Wikimedia
STV has agreed to a five-year strategic partnership with Sky that will lead to Sky customers in Scotland gaining access to STV’s regional variants in full HD as well as catch-up services.
All four STV regions will launch in HD to create the first fully regionalised PSB HD service on Sky, giving Sky customers across Scotland access to regional STV programming including STV News at Six. The new HD variants are expected to launch in the first half of 2019.
The STV Player will be available on both Sky Q and Sky+ set-top boxes, as well as mobile devices via streaming and offline viewing from the second half of 2019.
Simon Pitts, CEO of STV, said: “We’re delighted to be strengthening our partnership with Sky, which will give Sky viewers across Scotland even better access to STV’s hit shows whenever and wherever they want them.”
Although Scottish customers can already get catch-up to shows such as Coronation Street and Britain’s Got Talent that STV buys in from the ITV Network through the ITV Hub, the arrival of the STV Player is important for regional branding.
Stephen van Rooyen, CEO UK & Ireland, Sky, said: “This partnership with STV will bring even more great content to Sky customers across Scotland, as well as enabling us to collaborate and launch the first fully regionalised HD service from a public service broadcaster.”
The dedicated BBC Scotland channel launches next month.
