Now TV might not be as high-profile as Disney Plus, Netflix or Amazon Prime – but that's not to say it's any less worthy, and it could just be exactly what you're looking for.
The streaming platform, unveiled by Sky as far back as 2012, was designed for people with no existing pay TV subscription.
And it’s now home to big-hitting franchises such as Chernobyl, Game of Thrones and Watchmen as well as shows from HBO, live sports and first runs from the latest film releases.
The streaming platform has recently added The Undoing featuring Hugh Gran t and Nicole Kidman, Billie Piper's I Hate Suzie and Sky Atlantic's second largest ever drama Gangs of London.
What do you actually know about NOW TV? We answer some of your questions below.
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I like the sound of it, but what actually is NOW TV?
It’s an online streaming service from Sky, made up of five individual 'passes' you can subscribe to - Entertainment, Movies, Sport, Hayu (a reality TV-focussed pass) and Kids.
Each pass is a separate monthly subscription – handy if you know exactly what you want to watch – which allows the user to access either live TV broadcasts – ie: using the sports pass - or a library of movies or TV shows.
Interesting, h ow much does it cost a month?
Sky Cinema Pass: £11.99 a month, with a 7-day free trial for all first-time subscribers. Users have access to all 11 Sky Cinema channels, and more than a thousand movies on demand.
Entertainment Pass: £9.99 a month, with a 7-day free trial for all first-time subscribers. Users have access to 16 live channels and 300 TV series box sets.
NOW TV Kids Pass: £3.99 a month, with a 7-day free trial for all first-time subscribers. Users get six channels, plus thousands of episodes on demand.
hayu Month Pass: £4.99 a month, with a 7-day free trial available for all first-time subscribers. Users get more than 250 box sets of leading reality TV shows, added the same day as the US premiere.
Sky Sports Pass: 33.99 a month or £9.98 for a one-day pass. User then has access to all 11 Sky Sports Channels.
A mobile-only pass is also available for £5.99 a month, allowing viewers to stream five Sky Sports channels on their phones.
So if I was to get NOW TV, exactly w h ich channels would I have?
NOW TV's Entertainment Pass allows viewers to watch the following channels live:
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Sky Atlantic
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Sky One
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Sky History
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Sky Nature
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Sky Witness
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Sky Comedy
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Sky Crime
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Sky Documentaries
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Fox
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Gold
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Comedy Central
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Vice
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MTV
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SYFY
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Discovery Channel
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National Geographic
A decent list. Do I have to be a Sky TV subscriber to use NOW TV?
No. But NOW TV will give you access to Sky TV channels and programmes starting from £3.99 per month.
If you find yourself watching a lot of Sky, it may make financial sense to get a joint TV and broadband deal directly with them.
Is it easy to sign up to NOW TV?
Just go to the NOW TV website and create an account.
You then need to click the TV Passes tab, and just select which passes you’d like. The option of a free 7-day trial applies to all bar the sports pass.
Once your subscription is confirmed, just download the NOW TV app and away you go.
How do I actually watch NOW TV?
Just sign in to your account via a web browser, and choose a TV show/sports event/film you want to see. The NOW TV desktop app will then play your selection.
Is there any other way I can watch it?
Yes, you could buy a NOW TV Smart Stick (£17.99) which plugs into any TV with an HDMI port.
This stick must, of course, be connected to Wi-Fi.
If you don’t have a Smart TV this is a great option, as you not only get NOW TV but also access to BBC iPlayer, All4, ITV Hub and Netflix.
Where can I get this stick?
Amazon, Argos and Currys PC World to name a few, with many selling it with TV passes already included.
What devices support NOW TV?
You may not be tempted by the Smart Stick, but you can still watch NOW TV on your smartphone using the NOW TV app on iOS and Android smartphones and tablets, and/or via Chromecast, LG and Samsung Smart TVs – if the model is newer than 2014. It is also possible to watch NOW TV on your laptop or Mac via the app.
What are the best TV shows on NOW TV?
Where to start? There’s Chernobyl, The Sopranos, Mare of Easttown, Game of Thrones, The Wire, Succession, Band of Brothers, Boardwalk Empire, Gangs of London and Keeping Up With The Kardashians to name just 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 Avengers: Endgame, Star Wars, Once Upon A Time In Hollywood, Zombieland: Double Tap and JoJo Rabbit. At the moment the high-profile roster includes Dune, Ghostbusters: Afterlife, Mad Max: Fury Road, Tenet, The Shawshank Redemption, The Lego Movie, Paddington 2, The Suicide Squad, Inception, The Theory of Everything, Jumanji and Indiana Jones and the Raiders Of The Lost Ark.
There’s a big sporting event coming up - c an I buy a Sky Sports Pass for one day?
Yes. You can bag a one-day Sports Pass for £9.98, which will give you access to all of the Sky Sports channels for 24 hours – very useful if there’s more than one event on the same day.
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