Vodafone, Sky strike TV deal
Cloud-based service links multiple devices to free-to-air channels, movies and Netflix
Vodafone has announced a partnership with Sky TV which will enable a new, integrated TV experience. The new service is cloud-based and connects multiple devices to free-to-air TV channels, movies and Netflix through a central box hub, similar to Apple TV.
Vodafone TV will include unlimited broadband, Sky TV and have the option to add on premium channels such as Sky Sport and SoHo without the need for a satellite dish.
All free-to-air channels will be included as well as the streaming services of TVNZ OnDemand, ThreeNow and Netflix, if the customer has an account.
It will be available only to people with Fibre and FibreX connections.
Vodafone chief executive Russell Stanners said viewers would have the option to watch content on their television, then pick up their smartphone and continue to watch after they’ve left the house.
“Our customers on the fibre and mobile networks are big users of video and what this does is provide a very compelling, very easy to use, intuitive interface where you can bring together on the big screen, iPad or smartphone which makes for a user-friendly experience.
“People have been saying to us that they wanted to bring together their apps and various content under one solution and we’re doing that.”
A new catch-up feature will store content in a cloud-based service for three days so people can watch shows they missed without having to set up a recording feature.
Vodafone consumer director Matt Williams said there would also be more control over what and when TV was watched. “Advances in technology create endless possibilities and make the future exciting. Vodafone TV is a new generation of TV service that will enable Kiwis to experience TV like never before,” he said.
Stanners said the service would simplify viewing experiences.
“[It] simplifies everything for the customer by delivering a fantastic range of local and international content, all in one place and with simple features to make viewing easy.”
Stanners said 87 per cent of New Zealand homes would have fibre by 2022 and he hoped Vodafone TV would compel people to switch their broadband to fibre.
“I am very hopeful this will give them a very big reason to move because the copper network is years and years old — it’s really not the network to deliver video.”
Sky chief executive John Fellet said Vodafone TV “is an exciting next step in our long-standing commercial relationship with Vodafone”. He said the partnership was the biggest project the two had worked on together, and others were in the pipeline.
“From Sky’s vantage point, we think we have the best content and this is something we focus on greatly, but more and more it’s about the user experience,” Fellet said.
“It’s no longer, ‘What do I want to watch?’, it’s ‘Where do I want to watch it, when do I want to watch it?’ and more importantly, ‘What device do I want to use to watch it?’, so there are a lot of complicated solutions that we’re able to wipe out with just this one deal.”
First NZ Capital head of institutional research Arie Dekker said the deal between Vodafone and Sky was expected.
“The market has been expecting the launch of Vodafone TV for some time, with Vodafone and Sky signalling the intent to launch an IPTV platform with the same broad features, back in June 2016 when they announced they would merge.
“While the merger was not approved by the Commerce Commission, the commercial relationship between Sky and Vodafone remains strong and they have moved ahead with the product.”
Dekker said he expected Sky would launch a product with similar features in the future.
Vodafone TV packages have yet to be announced but they will be available only with a 12- or 24-month Vodafone Unlimited Fibre or FibreX plan. The price for Vodafone TV has not yet been announced, but it will be available before Christmas.