NOW, formerly NOW TV, has announced some pretty dramatic changes to its popular streaming service. As Express.co.uk exclusively revealed earlier this week, NOW is cutting its Sky Cinema membership prices and bundling children’s channels for free for anyone who subscribes to its entertainment membership. That’s the good news … but there are some changes that are probably not that popular.
So far, anyone who signs up for a NOW membership has been able to watch TV on two screens at the same time, which makes it perfect for families with different TV tastes. Starting in July this will change, however, as standard plans can only be viewed on a single screen at a time.
So if you want to stream Sky Sports in the lounge while your kids get something from Sky One in another room on a tablet or streaming set-top box, now is the time to spend more. That’s because the ability to see on more than one screen is locked behind the Premium Boost add-on to your plan.
Boost allows a total of three devices to watch Sky content at the same time, with the current price costing users an additional £ 3 per month. Unfortunately, there is more bad news as this now goes up to £ 5 per month in another big change for new customers.
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That’s a big step up, but to soften the blow, NOW is adding a few more features to this optional extra, including ad-free viewing when watching shows on demand and all sports channels getting a 50fps makeover for silky smooth picture quality.
In addition, Boost already offers functions such as 5.1 surround sound and 1080p HD streaming. If you’ve already added Boost to your account, NOW says you won’t be paying the extra £ 2 per month, but anyone who joins the service will be affected by the higher fees.
If you use NOW, you will receive a message from the company in the coming weeks explaining what the changes will mean for you with the update, which will take effect in July. It’s worth noting that anyone with a current NOW membership shouldn’t end up paying extra.
Regarding the reorganization, a NOW spokesperson told Express.co.uk, “At NOW we are constantly evaluating and investing in our content and product offering to meet the changing needs of our members. After recently relaunching our brand, we’re continuing this transformation by taking the opportunity to simplify our membership options and add more value to our members.
“The new NOW offering will make it easier for members to access the best entertainment in the world, with the flexibility to choose the package that’s right for them, while avoiding price increases for the core content membership offering.”
