The ‘ultimate’ Sky TV update is coming — and it’s not just because HBO Max is being added for free

• Sky has inked a new multi-year distribution deal with Disney
• A new 'Sky Ultimate TV' package will be available from March
• This will integrate Netflix, HBO Max, Disney+ and Hayu into one app

It's a good time to be a Sky customer, because not only will you soon be able to access HBO Max when it launches in the UK on March 26, but Disney+ and Hayu, too, in one neat subscription bundle as part of a new landmark distribution deal.

From March, new and existing users signed up to an eligible Sky TV plan will get Disney+, and selected content from Hayu, for free. That means for just £24 a month, the 'Sky TV Ultimate' bundle will include HBO Max, Disney+ and Hayu, plus the usual Sky Entertainment package and Netflix.

This applies to anyone with Sky Stream, Sky Glass or Sky Q. Meanwhile, those with Sky+ can expect HBO Max and Hayu to be added alongside Sky TV. If you're already signed up to Disney+, then you'll be able to move over to Sky at no extra cost – just like any existing HBO Max users.

There will also be the option to combine the entertainment package with broadband in a new bundled plan, which offers better value as you can get full fibre broadband and 'Sky TV Ultimate', with a Sky Stream device, from £41 a month.

While those signed up to Now won't get Disney+, they will automatically be able to watch HBO Max with ads content at no extra cost from March 26 as part the new plan. New customers will have to pay £6.99 per month for Now Entertainment and HBO Max, while Now Entertainment will soon cost £4.99 a month.

Announcing the new package, Sophia Ahmad, Sky's chief consumer officer, called the new Sky TV subscription a "world-first". She said that the Sky OS will see all the best streaming service's apps integrated straight into the Sky home page, which means you'll be able to easily access all the extra content across the different apps in 'Top Picks', 'Continue Watching' and 'Playlists' (where you can save and pause movies and shows you’re watching), as well as via voice control.

What will you soon be able to watch on Sky TV?

Sky customers in the UK and Ireland are about to get access to a bunch of new content as part of its new deal with Disney and extended partnership with Warner Bros. Discovery.

Saving £5.99 a month, existing Sky TV users will be able to unlock the Disney+ 'Standard' plan with ads for free, allowing them to watch the service's full breadth of on-demand content, from hit FX shows like The Bear to blockbuster Disney movies like Moana 2 and Marvel's The Fantastic Four: First Steps.

As part of the deal, Sky Cinema customers will also soon get a brand new Disney+ Cinema channel. Movies from Warner Bros. Discovery will continue to be available on Sky Cinema, alongside those made by Sky, Paramount and NBCUniversal.

Content from Disney's reality TV streaming service, Hayu, will also be available on Sky TV plans, but this will see a staggered rollout. Only a small selection of shows like Below Deck and The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills will be available from sometime in March. The full library of Hayu content is set to be integrated in July, which is when you'll be able to watch new episodes the same day as they air in the US.

On top of Disney+ and Hayu, Sky TV customers will also soon be able to get HBO Max with ads as part of their subscription. The Sky Atlantic channel will continue to remain the home of existing HBO Max hits, but you'll be able to watch new HBO shows through the app.

To top it all off, if you're an existing Disney+ subscriber, you'll be able to move your current subscription to Sky without losing any of your existing watch history or account setup, making it a seamless transition to a more unified streaming app experience.

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