Richard Goodwin 01/03/2018 - 11:02am

Yep, you read that correctly: Netflix has inked a deal with Sky that will see it added as a package to Sky Q

I DID NOT see this coming: Netflix has inked a deal with Sky that will see it’s video-streaming service included inside the Sky Q package. Why is this weird? Because Sky and Netflix are, well, kind of massive rivals…

The two firms have now officially inked a deal though, so it seems as if both companies see value in working together. Netflix will be added to the Sky Q Entertainment Package, adding in tons of 4K content for Sky customers.

Sky said it would double its 4K content in 2018, we just didn’t think it’d do it using Netflix! If you told me this six months ago, I would have laughed in your face – it’s like Apple suddenly using Google Play on its iPhones. Or BMW using Mercedes engines in its cars. It’s just weird!

“This is huge,” said Paolo Pescatore, VP, Multiplay and Media, CCS Insight. “Sky has been reluctant to forge a deal with Netflix, but you cannot ignore the phenomenal growth Netflix has had in a short period of time.”

He added: “More importantly it reinforces Sky as an aggregator of the content that people want to watch on the Sky Q platform.”

Asked about why Netflix would do such a thing? Pescatore added: “For Netflix, this is a superb tie-up that further increases its broad appeal among families. It is also a reflection of the changing landscape and the need for players to be smarter and work together rather than compete with each other.”

“It is inevitable that both parties have made concessions in order for this long-anticipated deal to happen.”

What I don’t get is that A LOT of Sky users will probably already have a Netflix subscription. I do. And I have Amazon Prime Video too. I also have the Entertainment package for Sky Q – it sucks by the way – and I don’t really need a Netflix subscription because, well… I already have one.

Still, I guess it’s good news for those that don’t! And it does add a lot of additional value to Sky’s Entertainment package.