A multi-year deal has been agreed that will see Disney+ bundled into Sky television subscriptions in the UK and Ireland, as both media groups step up efforts to win and retain viewers in a fiercely contested market.<\/p>\n
Under the terms of the deal, Sky subscribers will have access to the standard Disney+ \u201cwith ads\u201d package from March, adding programmes including The Bear and Rivals to the Comcast-owned group\u2019s platform.<\/p>\n
Disney+ programmes will be promoted alongside Sky\u2019s own content on the continue watching rail and in recommendations for what to watch, Sky said. Sky customers in the UK and Ireland have had access to Netflix<\/a> included in their subscription since 2018.<\/p>\n Sky Cinema subscribers will also get access to a new Disney+ Cinema channel, providing \u201ca taste\u201d of the films available on Disney+.<\/p>\n The deal comes after Netflix agreed an $83 billion takeover of Warner Bros\u2019s<\/a> streaming and studios operations that will give it ownership of HBO, and hits such as Game of Thrones, Succession and The White Lotus, as well as content from Warner Bros Studios and Marvel.<\/p>\n For Sky, a deal with Warner Bros Discovery that gives it the sole right to air HBO shows on its own services in the UK will come to an end next month, when HBO Max is available in Britain. The ad-supported version of HBO Max will then be bundled in for Sky customers at no extra cost but it will lose the element of exclusivity.<\/p>\n Sky has come under pressure from the rise of American streaming giants as well as social media platforms such as YouTube and TikTok, which are stealing audiences from traditional players.<\/p>\n \u2022 Sky invests in hit factory so it can thrive alongside streamers<\/a><\/p>\n Sophia Ahmad, chief consumer officer at Sky, insisted that customers \u201cdon\u2019t want the complexity of multiple subscriptions, multiple apps and also not being able to see the full range of content that they subscribe to in one experience\u201d.<\/p>\n