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[Fizzle]

Press Release
Millions of entertainment fans will soon have the way they watch TV transformed, as Xbox 360 and Sky announce a ground-breaking partnership which will enable, for the first time ever, premium live television to be watched through a games console.
In a UK and Ireland first, Sky Player, Sky's online TV service, will come to Xbox LIVE in the autumn, allowing Xbox owners to access a range of channels and programmes to either view live or on-demand.
Details of the full channel line-up will be revealed closer to launch, but it is anticipated that Xbox LIVE users will be able to access blockbuster movies, must-see entertainment shows, thought-provoking documentaries, programming dedicated to kids, music and the arts, as well as all the excitement of Premier League football, Test Match cricket and a wide variety of other sports through Sky Sports.

The news, officially unveiled today in Central London by Sky Sports News Georgie Thompson, reveals there will be a number of viewing options.
For a new customer joining Sky through their Xbox, Sky Player will offer a wide range of live channels and on-demand content via a number of different packages. These customers will also be able to access their favourite shows on a pay-per-view basis.
Existing Sky customers who already own an Xbox will benefit from another way to view their favourite shows, in addition to their Sky set-top box and PC or Mac
There will be a range of unique interactive services available to the Xbox LIVE / Sky Player offering. For Sky Sports, for example, this will mean that live coverage will be supported by range of applications to enhance the viewing experience further. As well as fans being able to communicate with one another in real time via their broadband connections, they will also be able to check news and access fixtures, league tables and other on-demand information. Interactive applications will also be developed across other programmes genres.
Stephen Nuttall, Director of Sky's Commercial Group comments:" Our partnership with Xbox is a further example of our commitment to put choice and control in the hands of customers. Xbox owners now have a range of ways to access Sky content and can pick and choose the platform and packages that are right for them. We are extremely excited about the opportunity of reaching Xbox owners who are looking to experience Sky for the first time, as well as giving our existing customers yet another way to experience the content they love."
Echoing this, Neil Thompson, Head of Xbox UK and Ireland, adds: "Our customers have told us that they want the opportunity to use their consoles as a way to access TV and once again Xbox has pulled off an entertainment first with amazing content and rich interactive experience. The combination of Sky's leadership in content creation and aggregation and our own in creating a constantly evolving new generation of rich 360 entertainment experiences means we are one step closer to our goal of offering Xbox owners the best entertainment experiences out there, whether it's movies, music, games, interactive experiences or high quality TV."
Sky Player joins Xbox LIVE's ever-expanding interactive online offering spanning on-demand films, music videos and games. It also enables users to communicate with each other via live video chat and MSN Messenger, beating console rivals to cement Xbox 360 as a true pioneer of home entertainment.
Sky Player currently provides access to a range of live TV channels – including Sky Sports – and a comprehensive on-demand library of thousands of programmes spanning entertainment, movies, documentaries, kids, culture, news and sport.
End

F*cking awesome. Party Chat + Sky Sports = A dream come true.

I've always wanted this for my PlayTV. But as of now, it isn't even possible.

 

[sixteen-bit]

I watch Sky Sports with my (English) father at times here in America through DirecTV.
I know I'm SOL, but cool news regardless. Party chat would indeed be the bees knees.

 

[DeaconKnowledge]

So now people will be calling each other n*****s and f*****s while watching sports from their couch?

It's like being in the arena!

 

[Busty]

MEGATON? Rly?

*shrugs shoulders*

 

[$h@d0w]

As it gets closer to E3, misuse of the term 'megaton' begins.

 

[Firewire]

I was promised a megaton and I'm still waiting.

 

[TheGreatDave]

This is pretty awesome.

 

[woodsey1982]

YES INDEED!

Cant wait for this, sounds awesome, got Sky HD in the living room but my 360 upstairs, will be able to watch some programs on that now.

Anyone know what happened to the supposed BT vision integration with Xbox 360 that was announced last year??

 

[davygee]

The only problem is that you need to be a subscriber to Sky to get the programs and sports etc and with the recession is full swing, cancellations and council tv users have increased.

It would have been better with the BBC/ITV seeing as all UK residents are TV Licence holders and would get everything free.

I reckon Sony will enhance the IPlayer facility to get full screen soon for both PS3 and PSP.

 

[McBacon]

Eh, I don't wanna pay for TV. I'll stick with my PlayTV box.

 

[Stinkles]

So now people will be calling each other n*****s and f*****s while watching sports from their couch?

It's like being in the arena!

You must have a great Friends List.

 

[LutherT17]

Sky Sports and XBL? A perfect blend of people who like to shout and people who like to shout.

 

[gofreak]

which will enable, for the first time ever, premium live television to be watched through a games console.

I guess 'premium' here means you pay for it.

Cos you can watch 'TV' and live TV for free through the other consoles for some time now AFAIK (e.g. BBC iPlayer, PlayTV etc.)

Course, Sky is nice to have too.

 

[TheGreatDave]

You have to subscribe to Sky to use the Sky Player.

But, for example, my girlfriend's parents get Sky, and we used their information to watch Sky through my girlfriend's laptop. Presumably, I'll be able to do that here, and get mah shit for free. Hell, this may even stop me subscribing to Sky if it works well and offers all the stuff I need.

 

[Benjamin1981]

So now people will be calling each other n*****s and f*****s while watching sports from their couch?

It's like being in the arena!

This a european service, not an american one.

 

[JonathanEx]

When iPlayer, especially live streams, hits 360, then I'll be truly excited. However, interesting announcement, we'll see what channels and stuff they offer.

 

[Fizzle]

I guess 'premium' here means you pay for it.

Cos you can watch 'TV' and live TV for free through the other consoles for some time now AFAIK (e.g. BBC iPlayer, PlayTV etc.)

Course, Sky is nice to have too.

GoView too.

 

[Gowans]

Wow Sky through internet, no dish, no installation. I can see Sky pushing this hard.

Shame no Freeview service.

Hope they one day add, iPlayer, 4oD and ITVs player then I'm sorted.

 

[brain_stew]

YES INDEED!

Cant wait for this, sounds awesome, got Sky HD in the living room but my 360 upstairs, will be able to watch some programs on that now.

Anyone know what happened to the supposed BT vision integration with Xbox 360 that was announced last year??

You do know you can do that already with Sky Player on your PC, right?

 

[sixteen-bit]

This a european service, not an american one.

lol have you ever been to a football (soccer) game?

 

[fizzelopeguss]

Sky is like, the biggest rip off...

 

[TheGreatDave]

You do know you can do that already with Sky Player on your PC, right?

The PC app doesn't stream stuff, you have to download it. I found it super clunky to use, hated it.

 

[Burai]

You have to subscribe to Sky to use the Sky Player.

But, for example, my girlfriend's parents get Sky, and we used their information to watch Sky through my girlfriend's laptop. Presumably, I'll be able to do that here, and get mah shit for free. Hell, this may even stop me subscribing to Sky if it works well and offers all the stuff I need.

Actually, you can get a Sky Player-only sub.

It's £35/month for the full package of movies and sport.

 

[Fizzle]

When iPlayer, especially live streams, hits 360, then I'll be truly excited. However, interesting announcement, we'll see what channels and stuff they offer.

http://skyplayer.sky.com/aboutskyplayer/watch-live-tv.html

Only a few atm.

 

[brain_stew]

The PC app doesn't stream stuff, you have to download it. I found it super clunky to use, hated it.

It absolutely does. You can just use it through your browser, works great, and the quality is pretty damn nice all things considered. Use it to watch Sky Sports whilst the TV is occupied all the time.

 

[woodsey1982]

Yeah I know, but 360 is in the bedroom, PC is in another room. So it means I can go up to bed to watch some stuff, rather than sitting in the spare room on the PC!

 

[TheGreatDave]

It absolutely does. You can just use it through your browser, works great, and the quality is pretty damn nice all things considered. Use it to watch Sky Sports whilst the TV is occupied all the time.

It works through a browser? Oh, well that's cool. I had to download an app, and it was awful. My bad.

 

[Dragon]

This a european service, not an american one.

So they'll be calling each other arseholes and chavs instead.

 

[JonathanEx]

http://skyplayer.sky.com/aboutskyplayer/watch-live-tv.html

Only a few atm.

And right now no guarantee that all of those will be through the 360 service. Nice announcement, we'll see how it plays out. Or if it actually materialises, see the BT Vision announcement from last year.

It works through a browser? Oh, well that's cool. I had to download an app, and it was awful. My bad.

It used to be powered by that horrible klondonki Peer to Peer downloader that stole all your bandwidth, that iPlayer and 4OD both used to use: but all services are now web based. Sky Player is silverlight, ITV is silverlight, iPlayer is flash (with adobe air downloader) and 4OD through the website is flash too.

 

[CrunchinJelly]

I already have Sky+HD and I seem to recall you need multiroom for Movies and Sports on it, which is an extra £10 a month.

 

[brain_stew]

It works through a browser? Oh, well that's cool. I had to download an app, and it was awful. My bad.

They must have upgraded since you last used it. I've only really been using it heavily in the last few months and I'm really pleased with it, just use the browser version which runs on Microsoft Silverlight. Works, great.

 

[Revolutionary]

That is pretty awesome indeed... but megaton? lol

 

[supermackem]

As a sky user this will indeed be asowme, i will be able to watch stuff in the other rooms and the chat thing during games could be amazing.

 

[Gowans]

I dunno this could be a great trojan horse for MS.

Around what 8million people in the UK have sky?
Replace there set top box and dish with a 360 that also plays DVDs and games that's a lot of people.

 

[brain_stew]

I already have Sky+HD and I seem to recall you need multiroom for Movies and Sports on it, which is an extra £10 a month.

Or broadband Max, which every Sky subscriber should have anyway, best damn broadband package offered in the UK, £10 for a truly unlimted service at upto 16mb (connecting at 10mb here). Service is great.

 

[JonathanEx]

That is pretty awesome indeed... but megaton? lol

You're in America, so it's understandable that you're questioning the megaton: but potentially, Sky and Xbox teaming up, could be huge in the UK market.

 

[Prine]

This is huge news for me. Sky on my 360 (im a subscriber).

Now if we get iplayer on there too then we're all set, no more need for multiple devices under my TV. Just a 360.

Connects to my PC, Sky and hopefully BBC iplayer in the future.

 

[Linkified]

Now MS go to LoveFilm and get us an equivalent of Netflix here in UK and then we'll talk. (Even though I love my Sky).

 

[JonathanEx]

When we last heard of iPlayer on 360, it was that plans weren't going well because Microsoft basically wanted the content, but not to allow the BBC to have control over the way it was delivered, branded, controlled etc. BBC not having power over any aspects of interface and things didn't go down well with them it seems - why MS were against that seems odd, iPlayer is a big brand, and one that companies like Virgin Media have been happy to let be shown.

 

[Fizzle]

That is pretty awesome indeed... but megaton? lol

Lol

No but really, having a single box that you can use to play games and watch TV with your friends with social features such as voice chat and instant messaging, is a megaton imo.

 

[Prine]

Sky must be loving this deal also, no dish or setop box, installation cost and repair/maintenance.

Delivering more content at a smaller cost.

 

[Chittagong]

Megaton?

more like JIZZINMYPANTSTON

holy shit!!!

 

[meddow]

wow

cant wait !

 

[JonathanEx]

Sky must be loving this deal also, no dish or setop box, installation cost and repair/maintenance.

Delivering more content at a smaller cost.

Less content. Much much less.

 

[Beardz]

**Walks in looking for the megaron**

...


**Walks out**

 

[navanman]

Awesome this is as big a megaton as Netflix was to US XBL users last year when it was announced.

Ability to stream and watch Sky TV & Sports on a TV that doesn't have an actual Sky box connected to it.

For the uninformed Sky have complete control of pay TV in UK & Ireland so this is pretty huge news for their massive userbase.

 

[McBradders]

This is about as good as a deal as we could expect in the UK given our lack of Netflix equivalent.

EDIT: FU NAVANMAN :lol

 

[cyberheater]

This could be very cool. As a UK Xbox 360 owner and SkyHD subscriber, it would be a really nice to be able to setup a Xbox360 to a second tv in the bedroom and watch sky content.

I wonder how the the wifi connection will cope?

 

[Psychotext]

I'm seriously considering getting my satellite dish reconnected because of this.

 

[Fizzle]

This could also mean the era of good quality tv series video's popping up on torrent websites, seeing as 360 has already been hacked.