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Exclusive: Xbox 360 Sky TV channels and prices revealed

Tom Warren
16 October 2009 - 14:06
41 Comments
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Neowin member Liam has tipped us off to some big news for those waiting on the Sky TV announcements for Xbox 360.

According to Liam, over at http://xbox.sky.com there's a bunch of XML data which feeds the Sky Player application. Currently it's providing data for Live TV channels that are available. The following channels will be available:

  • G.O.L.D
  • Sky Real Lives
  • Sky Arts 1
  • Sky Movies 1 & 2
  • Sky Sports 1, 2, 3 and Xtra
  • Sky Sports News
  • British Eurosport
  • ESPN
  • ESPN Classic
  • Sky News
  • National Geographic
  • National Geographic Wild
  • History
  • Eden
  • Cartoon Network
  • Boomerang
  • Disney Channel

Sky 1 is missing from the Live channel list but under "TV on demand" Sky 1, Baby TV and Biography are listed. Some of the help text describes the new features well:

Watch thousands of hours of TV programmes and movies on demand. There's catch-up TV from Sky1 and a great selection from National Geographic Channel, History and others. Plus over 500 great movies, from indies to blockbusters, courtesy of Sky Movies and Sky Box Office. If you're a Sky digital satellite customer you can watch programmes from channels in your TV package for free. For example, if you're a Sky1 subscriber, Sky1's top shows are available to watch online for free for 30 days after they first aired. Plus you can choose from a great catalogue of programmes to rent or buy, all within Sky Player on your Xbox 360.

Non Sky Customers

If you're not a Sky customer you can watch Sky TV programmes without a dish or long term contract. With a monthly subscription you can watch selected channels live on your Xbox 360 plus a selection of programmes to watch on demand. Minimum contract term of just one month applies and you can rent or buy single episodes with no commitment.

Cost

Even if you are not a Sky digital customer, you can now subscribe to Sky Player TV from £15/€18 a month for the Entertainment Pack. This includes the live broadcast of over 20 channels including National Geographic, ESPN Classic, G.O.L.D. and Disney Channel. You are also entitled to the free content available from these channels. You can also choose to upgrade this package to include Sky's premium channels Sky Movies and Sky Sports, making a total of 21 live channels for your delectation. If you subscribe to Sky Multiroom account then you can watch all the live channels in your pack on your Xbox 360, at no extra cost! Sky Multiroom or Sky Broadband Unlimited customers can also watch Live TV on their Xbox 360's at no extra charge. All other Sky TV customers can subscribe to watch Live TV on Sky Player for £9.75/€14.75 a month.

Sky originally announced the Sky Player back in May this year, it's currently planning to launch the player later this month.

Comments (41)

  1. master2k27 - 16 October 2009 - 14:10

    why cant the ps3 have something like that

  2. Ci7 - 16 October 2009 - 19:10

    cause you ain't cool anymore :P

    --------
    i just wish they change the controller design ,so old school

  3. brent3000 - 16 October 2009 - 23:44

    They tryed remember and it failed... BOOMERANG

  4. ]SK[ - 18 October 2009 - 16:32

    brent3000 said,
    They tryed remember and it failed... BOOMERANG

    You tried and failed...

  5. +TCLN Ryster - 16 October 2009 - 14:11

    Hmmm, clear as mud. :)

    I subscribe to the full package currently, and have three Sky boxes in the house. total montly sub being close to £100.
    Does this mean I get all of this on my Xbox free of charge?

  6. ZeroHour - 16 October 2009 - 14:22

    Yeh I think so, if your paying for sky already all you need is xbox gold account.

  7. Scazza - 16 October 2009 - 14:55

    Ryster, as I am aware and from the text above, if you have Sky Multiroom or Broadband Unlimited you will get the Sky TV Service through your 360 for Free.

    In our household, we have Sky+ Box in the front room and I have Sky+ HD in my bedroom, we pay for multiroom (which I presume you do too as you have 3 sky boxes) so we get the Sky TV service through our 360's for free.

    I can only see this being used if watching a football match with mates over comms on Xbox Live, otherwise I wont really use it! As we are all generally online and chatting about the footy if we aint watching it around mine or another mates!

  8. bdsams - 16 October 2009 - 14:13

    I wish time warner would do this!

  9. majg - 16 October 2009 - 16:31

    Actually, MS announced a couple days before E3 this year that they expect to be the largest media conduit before years end beating the largest cable or satellite broadcasters worldwide.

    I wonder if something is in the works with Dish or DirecTV for US? I'd drop my Time Warner if they had sports and news along with a decent price.

  10. +Deacon Brown - 16 October 2009 - 14:29

    Thing is this is just like having the sky player on you your xbox.

    I have my sky player on my laptop and my g/f laptop as well.

    So if i travel away or am on the train and I can get wifi I watch football and some movies.

    Sky have really done a big thing with this as people who can't get a dish due to porperty reason can now get it on the net.

    Not sure how the 360 will hold up though being on all that time.

  11. +what - 16 October 2009 - 14:36

    It's only playing video. I'm sure it can cope.

  12. justmike - 16 October 2009 - 20:41

    Yeah, it's been doing Netflix/Media Center for me, for some time now.

  13. Penguin21189 - 16 October 2009 - 14:56

    Do we know if any of these will be in HD?

  14. majg - 16 October 2009 - 16:27

    It will be SD to begin with.

  15. OceanMotion - 16 October 2009 - 15:23

    Only SD for now.

  16. chisss - 16 October 2009 - 15:34

    when is this going to be available? I haven't used the 360 in at least 2 weeks.. lol last time it wasn't there.

  17. Razor_D - 16 October 2009 - 15:42

    27th October

  18. chisss - 16 October 2009 - 15:49

    Razor_D said,
    27th October :)

    sweet... so with the subscription if you invite someone to watch the game they still have to pay?

  19. Inertia - 16 October 2009 - 16:00

    They need to make this plug into Windows 7 Media Center edition now. I would subscribe!

  20. ekw - 16 October 2009 - 16:14

    noo!

    I want HULU to be accessible via the xbox 360!

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