NOW TV built its entire pitch around a single idea: get Sky’s channels without a Sky dish, a Sky box, or a Sky contract. Owned by Sky and launched in 2012, the service let viewers pay for Sky Sports, Sky Cinema, or Sky’s entertainment channels one month at a time, no installation and no long-term commitment required. That flexibility remains the whole reason the service exists, even as the brand itself has quietly simplified to just “NOW” in official use.
Therefore, this guide covers exactly what NOW TV offers today. It walks through every pass and its real pricing, the Boost add-ons that unlock better quality, the genuinely significant HBO Max integration that landed in March 2026, and how the whole package compares to a full Sky subscription. NOW TV isn’t trying to replace Sky entirely. It’s betting flexibility beats commitment for a specific kind of viewer.
Last Updated: March 2026
How This Guide Was Structured
This guide covers the areas that matter most before subscribing:
- what NOW TV actually is and how it relates to Sky
- pricing across the Entertainment, Cinema, and Sports passes
- the Boost and Ultra Boost quality add-ons
- the new HBO Max integration and what it changes
- what devices and regions support the service
- practical comparison against Sky’s full subscription and rival platforms
Understanding NOW TV
NOW TV is a no-contract streaming service owned by Sky, delivering Sky’s television channels and content through individual passes rather than a bundled satellite subscription. Consequently, the service functions as Sky’s answer to cord-cutting, letting viewers access Sky Sports, Sky Cinema, or Sky’s broader entertainment lineup without installing a satellite dish or signing a long-term agreement.
Furthermore, NOW TV has run since 2012 on this exact model, and while the brand has officially simplified to just “NOW” in recent marketing, the original name remains how most viewers still search for and refer to the service. The platform runs across an unusually wide device range, including every major smart TV brand, Fire TV, Roku, Apple TV, Chromecast, PlayStation, Xbox, and even a dedicated NOW Smart Stick for older televisions without built-in app support.
Defining Traits
NOW TV runs on three main passes purchased independently: Entertainment, Cinema, and Sports, each billed, paused, or cancelled separately from the others. In addition, two optional Boost tiers layer on top of any pass, Boost adds Full HD quality and ad-free on-demand viewing for £6 monthly, while Ultra Boost adds full 4K, Dolby Atmos, and three simultaneous streams for £9 monthly.
How NOW TV Differs From a Full Sky Subscription
Where a full Sky TV subscription includes hardware like the Sky Q box with genuine recording capability, NOW TV offers no PVR functionality at all, relying entirely on its on-demand library instead of live recording. Consequently, the trade-off is straightforward: NOW TV wins on flexibility and lower entry cost, while Sky’s full package wins on picture quality ceiling and the ability to actually record live television.
NOW TV Passes and Pricing
Entertainment Pass
- Standard pricing: The Entertainment pass runs £9.99 monthly at standard rates, covering Sky’s entertainment channels including Sky Atlantic, roughly equivalent to what a basic Sky TV package would offer minus Netflix integration.
- HBO Max now included: Starting March 26, 2026, NOW TV folded HBO Max directly into the Entertainment membership at no extra cost beyond the standard pass price, integrated into the same interface rather than requiring a separate account. That inclusion puts a genuine slice of the wider TV shows on HBO Max catalog inside a UK service that never carried it before.
Cinema Pass
- Movie access: The Cinema pass costs £9.99 monthly at standard rates, mirroring Sky Cinema’s full lineup of new blockbusters and back-catalogue films. Viewers hunting broad access to watch movies online through a UK-based service without a satellite dish find this pass covers essentially the same ground Sky’s dish subscribers get.
Sports Pass
- Full Sky Sports access: The Sports pass runs £34.99 monthly, or £14.99 for a single 24-hour day pass, covering the complete Sky Sports channel lineup including Sky Sports F1, with every Grand Prix session included. The pass also covers cricket, Premier League football, selected Champions League matches, Premiership Rugby, and tennis, making it one of the most complete single-purchase routes to sports streaming sites coverage in the UK market.
The HBO Max Integration
The March 2026 addition of HBO Max to NOW TV’s Entertainment pass marks one of the more significant changes to the service in years. Rather than requiring a separate HBO Max subscription and login, the content now streams directly through the existing NOW interface, meaning current Entertainment pass holders gained access without any additional signup step. This mirrors the pattern already established through Sky’s earlier Warner Bros. Discovery partnership on the satellite side of the business, now extended into the no-contract streaming product as well.
Comparison Table for UK Streaming and Sky Alternatives
| Streaming Platform | Platform Highlights | Notable Examples |
|---|---|---|
| NOW TV | No-contract access to Sky’s channels via separate Entertainment, Cinema, and Sports passes. | Sky Atlantic, Sky Cinema, Sky Sports F1 |
| Sky TV (full subscription) | Complete satellite package with Sky Q hardware and recording capability. | 4K sports, full DVR functionality |
| Sky Store | UK and European rental and purchase, plus optional physical disc delivery. | New release rentals, Buy & Keep purchases |
| Netflix | A broad general entertainment catalog with no live sports coverage. | International and original programming |
| Disney+ | Family and franchise content alongside a smaller live sports presence. | Pixar, Marvel, Star Wars libraries |
| TNT Sports | The UK’s other major sports broadcaster, competing directly with Sky Sports. | Premier League, European football |
| Prime Video | Bundled with Amazon Prime membership, including select live sports rights. | A broad general catalog plus originals |
Common Traits and Audience Appeal
Who NOW TV Actually Suits
NOW TV suits viewers who want specific Sky content without a long-term commitment, casual sports fans who only need coverage for a particular tournament, or households testing whether Sky’s programming justifies a fuller subscription before committing to one.
Why the Pass System Works
Because each pass runs independently, subscribers can mix and match exactly what they want month to month, running Sports and Entertainment together during football season, then dropping to just Cinema during a quieter stretch, a flexibility traditional satellite packages rarely offer.
Why Audiences Keep Returning
Viewers return because the no-contract model genuinely delivers on its promise, passes pause and resume without penalty, and the recent HBO Max addition gave existing Entertainment subscribers a meaningful catalog boost without any new cost or signup friction.
FAQs about NOW TV
How much does NOW TV cost?
Standard pricing runs £9.99 monthly for Entertainment, £9.99 monthly for Cinema, and £34.99 monthly for Sports, with a £14.99 Sports day pass also available.
Is NOW TV the same as Sky TV?
No, NOW TV is Sky’s no-contract streaming alternative, delivering the same content without satellite hardware or a long-term agreement.
Does NOW TV have HBO Max?
Yes, as of March 2026, HBO Max is included directly within the Entertainment pass at no additional cost.
What is NOW TV Boost?
An optional add-on costing £6 monthly for Full HD and ad-free on-demand viewing, with Ultra Boost at £9 monthly adding 4K and Dolby Atmos.
Can I use multiple NOW TV passes at once?
Yes, each pass is billed and managed independently, so subscribers can run Entertainment, Cinema, and Sports simultaneously if desired.
Does NOW TV have a free trial?
Not reliably anymore, since NOW TV has largely replaced trials with discounted six-month introductory pricing instead.
Can I record shows on NOW TV?
No, the service offers no PVR or recording functionality, relying entirely on its on-demand library.
What devices support NOW TV?
Nearly every major smart TV brand, Fire TV, Roku, Apple TV, Chromecast, PlayStation, Xbox, and a dedicated NOW Smart Stick for older televisions.
Does the Sports pass include Formula 1?
Yes, Sky Sports F1 is included, covering practice, qualifying, and the full race for every Grand Prix weekend.
Is NOW TV worth it compared to a full Sky subscription?
For viewers who want flexibility over commitment and don’t need 4K sports or DVR recording, yes; for those who want the full picture quality ceiling and hardware, a full Sky subscription remains the stronger option.
Final Thoughts on NOW TV
NOW TV earns its place by delivering on the exact promise it launched with in 2012: Sky’s content, without Sky’s commitment. The three-pass system lets viewers pay for precisely what they want, the Boost tiers close most of the quality gap against a full satellite subscription, and the new HBO Max integration handed existing subscribers a genuine catalog upgrade at no extra cost. The lack of recording capability remains the one real trade-off against Sky’s full package, but for viewers who value flexibility over hardware, that trade-off is exactly the point.
