Sky is launching a subscription bundle that brings five streaming apps (including its own) to one destination, setting itself up as the platform to beat in the UK. 

Sky is calling this bundle a “world-first” offering, combining Sky’s programming with Disney+, HBO Max, Netflix and Hayu (NBCUniversal’s UK streamer) into a single subscription. Significantly, this bundle will bring together an impressive collection of kids & family shows and movies from studios and brands including Disney, Pixar, Marvel and Star Wars, along with the new Superman movie and hits like Stranger Things and Wednesday. 

All of the streamers will be bundled together for roughly US$32 per month (£24 per month) in the Sky Ultimate TV deal. Netflix is already included in the package, which will add the Disney+ Standard with Ads tier in March, HBO Max Basic with Ads on March 26, and Hayu in July (some Hayu shows will be available starting in March). Existing Disney+ premium subscribers will save a few bucks per month if they move to this new bundle.

Launching the bundle is a savvy business move, since Sky is about to face another competitor in HBO Max, which is launching in the UK and Ireland on March 26. Bringing HBO Max into its fold is a way for Sky to turn a potential challenger into a powerful value-add for its own streaming business. “Nowhere else offers this breadth of incredible entertainment in a fully integrated experience,” said Sophia Ahmad, chief consumer officer at Sky. 

Bundles are becoming increasingly common as broadcasters and streamers around the world respond to the fact that consumers are sick of paying for multiple subscriptions. (HBO Max and Super RTL are among the latest to bundle up, with a new deal signed last month). 

And Sky may be paving the way for similar collaborations around the world—since bundling seems like the easiest way to tackle streaming challenges like fragmented viewing, increasing subscription costs and churn. In 2024, Ampere Analysis found that subscribers were 59% less likely to drop out of a Disney+/Hulu/ESPN bundle than those who just subscribed to Disney+.  

For consumers, the main problem with bundles is that there aren’t enough customizable options, Circana noted in 2024. But with five different platforms feeding into Sky’s bundle, that’s likely not a concern with this offering. Circana’s data, which highlights the growing popularity of bundles, also found that about half of all US consumers (49%) view these packages as an efficient way to save money. 

Image courtesy of Sky.