NOW TV Memberships

NOW, owned by Sky, offers a low-cost way to stream premium TV content, whether that's via a smart TV app, gaming console, PC, or mobile device.

Membership plans are sectioned into Sports, Cinema, Entertainment and Hayu packs, and are all made available on rolling monthly terms.

However, the cheap flexibility of NOW does have its drawbacks. Viewers can't pause or record live TV, and paid ad-ons are now required to skip ads and watch in full HD.

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At a glance

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Who is NOW TV best suited for?

NOW TV Memberships are best suited to people who want to access Sky's premium content as cheaply as possible, and without having to sign up to a long-term deal.

It's possible to access Sky Sports, Sky Cinema, and Sky Entertainment channels like Sky Atlantic and Sky Max, on rolling 30-day terms, and for much less than it would cost to subscribe to a pay TV package from Sky, or even Virgin Media.

However, customers need to be happy with the drawbacks of NOW TV as well. For example, NOW TV Memberships are best suited to people who:

• Don't want to record or pause live TV
• Have a NOW app compatible device to view on a larger screen, or are happy to watch on a computer or laptop
• For larger screen viewing, NOW Boost a £6/mth add-on is advised for full 1080p HD resolution

Overall, NOW's best-selling point is the low price and the ability to watch on any device whether that's at home or on the go, and it's a great way to access a particular TV series on Sky, or tune-in for a sports season.

Customers willing to bundle a broadband deal from either NOW or TalkTalk can also benefit from further discounts, which we look at below.

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NOW TV and broadband discounts

The overall cheapest way to watch NOW is to subscribe alongside a broadband deal in a bundle.

It's possible to combine NOW with broadband deals from NOW, TalkTalk, and BT, although the best offers are currently available with NOW and TalkTalk.

NOW are offering customers the NOW Entertainment Membership at a reduced price of £6.99 per month for 6 months when they bundle a NOW broadband plan.

TalkTalk customers also get discounts with NOW however, as full fibre broadband customers who take TalkTalk TV can access NOW Entertainment Membership for just £4.99 a month for 12 months, plus the TalkTalk TV fee of £5 per month, although this includes NOW Boost for free, which is worth £6 a month.

One point to bear in mind with these discounts is they usually apply a longer minimum term to the NOW TV Memberships than with standard offers where the contract is only 30 days.

As mentioned, it's also possible to access NOW through a BT TV and broadband bundle, however the prices are fairly standard with additional costs for BT TV itself.

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How can I watch NOW TV?

NOW is a streaming service that offers access to premium Sky TV channels through monthly 'Memberships'.

To watch NOW, customers need a broadband or 4G/5G mobile connection, and a device that supports either the NOW app, or a standard web browser.

NOW doesn't provide smart sticks or boxes anymore, and instead relies on support through third party devices to allow customers to watch through a TV set.

Some support is available directly on smart TVs, for example Samsung and LG, but most viewers will probably use a smart TV box like Apple TV, Roku, Chromecast, or Amazon Fire TV.

The latest Xbox and PlayStation consoles also support the NOW app, and customers can also view NOW content from a desktop computer or laptop, as well as iOS and Android mobiles.

Altogether, this means NOW really isn't a traditional pay TV service like those offered by Sky and Virgin Media, but it does offer much more flexibility.

Each NOW Membership can be taken independently of each other, and subscribed to, or cancelled, as a customer wishes. Content is limited to these Membership plans however, and there is no access to Freeview or any other live TV content.

NOW Memberships were originally known as 'passes' up until the company rebranded from NOW TV to just NOW in March 2021.

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NOW TV Memberships

There are four NOW TV Memberships, which can be taken independently or together, however a customer wishes:

• NOW Entertainment
• NOW Cinema
• NOW Sports
• NOW Hayu

Sky Kids content is now bundled with the NOW Entertainment Membership plan, alongside popular Sky channels like Sky Atlantic, Sky Max, and Sky Showcase.

NOW Cinema and NOW Sports are the Sky Cinema and Sky Sports packs, which offer both live channels and on-demand content.

NOW Hayu is a collection of reality TV shows all available on-demand, with the latest episodes often available the same day as they're shown in the US.

NOW Entertainment Membership

NOW Entertainment is loosely based on Sky TV's Entertainment package, and includes 17 entertainment and documentary channels, plus 6 kids channels.

The channel line-up includes Sky exclusive Sky Atlantic, as well as Sky Max, Sky Comedy, Sky Documentaries, MTV, and Comedy Central. It also includes a range of catch-up and on-demand content too.

This makes it one of the best places to watch exclusive programming and Sky Originals like Game of Thrones, House of the Dragon, Gangs of London, and West World.

Entertainment customers can watch live TV on each of the channels, as well as access on-demand content including a library of box sets, which are regularly updated.

For those who do enjoy the box sets and use of the catch-up facility, the Now service will begin a countdown on titles that are available for less than 30 days. This helps viewers to fit in all the episodes they want to watch before the box set expires.

In comparison to Sky's Entertainment and Netflix package on Sky Stream, the NOW Entertainment Membership is much more affordable.

However, as mentioned, NOW only includes select channels, whereas Sky customers get a much broader range of content as well as access to Netflix, so it's perhaps unfair to compare them on a like-for-like basis.

NOW Entertainment Membership includes 17 channels, plus 6 channels from the Sky kids pack:

NOW TV allows subscribers to watch the channels live, or via catch up. Catch up content is typically available 24 hours after a show has aired, and then in most cases, can be accessed for up to 30 days.

However, Sky Showcase, NBC News and Cartoonito don't have on-demand or catch-up content, while Peacock is an on-demand only channel with no live feed.

Those with kids can also access over 1,000 episodes of children's TV content from Milkshake!, CBeebies and CBBC, alongside the live channels.

NOW Cinema Membership

NOW Cinema Membership offers viewers the chance to stream all 11 live Sky Cinema channels, as well as access over 1,000 movies on demand.

Sky Cinema shows the latest blockbusters after cinema release, as well as exclusives from Sky Originals. Sky's relationship with the big US studios also means that new movies often come to Sky Cinema months before they hit other streaming services.

For example, while the Paramount+ app included in the Sky Cinema pack with Sky is unavailable to NOW Cinema subscribers, the latest blockbusters and library of Paramount's content is available to stream.

The current prices for new customers for NOW Cinema Membership includes:

The Sky Cinema pack with Sky Stream currently costs just £8 on an 18-month contract, or £13 on a 31-day term. NOW Cinema Membership is £9.99, or often less with certain broadband and TV bundle offers.

NOW Cinema includes the following Sky Cinema channels:

It's worth mentioning Sky offer Sky Cinema in full 1080p HD as standard, whereas NOW Cinema only offers the channels in 720p HD, and customers do have to pay an extra £6 per month for NOW Boost to get the channels in full 1080p HD.

However, TalkTalk TV are currently including NOW Boost for free for any customers who also subscribe to NOW through their bundle.

Compare all deals on Sky Cinema and read about the best Sky Cinema offers.

NOW Sports Membership

NOW Sports Membership provides access to all 8 main Sky Sports channels, plus Sky Sports News, Sky Sports Racing, and Sky Sports Mix, which are included free in Sky's Entertainment package.

As you can see, various deals are available to customers willing to bundle NOW Sports Membership with a broadband package, with NOW Broadband currently offering the best price at just £29.99 per month.

Taken on its own, NOW Sports Membership is fairly expensive when compared to the Sky Sports pack offered directly with Sky, however customers do have an extra option to subscribe on just a daily basis.

Both the Sports Day and full NOW Sports Membership offer access to the following live channels:

Sports Day Membership also includes Mobile Month Membership, which provides access to 5 Sky Sports channels, including Sky Sports Premier League, for 12 months but only when watched on a smartphone. However, bonus streams are excluded from Sports Day Membership.

Sports Day memberships really have no commitments at all, as customers don't even need to remember to cancel a rolling payment. Day memberships can be bought in advance, then activated only when users want to watch an event, which makes them ideal for the odd big game or match.

However, bear in mind, NOW Sports Membership on any plan is shown in 720p HD as standard, and customers have to pay more for NOW Boost to view the channels in full 1080p HD. It's something that could be noticeable when viewing on a larger screen.

Learn more about the cheapest ways to get Sky Sports, and compare all Sky Sports deals.

NOW Hayu Membership

At just £4.99 per month, users might not expect too much from this addition to the Now membership options. However, for US reality TV series junkies, the hayu pass is worthwhile.

The Hayu pass doesn't include access to any live channels, but instead includes on-demand access to over 8,000 episodes of new and old US reality TV shows.

NOW even say shows aired in the US will often make the streaming service on the same day, so while it's marginally behind, viewers still get access to the latest content.

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NOW TV extras

The basic NOW Memberships come with some caveats, and viewers have to pay more for ad-ons to skip ads or watch in full HD.

NOW TV in HD

NOW TV is displayed in 720p HD as standard, which should be fine for viewers using computers, laptops or mobiles, but those with larger TV screens may notice the quality isn't as sharp.

It's possible to upgrade any Memberships a customer has to full 1080p HD with the NOW Boost ad-on, which costs an extra £6 per month.

Now Boost is useful for Entertainment, Cinema and Sports memberships as all the live channels on those plans are available in full HD. Selected on-demand Entertainment box sets are included too. However, there are limited HD box sets on the hayu plan.

Overall, NOW Boost is a good option for customers who are used to HD content and want to continue that viewing experience. Although customers viewing on smaller screens are unlikely to notice the difference.

Ad-skipping

Customers who do not upgrade to NOW Boost will see ads during programmes while watching their Entertainment, Cinema and Sports memberships.

This didn't used to be the case and has undoubtedly frustrated many customers who argue they are already paying for a service and don't feel they should pay more just to watch it without ads.

However, NOW Boost seems to be here to stay, plus with Netflix also confirming their plans to start showing ads during programmes, it might be an unavoidable part of streaming life in the future - unless customers are willing to pay extra.

Multiroom

It's possible to watch more than one programme at once with NOW - but this option is only available to NOW Boost customers.

One of Boost's main features is that households can stream on up to three devices at the same time. Whereas without Boost, users are now only able to stream on a single device at a time.

NOW doesn't offer multiroom in the traditional sense, yet the ability to stream on any compatible device in any room is useful.

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Supported devices

Ways to watch NOW TV Memberships include online through a web or mobile browser, or via the NOW app and a compatible device which connects to a TV set.

NOW no longer provide smart sticks or boxes, so users will have to use a third-party device, however, many people may already have a compatible device at home.

Smart sticks and boxes

The Now App can be accessed on the following smart set-top boxes:

• Apple TV (1,2 and 3 not supported)
• Roku boxes (all models)
• Chromecast
• YouView (older devices no longer supported)
• Amazon Fire TV Stick

Note: NOW used to have their own set-top box but this has been discontinued. Current owners of a NOW Smart Stick, NOW Smart Box, Smart Box with Freeview, or a Black NOW TV Box, will be able to get the full range of memberships. Customers who still have a White NOW TV Box will not be able to access NOW content.

Smart TVs

NOW TV app is available on:

• Some LG smart TVs
• All Roku TVs
• Samsung smart TVs from 2015 or later (excluding the Samsung Serif range)
• Sony Android TV

There are a couple of big names on the 'no' list. NOW isn't supported on smart TVs from:

• Panasonic
• Toshiba

Gaming consoles

Owners of an Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, PlayStation 4 or Playstation 5 will be able to download and use the NOW app.

Nintendo Wii is not supported.

Smartphones and tablets

Apple iOS

All devices running iOS 13 or beyond will be able to run the Now TV app (found in the App Store).

Compatible Apple iOS devices:

Note: iOS 11 and 12 are no longer supported by Now.

Android

Most Android devices working on 5.0 or beyond should be able to run the Now TV app (found in Google Play Store).

The requirements on an Android device are:

Other mobile devices

Now TV is currently not available via Windows phones or Kindle Fire tablets.

Desktop computers and laptops

Firstly, unlike Netflix, Now TV won't stream straight from a browser. Users have to download the Now Player.

Download is prompted when a user tries to watch something in their browser. Install as usual. From then on, anything clicked on via the website will be opened in the player.

In fact, that's the only way to use the player - again, in a step down from Netflix, Now TV's app won't let users browse the library through the software. It's a shell only. So, in order to choose the next show, users have to switch back to the browser.

Chromebooks are not currently supported.

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NOW vs other streaming services

The Now TV service might be billed as a more flexible version of Sky but it's also compared frequently to other popular streaming services like Netflix, Amazon Prime Video and Disney+.

Now has a couple of key things going for it in comparison to its rivals:

• Because it's owned by Sky, it has unfettered access to the premium Sky channels, movies and sports channels that are available
• It's the only place to watch Sky Sports without a contract and it has more premium sports content than Amazon Prime Video

There are some caveats in terms of content though.

For example, while Sky boasts formidable partnerships with companies like Paramount, their contract with ABC Studios ended in 2019 following the decision to launch Disney+ (ABC is owned by Disney). So, those box sets were removed from Now and many are available on the Disney+ streaming service instead.

A similar situation has happened more recently with CBS/Showtime programmes, like Yellowjackets, Your Honor and the Major of Kingston, which were previously shown on Sky Atlantic. When the agreement with Showtime ended, these programmes were moved to Paramount+. And while Sky Cinema customers get Paramount+ included for free, this doesn't apply to NOW subscribers.

The service also behaves like other streaming services, with a premium price tag on HD streaming, like Netflix does, along with ads within shows unless users upgrade.

User preference may come down to which streaming service has the content they're looking for and which streaming service is the best to use.

Virgin Media customers may also want to consider Stream as an alternative platform.

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Verdict: Are NOW TV Memberships any good?

NOW TV Memberships offer a great value for money way of accessing premium content from Sky, with the added flexibility of 30-day plans.

We like NOW TV because:

• There's plenty of diversity in the Entertainment Membership with drama, documentaries and real-life shows all included
• The memberships each offer something unique with movies and sports available to those who are interested in them
• Kids channels are now included with the Entertainment Membership
• Discounts available for those willing to bundle with a broadband and TV deal
• It's theoretically straightforward to cancel

On this last point, it's worth noting that cancellation issues are a real bugbear for NOW customers on their Trustpilot page, so that's something to bear in mind.

There are also some issues with NOW TV beyond these frustrations:

• Ads within programmes are irritating
• NOW Boost is the only way to get full HD content and costs an extra £6
• Can only stream on one device at a time without Boost
• It's not possible to pause and rewind live TV unless customers watch NOW via BT TV and the BT TV Box Pro
• Prices have been known to rise every so often

Overall, even though the HD element could definitely be improved upon, especially when you compare it to other providers' output and customers are rightly frustrated about paying to watch ads, our verdict is that NOW represents excellent value for money for subscribers wishing to watch the channels they want to, without a long-term and often expensive commitment.

As always, it's worth comparing packages against other brands to get the full picture. Try our free tool.