want to watch your favourite streaming services on a bigger screen and it has voice search to make it even easier to find shows to watch.
The NOW TV Stick can be bought from a range of retailers including Amazon, Argos and Currys PC World and many sell it with TV passes already included.
Read our NOW TV Stick review for more information.
What devices support NOW TV?
If you don't want to buy a smart stick, you can watch NOW TV on your smartphone via the NOW TV app on iOS and Android smartphones and tablets, and/or via Chromecast, LG and Samsung Smart TVs (models newer than 2014). You can also download the app and watch the service on your laptop or Mac.
What are the best TV shows on NOW TV?
NOW TV has a brilliant library of TV shows to choose from, on top of its live sports events. Check out our guide to the best shows on NOW TV.
The Entertainment Pass features hundreds of hours of great TV dramas, including HBO classics The Wire, The Sopranos and more recent gems like Game of Thrones, Chernobyl and Watchmen. These are dramas you often won't find on streaming services such as Amazon Prime or Netflix.
To find out how NOW TV compares to Amazon Prime and Netflix, we suggest checking out our guide as we compare the best streaming services in the UK.
Beyond the Entertainment Pass, hayu has all sixteen seasons of Keeping Up With the Kardashians, Project Runway and Vanderpump Rules, to name a few.
What are the best films on NOW TV?
The Sky Cinema channels are often the first place to stream the biggest film releases, such as Star Wars, Avengers: Endgame, Once Upon A Time In Hollywood, Zombieland: Double Tap and JoJo Rabbit.
Check out the latest films to arrive on NOW TV here.
Can I buy a Sky Sports Pass for one day?
Yes, one-day Sports Passes are available for £9.98, and they give you access to all of the Sky Sports channels for 24 hours - meaning you can watch an entire Super Sunday of Premier League matches.
Check out what else is on with our TV Guide.
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Authors
Thomas is Digital editor at BBC Science Focus. Writing about everything from cosmology to anthropology, he specialises in the latest psychology, health and neuroscience discoveries. Thomas has a Masters degree (distinction) in Magazine Journalism from the University of Sheffield and has written for Men’s Health, Vice and Radio Times. He has been shortlisted as the New Digital Talent of the Year at the national magazine Professional Publishers Association (PPA) awards. Also working in academia, Thomas has lectured on the topic of journalism to undergraduate and postgraduate students at The University of Sheffield.
