Significant parts of Sky’s pay-TV line-up are now available through a Freeview+ set-top box. Registered users of IP Vision’s Fetch TV product can view programmes from over 20 different channels including Sky Sports, Sky 1, Sky Arts, GOLD, History, MTV and Disney as part of the Sky Player service. On demand movies will be added within the next few days.
The service largely replicates the existing Sky Player that can already be accessed via the PC, Mac and X Box.
“The deal is a landmark in the pay-TV world. Freeview customers who have one of our FetchTV SmartBoxes can now access and watch Sky’s pay-TV content on their TV over the open internet,” said Eddie Abrams, CEO, Fetch TV. “This really shows the flexibility of being to deliver new platforms.
Fetch TV already includes the BBC iPlayer and has a selection of proprietary channels available. The twin tuner Freeview product also includes a 160 GB hard drive. The seamless interface blends with the Sky Player area created by the satcaster in its own house colours.
“We do a lot of things to a world class standard, but at our core we’re an aggregator and a retailer,” said Griff Parry, Sky’s director of on demand. “We will establish relationships and deliver our service from whatever means make sense.”
Arguably, Fetch TV and Sky have between them beaten Canvas to the chase. The Wi-fi enabled receiver also means there is no need to trail cables across the living room. This developing sector includes at least two manufacturers – Humax and ADB – that are using the return path on Freeview HD set-tops to deliver a version of the BBC iPlayer.
Fetch TV will launch its own Freeview HD product in the next few weeks.