Sky brings Peacock to UK, adds Sky Max in channel shake-up

Sky TV, the UK’s biggest premium pay TV operator, is adding NBCUniversal’s Peacock service to its channel portfolio this year, at no extra cost with Sky Q and NOW subscriptions.

The service will also debut in Ireland, Germany, Italy, Austria, and Switzerland. Ad-supported, Peacock programming will include Rutherford Falls, Saved by the Bell, Equalizer, Young Rock, Kardashians and Suits. Over time, Peacock says it will be ‘drawing on the best Peacock Originals as well as NBCUniversal’s iconic library of series and movies.’

The agreement with Sky marks Peacock’s first international expansion since its Stateside launch last summer, where over the past year, 54 million customers have signed-up.

“Comcast’s Xfinity has been integral to the success of our go-to-market strategy with Peacock in the U.S., and we see a similar opportunity to expand internationally with Sky,” said Jeff Shell, Chief Executive Officer, NBCUniversal. “We are excited to bring Peacock to millions of Sky customers and add incredible value to their platforms with a premium catalogue of the best entertainment from across NBCUniversal that is included with their subscription. By leveraging Comcast’s Xfinity platforms in the US, we were able to test and learn, quickly drive scale, usage, and brand awareness of Peacock. We look forward to doing the same with Sky in Europe.”

Dana Strong, Group Chief Executive Officer of Sky, said, “Peacock will be a great addition for Sky customers with over 7,000 hours of content at no additional cost. This exceptional value add is another example of the great ways we are innovating to bring more benefits to our customers from the synergies across Sky, NBCUniversal, and Comcast Cable.”

In related news, this September Sky will introduce two new channel strands, Sky Showcase and Sky Max, to replace Sky One.

Sky Showcase is described as a linear only main event channel that will curate a selection of the top shows from across Sky’s portfolio of entertainment brands, airing content from Sky Witness, Sky Documentaries, Sky Crime, Sky Nature, Sky Arts, Sky Max, Sky Comedy, Sky History, Sky Kids, SyFy and E!.

Sky Max will be a linear channel and on demand service, tand become the new home for some of Sky’s most popular shows, including A Discovery of Witches and A League of Their Own.

MD of Content Sky UK & ROI, Zai Bennett said: “In this golden age of television, the sheer volume of incredible programming can be overwhelming. Over the last 12 months we’ve been making it easier for people to find what they want to watch. From September those looking for the very best of Sky will find it at the top of their programme guide on Sky Showcase, while Sky Max will become the new home of blockbuster entertainment joining the host of genre-led channels launched in the past year, so whether you’re in the mood for true crime, a documentary or just a laugh there’s always a channel to suit. And if you’re not sure what to watch Sky Showcase will curate some of the highlights from our line-up so you can find something new to watch.”