STV and Sky agree five-year strategic partnership

STV and Sky have signed a five-year strategic partnership, which will give customers in Scotland access to STV’s on-demand player on their set top boxes for the first time.

Sky customers in STV’s broadcast licence areas will be able to catch up on STV programming from Coronation Street to Britain’s Got Talent on Sky Q and Sky+ set top boxes, as well as mobile devices via streaming and offline viewing. The STV Player will be available in the second half of 2019.

In addition, STV regions will launch in HD to create the first fully regionalised public service broadcaster HD service on Sky, giving its 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 new move expands on STV and Sky’s relationship. The STV Player has already made an appearance on Sky’s Now TV.

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.”

Stephen van Rooyen, CEO of UK & Ireland at 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.”