Mobile operator and broadband ISP EE (BT) has announced that they’ve extended and expanded their strategic partnership Sky UK, which among other things means that Sky Stream will launch in EE retail stores, via the their website, and telesales from 15th October 2024; it can also now be taken alongside EE’s home broadband and mobile services.
The move is interesting because Sky’s internet-based TV and streaming service, Sky Stream, is technically a competitor for EE’s own TV product. But now, for the first time, EE’s customers will be able to order Sky Stream alongside EE home broadband, “enhancing EE’s TV portfolio by offering customers a wider choice of viewing options and bringing the benefits of Sky into the homes of millions more“.
Clearly, EE sees the move as “giving customers a choice of viewing platform“, which they say will build on their longstanding relationship since 2017 – supporting their strategy to partner with leading consumer electronics and entertainment providers to offer customers a wide range of options.
Marc Allera, CEO at EE, said:
“As part of our strategy for new EE, we’re continually looking to partner with some of the world’s leading brands to provide our customers with the very best in entertainment. Extending our partnership with Sky allows us to give customers even greater choice, so they can take a TV service that best suits their lifestyle, matched with EE’s great new home broadband offering.”
Sophia Ahmad, Chief Consumer Officer at Sky, said:
“Sky Stream offers a transformative viewing experience, making it even easier for customers to access Sky’s market-leading entertainment offer, with no dish required. We’re excited to be partnering with EE to take the benefits of Sky Stream into the front rooms of even more customers, bringing them one of the highest standards in viewing experience combined with great live sport and award-winning Sky Originals all in one place.”
It’s easy to forget that, not so very long ago, BT was still spending big in order to try and build up its presence in the Pay TV market and weaken the hold on premium content and services that Sky was perceived as having. But BT has long since retreated from that effort and today’s market is a lot more complex, with a plethora of streaming platforms and wide scale content fragmentation.