Sky Q: Could new 'premium' satellite TV package cost MORE than £100 per month?

Sky Q is set to revolutionise live and on-demand television for Sky subscribers

SKY has unveiled a brand-new satellite television service but it could come at a cost

 

Sky Q is set to revolutionise live and on-demand television for Sky subscribers.

The brand-new Sky service comes with a svelte new 2TB set-top box which is fully compatible with Ultra HD 4K channels and can record up to four different shows at once.

Sky has also redesigned its remote, which replaces its predecessor's directional arrows with a circular touchscreen and adds voice search.

A new Sky Q Mini multi-room box lets customers pause and resume recorded shows and movies around the home – and even doubles-up as a wifi hotspot to keep you connected.

Speaking of wifi, Sky has also unveiled a new broadband hub which will be available to Sky Q customers.

 

The Sky Q Hub brings super-fast wireless internet to your house and lets you take full advantage of all the new connected capabilities of the Sky Q hardware.

Unfortunately, there are still a number of unanswered questions surrounding the new satellite television service – namely, the price.

Sky Q is set to launch at the start of 2016, with the broadcaster staying tight-lipped on the pricing until launch.

However industry experts have started to speculate on the price of the new hardware and service – and don't expect a bargain.

 

Sky Q ships with a redesigned user interface, TV receiver and touchscreen remote

David Mercer, Strategy Analytics' Principal Analyst for Digital Consumer Practice believes the new Sky service will be the first push prices over the £100 per month barrier.

Speaking about Sky Q, he said: "Sky customers watch 20 per cent of programmes on connected devices and Sky Q is squarely targeted at the most demanding of this on-demand generation.

"And it needs to be: premium customers are the best bet for increasing revenue, as many people are looking to reduce TV bills – indeed ARPUs across the industry are fairly stagnant. 

"Sky Q, alongside Now TV's 'buffet' model, means Sky now covers consumers at opposite ends of this spectrum.

"Indeed, if Sky Q is priced at £13 a month, it would take their TV subscription alone through the landmark £100, as its possible to spend £87 a month today.

 

SkyQ Silver is faster and boasts a huge 2TB hard drive

 

Analyst David Mercer believes Sky Q could top £100 per month in subscription fees

"Although, we suspect its more likely to be near £10 a month. 

"Either way, Sky will be banking on the appeal of the new user interface, a tactic that’s helped pay TV companies overseas increase premium subscriptions."

Sky referred to the new Sky Q service as a "premium" offering – entirely separate from its existing NOW TV and Sky+ HD services.

However, if Sky Q breaks the £100 per month barrier, it'll certainly be a pricey television luxury for UK television fans.

NewsNewsBlog.blogspot.com will have the latest on Sky Q when pricing and more is revealed.