Sky ‘super bundle’ moves pay TV from linear to streaming
UK pay TV service Sky’s announcement of a "world-first" grouping of streamers under one belt could fire the starting gun on further super bundles – though this particular union does not embrace either Apple TV or Amazon.
Also, one of the streamers Sky is promoting as part of its new single subscription package is Hayu, owned by Sky parent Comcast, which offers a diet of reality TV and is ranked ‘bad’ by 700 UK users.
Nonetheless, with its seven-year exclusive first-run rights for local distribution of HBO shows at an end, Sky has acted by incorporating Disney+ into its fold alongside Netflix and HBO Max. The multi-year distribution deal with Disney+ will also see Sky debut a dedicated Disney+ Cinema linear channel. Disney predict the agreement will Disney+'s reach in the UK and Ireland up by around 40%.
New customers will be able to receive HBO Max, Disney+ and Netflix (and Hayu) alongside Sky’s own channels and originals as part of Sky Ultimate TV from £24 ($27.50) a month. These are the with-ads tiers though customers could upgrade to premium versions.
Stacking streaming subscriptions skyward
"Sky's Super Bundle reflects what consumers have been wanting for some time now. After years of fragmentation, stacking subscriptions, juggling multiple bills and managing multiple logins, fatigue has set in,” says Giles Tongue, subscriptions expert at Bango.
Two-thirds (66%) of UK subscribers believe there are now too many subscription services, and 60% say they can't afford all the ones they want, according to Bango figures. “Consumers want simplicity: one place to access, manage and pay for the services they value — and 55% say they want a single app to manage all of their subscriptions."
The move comes just days after Warner Bros. Discovery announced the long-awaited launch date for HBO Max into the UK and Ireland. This will land March 26 for a monthly fee of £4.99 ($6.80) with ads or £9.99 ($13.60) standard ad-free.
“This is good timing on Sky's part,” says Tongue. “Growth in standalone streaming subscriptions is slowing, and competition is high. Bundling increases perceived value, strengthens the direct customer relationship and reduces subscriber turnover.”
Further Bango research indicates 63% of UK consumers already have a 'forever subscription' they always keep and never pause, meaning “Sky has a real opportunity to become that indispensable,” according to Tongue. “By aggregating major streaming platforms, Sky positions itself as the gateway to premium entertainment rather than just another broadband, TV or content provider.”
Surfacing Sky content
Sky says the combined lineup will be surfaced through the Sky OS on Sky Stream and Sky Glass, including personalised recommendations, cross-app Continue Watching (extended to Disney+ and Hayu), unified playlists and voice search across services. All customers of Sky streaming service NOW Entertainment will get free access to HBO Max at no extra cost, fully integrated within the NOW app.
Calling it “a new era for Sky” Sophia Ahmad, Chief Consumer Officer at Sky said, “Nowhere else offers this breadth of incredible entertainment in a fully integrated experience, with everything customers love watching side by side so viewers can jump from show to show with ease.”
Tongue believes Sky's mega bundle could fire the starting pistol for a new wave of 'super bundles' competing well beyond traditional pay TV. “We're already seeing subscription marketplaces emerge across telcos, banks and other platforms, where TV streaming is packaged alongside gaming, music, fitness and more. The next phase of growth won't be driven by content alone, but by smarter distribution, bundling strategy, and subscription management.
“But delivering this sort of bundle package at such a scale is extremely operationally complex,” he warns. “Seamless partner onboarding, real-time entitlement and activation, unified billing and data insight are critical. Without the right infrastructure, bundles at this scale risk creating friction instead of loyalty.”
HBO in UK and Ireland
For WBD, the UK & Ireland launch of HBO Max marks “a major milestone as it completes its European rollout.” For Q3 2025, Warner Bros. Discovery reported 128 million streaming subscribers.
HBO Max combines content from HBO, Warner Bros. Pictures, Warner Bros. Television, DC Studios and Max Originals. This includes the new Harry Potter TV series available as a HBO Max exclusive, as will the new DC series Lanterns, which premieres this Summer.
In the UK, HBO Max will also become the streaming home of TNT Sports, giving subscribers access to live sports including Premier League, UEFA Champions League, Premiership Women’s Rugby and UFC.
WBD has a pre-existing distribution partnership with Amazon Prime Video in the UK which will see HBO Max plans available via Prime Video. Sky Atlantic will continue to air upcoming seasons of HBO shows such as Euphoria, House of the Dragon and The White Lotus, alongside HBO Max.
For more context, Bango provides subscription bundling management services through its Digital Vending Machine and says it has over 170 employees dedicated to subscription bundling.