Sky announces big HBO deal as competition ramps up

Sky - prides itself in technological innovation
Sky - prides itself in technological innovation

Sky has sealed a new deal with HBO to continue to showing the US giant's shows until at least 2020 as well as partnering in making new programmes.

The UK broadcaster's latest figures show that increased competition is having an impact on its profits, so it's taking drastic measures to boost its offering.

Game of Thrones

HBO produces some of the most popular programmes on UK subscriptions television, including Game of Thrones, Boardwalk Empire and classic shows such as The Sopranos.

The extended output deal is a multiplatform one, allowing for online and mobile viewing through the Sky Go service and the pay-per-view Now TV platform.

The company's battle with BT is put into context by the latest financial results, with operating profit down by 16.8%, although the company is highlighting the rise in connected set top boxes and on demand viewing.

In fact, figures are better than was widely expected, driven by a new raft of subscribers in the past six months.

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.