Netflix is currently the best-known video streaming service in Switzerland. But the market leader is now facing a new competitor in the form of the Sky Show streaming service launched by Sky. The media giant is offering movies and series at a flat fee of 14.90 Swiss francs per month. Sky Sport – a streaming service which delivers sports broadcasts – launched in Switzerland last summer.
Sky Show delivers current episodes of popular U.S. series. For example, Sky Show users can watch the latest episodes of The Walking Dead just 24 hours after they first air in the U.S. As would be expected, all previous episodes are available for viewing.
Streaming via Apple TV, Swisscom TV, Sunrise TV and Horizon from UPC
Initially, Sky Show is available for streaming via Internet browsers and an app for smartphones and tablets. Sky told moneyland.ch that it plans to offer compatibility with Apple TV, Swisscom TV, Sunrise TV and the Horizon decoder from UPC.
With 60 series, 500 movies and documentaries and 1000 animations, the Sky Show package is relatively modest. However, Sky Show delivers the most up-to-date episodes of a number of popular series like Game of Thrones, Westworld, Babylon Berlin and Britannia.
Premium TV Channels
Sky Show gives its users access to a number of premium TV channels including Fox, 13th Street, Syfy, Cartoon Network, two National Geographic channels and three TNT channels.
Verdict by telecom expert Ralf Beyeler
“The wider choice of video streaming services available to consumers is a welcome development” according to telecom expert Ralf Beyeler. Sky Show focuses on delivering exclusive series and movies which are not available through other streaming services. The fact that customers can also watch premium TV channels without an expensive TV connection is another positive.
The exclusive availability of top movies and series is a key differentiator. “But the number of movies and series offered is somewhat low” according to Beyeler. In order to take market share from Netflix, Sky Show will have to expand its portfolio of sought-after movies and series.
Previously, exclusive sports broadcasts and series premieres were made available on pay TV. But pay TV is expensive and rigid. The entire broadcasting industry is currently undergoing major changes. Sky Show customers, like those of most video-streaming services, can terminate their subscriptions at any time. This frees consumers from having to tie themselves into unfavorable binding contracts.
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