New Sky TV bundle with HBO Max, Disney+, Netflix and Hayu offers big savings, simplifies viewing

Sky has announced a new subscription TV bundle that includes the incoming HBO Max streaming service along with Disney+ and Hayu, promising significant savings and greater viewing simplicity.

For the first time, Disney+, HBO Max, Netflix and Hayu will be incorporated into a single Sky TV subscription, sitting alongside Sky Originals and Sky Exclusives within the same interface.

The idea is simple: one platform, one bill, and a fully integrated viewing experience. Viewers will have easy access to all through the Sky home page.   

From April, new customers will be able to access this new Sky Ultimate TV package from £24 a month. Existing customers won’t be left behind either, with over £20 worth of streaming services folded into current Sky TV subscriptions, depending on package and platform.

Sky made the announcement at a breakfast briefing in Central London. The Luxe Review was amongst the first to hear the news. 

Disney+, HBO Max, Netflix and Hayu will be incorporated into a single Sky TV subscription, sitting alongside Sky Originals and Sky Exclusives…

The new Sky Ultimate TV: What’s included and when

From 26 March, HBO Max Basic with Ads launches in the UK and Ireland and will be included for Sky Stream and Sky Glass customers with Ultimate TV, as well as Sky Q customers.

This brings HBO’s extensive catalogue into Sky’s ecosystem, including modern classics such as Succession and The Wire, alongside newer titles like Emmy and Critics Choice Award-winning The Pitt.

Sky Atlantic will continue to broadcast upcoming seasons of flagship HBO shows including Euphoria, House of the Dragon and The White Lotus, working in parallel with HBO Max rather than replacing it.

Also in March, eligible Sky customers will receive Disney+ Standard with Ads included in their sub, worth £5.99 a month. This applies across Sky Stream, Sky Glass and Sky Q customers on Ultimate TV, as well as Sky Essential TV customers with Sky Cinema.

Subscribers can upgrade to Disney+ Standard or Premium while retaining the saving, and existing Disney+ customers can migrate their account to Sky, keeping profiles and watch history, while saving £5.99 a month.

Sky Cinema customers also gain access to a new Disney+ Cinema channel, adding more films directly into the Sky TV experience.

From July, Hayu will be included in Sky subscriptions, bringing same-day US reality TV to Sky viewers. Franchises such as The Real Housewives and Below Deck will be available on demand, once again blended into the Sky interface.

For those who can’t wait, a preview selection of Hayu content arrives in March, including Below Deck, Below Deck Mediterranean, The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills and The Real Housewives of Salt Lake City.

How it works on Sky OS

All of this new content will be unified through Sky OS, the platform behind Sky Stream and Sky Glass. Shows from Sky, Netflix, Disney+, HBO Max and Hayu appear together in personalised recommendations, with shared features like Continue Watching and cross-app playlists.

Voice control is the icing on the cake, allowing users to search across services, while ongoing software updates promise further integration and personalisation.

What it means for subscribers

So, to recap: For new customers, Sky Ultimate TV will offer Sky Originals, Sky Exclusives, Netflix, Disney+, HBO Max and Hayu from £24 a month (from April 1), with over 130 channels included.

For existing Sky customers, the change is largely additive: Disney+, HBO Max and Hayu are folded into packages at no extra cost, depending on subscription tier and hardware.

Sky has also confirmed that an all new version of the NOW TV app will be introduced, with HBO Max fully integrated.

HBO Max Basic with Ads will be included at no extra cost for existing NOW Entertainment customers, creating a new NOW Entertainment & HBO Max membership from £6.99 a month for new customers. A lower-cost NOW Entertainment tier will also be available from £4.99 a month.

In related news, Sky confirmed at the launch event that it was developing a new Sky Go app, scheduled for later this year for Sky Glass and Sky Stream customers. The new app will mimic the Sky OS home page, and offer Sky content alongside ITV, Channel 4 and Channel 5, for viewing on the go.