NOW TV Review 2024 – A Look at Premium On-Demand Streaming

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Binge-watching the latest shows no longer requires locking yourself into expensive, long-term TV contracts. On-demand streaming platforms like NOW TV liberate viewers, offering flexible access to premium entertainment without the satellite dish headaches. Launched in 2012, this UK streaming upstart is backed by broadcasting veteran Sky, yet provides contract-free bingeing on Sky’s coveted content catalog.

In this NOW TV 2024 review, we peel back the curtains on what this Sky-powered new kid on the streaming block holds for today’s savvy, screen-hooked viewers. From assessing the platform’s pricing plans and stream quality to weighing its firepower against heavyweight rivals like Netflix, we aim to determine whether NOW TV delivers on-demand nirvana…or falls short of bingers’ heaven.

What is NOW TV? Your Guide to Features and Sign-Up Expectations

The streaming platform was launched to counter Netflix’s widespread trendiness in the UK. NOW is a pay-as-you-go streaming service designed for people without pay TV subscriptions. In 2012, Now TV competed with Netflix and Lovefilm. It offers services from Sky and Home Box Office with a blend of related binge-worthy shows. 

The platform expanded between 2017 and 2019, spreading across different countries, including Ireland and Austria, but stopped operation in Spain in 2020. In 2021, Now TV was rebranded as NOW by its parent, Sky. In recent years, NOW has innovated, rebranded in 2021, and introduced adverts to its platform. Interestingly, the live streaming service fell into the competitive market with Sky Stream, another streaming box platform from Sky. Although many streaming services offer enticing features and offers, NOW comes with its nuance.

NOW TV Content: A Dive into its Diverse Content

NOW TV only offered movie streaming after its launch in 2012 but later introduced sports and entertainment channels in 2013. However, you can only access these movie and entertainment channels through monthly subscriptions. Like most on-demand streaming services, NOW does not have original content but has specific sets of content and channels. You can watch these contents live or on-demand. The “NOW Boost” membership allows skipping ads at an extra cost. Hence, users felt like paying less. Ads have been unavoidable in most streaming services; NOW Boost saves you from this, which wasn’t the case previously.

Now Content Categories

NOW offers a vast content library grouped into numerous live and on-demand streaming channels. However, the membership or subscription plan determines the channels and content you can access. For instance, the Now Entertainment Membership gives access to Sky’s original content, including the best content from US TV. It offers 17 channels and six channels for Kids, which include the following: Sky Showcase, Sky Atlantic, Sky Max, Sky Witness, Sky Comedy, Peacock Sky Crime, Sky Documentaries, Sky History, Sky Nature, Sky Arts, Gold, Alibi, MTV, Comedy Central, NBC News Now, and Sky Sci-fi.

In the Entertainment Pass category, you can access the following channels: Boomerang, Cartoon Network, Cartoonito, Nickelodeon, Nick Jr., and Nicktoons. NOW Cinema Membership gives access to 11 live Sky Cinema channels with over 1000+ on-demand movies and the latest blockbusters. Sky Channels available on the Cinema Pass include Sky Cinema Select, Sky Cinema Sci-fi & Horror, Sky Cinema Family, Drama, Hits, Sky Cinema Greats, Cinema Thriller, Comedy, Cinema Animation, Sky Cinema Premiere, and Sky Cinema Action.

The NOW Sports Membership gives access to major Sky Sports Channels, which is a free bonus for the Entertainment Pass. The Sky Channels available on the Sports Membership include the following: Sky Sports Main Event, Golf, Premier League, Cricket, Arena, F1, Sky Sports Football, Sports Action, Sports News, Sports Racing, and Sky Sports Mix. Meanwhile, Hayu is the unlimited home of reality TV. This pass doesn’t include live channels but gives access to varieties of on-demand shows with over 9000+ content episodes.

NOW TV Features: What to Expect When You Sign Up

Noteworthy, NOW’s features and interface are distinct across the different devices; it uses an adaptive bitrate streaming. Now TV has a low picture quality of 720p except for its Boost Membership package that streams up to 1080p HD. However, buying a subscription package to access high-quality content would be best. This video quality is not as good as Netflix and Prime Video’s stream, which offers Ultra HD 4k content.

The membership interface with category divisions such as “Hot releases” is relatively straightforward. However, NOW doesn’t offer multiple watchlists on User profiles. It does not allow you to record live events, and its playback mode needs to be improved. It only allows you to pause for 30 minutes while watching a show or movie. There are over eight (8) accessible channels based on membership.

Pricing and Subscription Plans: Explore Subscription Plans and Value Options

NOW offers a 7-day free trial for its new members and doesn’t necessarily require instantaneous long-term commitment. First, you must cancel the monthly fee before the free trial ends, even though it won’t migrate immediately. These membership packages offer excellent options to cherry-pick shows and content users want to watch. However, to continue watching, you must subscribe to one of the passes to experience a beautiful entertainment world. Below is the NOW TV Price Option as of October 19, 2023.

Entertainment Pass 

gives you access to most Sky Channels and monthly on-demand content. This entertainment pass offers you the latest trends and best content from the entertainment industry to keep you updated. Shows like The Walking Dead and Game of Thrones are included in this package.

Cinema Pass

This membership plan gives access to 1000+ on-demand movies and 10+ Sky Cinema channels, which is more than an ordinary entertainment experience. New exclusive movies are premiered daily on this pass; you can also find movies like action, fiction, etc.

Hayu Pass

The Hayu pass offers an extraordinary streaming experience with over 9,000+ episodes of reality shows on-demand and no live channels. Hayu is an additional channel on NOW with exciting shows like Keeping Up and Kardashians available on-demand. Hayu is a reality TV from the US with exclusive content.

Supported Devices: Explore Supported Devices for Seamless Streaming

To access features and content provided by Now TV, you need a device that supports the Now TV app, which includes:

• Selected Smart TVs such as LG, Samsung, SONY, etc.
• Gaming consoles like PS4 and PS5.
• iOS and Android-enabled smartphones and tablets.
• Laptops running on Mac/Windows OS are accessible via the web browser.
• Streaming boxes include Chromecast, Roku, Apple TV, Amazon Fire TV stick, and TalkTalk.

NOW TV and VPN – Do I Need A VPN to access NowTV?

NOW is a famous streaming service that is only available within the UK. Regardless, with the help of a VPN, you can bypass this limitation by changing your IP address notwithstanding your location. The VPN does not just change your location to the UK but gives an extra layer of security. It offers a fantastic streaming experience by encrypting your internet traffic while ensuring unrestricted access. However, you must choose premium VPN services like Surfshark, ExpressVPN, and Private VPN, which are reliable to ensure your online safety and unlimited streaming experience.

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Verdict: Is NOW TV worth it?

For access to a wide range of channels with control over entertainment content, NOW is a sure bet. NOW is quite affordable for its services, from sports channels to movies, fiction, etc. NOW TV memberships offer diversity in entertainment content and live and on-demand options like sports, documentaries, movies, and others. Kids channels, which are accessible and also available in the Entertainment Pass, are a significant component of NOW TV.

NOW TV usually offers discounts on special packages for some users, and the subscriptions are straightforward to cancel. Although the NOW service is a great streaming platform, it has drawbacks. The verdict is that NOW TV offers many channel options and gives you value for your money without a long-term commitment. However, customers are irritated by its poor HD element and lack of offline capability compared to other streaming services.

NOW TV is creeping with its contenders presenting content in 4K HDR and Dolby Vision. The ads pop-up between programs is quite frustrating; also, the membership price is well known to rise very often. Streaming by more than one user on the same profile with HD content is only possible with Boost Membership, which costs extra. NOW is a great value streaming platform with flexible prices recommended for HBO content downloadable using broadband with user control.

Frequently Asked Questions