German pay-TV broadcaster Sky Deutschland has launched its streaming box developed with US company Roku enabling viewers to access its OTT service Sky Online and subscription video-on-demand portal Sky Snap on the TV set.
The Sky Online TV Box upgrades any TV set with an HDMI slot to a smart TV by connecting the TV set to the internet through Wi-Fi or Ethernet cable.
The device which was announced at the end of October 2014 can be directly ordered for the introductory price of €49.90 when subscribing to Sky Online or Sky Snap. Customers already signed up to one of the services can purchase the box in the upgrade section. The regular price is €69.90.
In addition to the Sky streaming services, customers also have access through the Roku Powered Channel Store to various third-apps such as Wall Street Journal Live, Vimeo, TuneIn Radio, FitnessMagazine and iFood.tv. More apps will follow soon.
“The introduction of the Sky Online TV Box adds a flexible, user-friendly and affordable option to stream directly on TV screens the best selection of premium content from Sky Online and Snap,” said Alice Mascia, vice president strategy at Sky Deutschland. “Working closely with Roku, a leader in the streaming TV category, has given us access to best-in-class user experience.”
Steve Shannon, general manager of content and services at Roku, added: “The new Roku-powered streaming player from Sky is an easy and convenient way to enjoy Sky Online, Snap and many other great streaming services on your TV. We are thrilled about our partnership with Sky and will work hand in hand to continuously bring more content to the platform.”
Accedo, a Swedish provider of TV application solutions, has developed the Sky Online and Sky Snap apps for the Sky Online TV Box together with Sky Deutschland.
“We are seeing a major trend from pay TV providers to launch their own devices to maximise access to a fast growing multiscreen consumer sector. The Roku-powered programme is a great example of how such providers can go to market quickly,” said Michael Lantz, CEO of Accedo. “Accedo’s application solutions fully support the Roku stack and we’re excited to be working with Sky as one of the most innovative and forward thinking TV providers on the market.”