Sky's Now TV takes the fight to Netflix with PAYG Sky Atlantic

Now TV now getting Sky's entertainment channels and shows
Now TV - getting its hands on the big TV shows

Sky's Now TV service has taken another big step - with the streaming service now offering its entertainment channels on top of sport and movies.

With an introductory price of a fiver, people can stream ten of Sky's headline channels, including the critically acclaimed Sky Atlantic, Sky One, Sky Living and Fox.

Sky's announcement says that shows will be available both live and on demand, and will therefore offer access to brand new seasons of some of the biggest shows from across the planet.

Also on offer is boxsets of whole seasons of The Wire, Karl Pilkington's An Idiot Abroad and Mad Dogs.

Phased roll-out

However, for those people who access Now TV through a mobile device other than a PC or an Xbox you might well have to wait a while. Sky's is talking about a phased roll out over the next few months, which includes iOS and Android.

At launch, you will have to use Now TV's entertainment offering through PS3, Roku, Macs, PC or the rather brilliant little Now TV box which costs less than £10.

You can register up to four devices at a time for Now TV and the entertainment package, which will be a darn sight more useful when more devices are granted the new offering.

Still, the prospect of being able to pay a much reduced fee to get access to shows like Boardwalk Empire, American Horror Story or, going forward, Game of Thrones without needed a Sky dish or any of the other channels you don't want may well be attractive.

Patrick Goss

Patrick Goss is the ex-Editor in Chief of TechRadar. Patrick was a passionate and experienced journalist, and he has been lucky enough to work on some of the finest online properties on the planet, building audiences everywhere and establishing himself at the forefront of digital content.  After a long stint as the boss at TechRadar, Patrick has now moved on to a role with Apple, where he is the Managing Editor for the App Store in the UK.