Sky customers will this week start to see a brand new homepage on their Sky+HD boxes in what the company is calling “the most significant shake-up” to its electronic programme guide (EPG) since its introduction at the launch of digital TV in 1998.
For the first time, On Demand, including Catch Up TV and Sky Store and the Sky+ Planner, now sit alongside channel listings as equal options on a new homepage. The moves means customers can “immediately find” the shows they most want to watch, whether live or on demand.
Later this year further updates will be rolling out to millions of Sky+HD boxes in homes across the UK, making it “easier” for people to discover content. One key feature will be a “new and smarter approach” to recommendations, based on Sky+ Planner recordings and downloads.
The update means customers can now choose between browsing live channels, catching up on something recently aired and watching a box set or film from a single screen. Additionally, with an average one million searches per day, “a supercharged” search box now takes centre-stage on the homepage.
Sky said the new TV Homepage reflects how millions of Sky customers are “taking control over their viewing like never before”.
The combination of Catch Up TV channels as well as more box sets like Game of Thrones, The Wire, 24 and An Idiot Abroad has led to millions of people connecting their Sky+HD boxes to the internet, making Sky+ the UK’s biggest connected TV platform.
The Sky+ app is also being refreshed, mirroring the changes taking place on the Sky+HD box. This includes the new Homepage, new highlights carousel and a new feature which lets customers use the Sky+ app to turn their Sky+HD box on and off from their mobile or tablet.
“We know it can sometimes be difficult to decide what to watch,” said Luke Bradley-Jones, brand director, TV Products, Sky.
“The new home page is a really important innovation, putting Sky+ at the heart of the connected home. And there’s even more to come, with a smart new approach to recommendations coming later this year.”
The software update with the new Homepage is rolling out to customers starting this week, and will be available to all eight million customers with compatible Sky+HD boxes by the end of May this year.
