Sky fast tracks new set-top box to see off BT Champions League threat
Sky is prioritising the release of its next generation set-top box in an effort to incentivise customers to remain with the pay TV provider in the face of growing competition from BT, Which will begin screening exclusive football content, including the Champions League, next season.
The revamped gadget will be handed out to customers who opt to renew their television and broadband contracts before BT corners the market for European football.
Owners of the new box will be able to receive ultra-high definition 4K broadcasts, four times the fidelity of existing HD broadcasts. It will also enable multiscreen viewing on mobile devices and save recorded programming to the cloud for later viewing on the go.
The latter benefits may ultimately prove more appealing to consumers however with 4K adoption still relatively slow, despite recent price falls.
Sky had originally intended to roll-out the update next year but fast tracked its plans to head-off the competition.