Digital TV News: NOW TV

Ofcom releases Media Nations 2020 report
Aug 5, 2020 – A surge in screen time during lockdown saw UK adults spend 40% of their waking day watching TV and online video services, Ofcom has found. People spend twice as much time watching subscription streaming services: 34 minutes in 2019, and 1 hour 11 minutes in April 2020.
News categories: Ofcom, COVID-19, Digital TV, Market Research, UK

BoFiNet enlists Globecast for OTT service creation in Botswana
Jul 7, 2020 – Globecast has announced that Plastique has enlisted Globecast as its technical partner to supply a turnkey OTT service for BoFiNet, Botswana’s wholesale provider of telecommunications infrastructure.
News categories: Globecast, BoFiNet, Stefan Wiederkehr, Botswana, Content Distribution, Digital TV, OTT, UX

UK SVOD market to grow 100% over next five years
May 15, 2020 – The UK’s solid growth in SVOD adoption is set to continue over the next five years, according to GlobalData. The total number of subscriptions is expected to double between 2019 and the end of 2024, rising from 22.4 million to 44.6 million.
News categories: GlobalData, Joel Cooper, Digital TV, Market Research, OTT, UK

Roku launches The Roku Channel in the UK
Apr 7, 2020 – Roku has announced the arrival of 'The Roku Channel' in the UK. There are no subscriptions, fees or logins required to access The Roku Channel. The Roku Channel is available to consumers with a Roku streaming player, Roku TV, NOW TV device or Sky Q box.
News categories: Roku, Rob Holmes, Apps, Digital TV, OTT, Set Top Box, UK

Disney+ rolls out in Europe
Mar 24, 2020 – Disney+ has launched in the UK, Ireland, Germany, Italy, Spain, Austria, and Switzerland. The service will launch in France on April 7th. Audiences can stream Disney+ on nearly all major mobile and connected TV devices.
News categories: Disney+, Kevin Mayer, Apps, Austria, Digital TV, Gaming, Germany, Ireland, Italy, OTT, Set Top Box, Smart TV, Smartphone, Spain, Switzerland, Tablet, UK

Sky signs deal for Disney+
Mar 3, 2020 – Sky and Disney have announced a deal making Disney+ available for purchase in the UK and Ireland on Sky Q, to be followed by NOW TV in the coming months. The deal also includes the first-pay window for 20th Century titles.
News categories: Sky, Disney, Jeremy Darroch, Kevin Mayer, Apps, Digital TV, Europe, OTT, Satellite, Set Top Box

Disney+ has the potential to make a strong entrance in the UK
Feb 5, 2020 – According to Goldmedia, up to 7.6 million VoD fans in the UK are indicating that they want to use Disney+ when it launches at the end of March. UK VoD users subscribe to an average of only two streaming services and want to spend no more than around £17 a month on them.
News categories: Goldmedia, VoD-Ratings, Dr. Florian Kerkau, Digital TV, Market Research, OTT, UK

Six in ten UK households use streaming services
Nov 27, 2019 – Six in ten households (61%) in the UK currently watch streaming services, rising to more than three quarters (77%) of 18- to 34-year-olds. More than four in ten (41%) over-55s also signed up to at least one provider, according to research from uSwitch.com.
News categories: uSwitch, Dani Warner, Digital TV, Market Research, OTT, UK

Hisense Roku TV models now available in UK
Nov 22, 2019 – Hisense and Roku have announced that Hisense Roku TV models will be available in the UK. Recently announced at IFA 2019, these smart TVs are powered by the Roku OS, offering consumers a premium TV experience at an affordable price.
News categories: Roku, Hisense, Bart Bomers, Arun Bhatoye, Middleware, OTT, Smart TV, UK