British broadcaster Sky has signed an agreement with Microsoft which will see live channels and on-demand content from Sky brought to the Xbox 360 games console from this autumn, the two companies have revealed.
The agreement, which marks the first time live television will be available on the Xbox 360 (despite previous indications from Microsoft that the console will be integrated with IPTV services such as BT Vision), means that Xbox owners in the UK and Ireland will be able to access Sky Player content delivered via broadband to the console, without the need for a satellite dish or set-top box, or an existing Sky subscription.
Sky Player is the broadcaster's recently revamped attempt to reach customers unable or unwilling to get a satellite dish, and delivers a selection of live and on-demand content via broadband to a user's PC or Mac, including Sky Sports, Sky Movies, Sky News, The History Channel, National Geographic, the BBC, MTV ONE, Sky1, Disney Channel and Nickelodeon, among others.
“Our customers have told us that they want the opportunity to use their consoles as a way to access TV and once again Xbox has pulled off an entertainment first with amazing content and rich interactive experience," said Neil Thompson, Head of Xbox UK and Ireland. "The combination of Sky’s leadership in content creation and aggregation and our own in creating a constantly evolving new generation of rich 360 entertainment experiences means we are one step closer to our goal of offering Xbox owners the best entertainment experiences out there, whether it’s movies, music, games, interactive experiences or high quality TV.”
No details are yet available on content line-up or pricing, or potential availability of the service in other markets besides the UK and Ireland. However, what is certain is that Xbox 360 owners will be able to access a range of interactive services while watching live TV, such as the ability to communicate with one another in real time while watching Sky Sports content, check news and access fixtures, league tables and other on-demand information. Interactive applications are also expected to be developed across other genres of programming.
The service will reportedly require a broadband connection of at least 1 Mbps, with a suggested connection speed of 2 Mbps for an "optimal experience", according to Jerry Johnson, Xbox Live Product Unit Manager.
UK news portal TechRadar has had a first glimpse of Sky Player on the Xbox 360 and given this report
