Sky Ink’s multi-year Disney+ distribution deal, offers streaming bundle
Sky and Disney have signed a multi-year distribution deal under which the broadcaster will offer Disney+ at no additional cost to Sky customers in the UK and Ireland, as well as a streaming bundle including HBO Max, Netflix and Hayu.
The deal will also see Sky, a subsidiary of Comcast, launch a dedicated Disney+ Cinema linear channel.
From March 2026, Disney+ (with ad tier as standard) will be included in a variety of Sky TV subscriptions, as well as further integration of the app with Sky’s operating system, saving Sky customers £5.99 per month. As part of the deal, Disney+ shows will be promoted alongside Sky content on the ‘continue watching’ rail and in recommendations.
Sky subscribers can activate Disney+ through products such as Sky Q, Sky Glass and Sky Stream, while Disney+ customers who move their accounts and profiles to watch via Sky can also save costs.
As part of the offer, Sky will offer a bundle of Disney+, HBO Max, Netflix and Hayu in one Sky TV subscription, starting at £24 per month for a two-year fixed-term contract.
“We are very pleased with this deal as customers tell us they are faced with so much choice and complexity in this market. By signing this agreement, we have agreed to a much deeper level of product integration,” said Sophia Ahmad, Chief Consumer Officer at Sky. Variety.
Karl Holmes, Managing Director of Disney+ in EMEA, says Variety: “There are millions of Sky customers who have currently chosen not to buy Disney+ directly, and they are now getting Disney+ at no extra cost. And we would expect those customers to use the Disney+ app and enjoy our content.”
To date, the UK is the largest European market for Disney+ and focuses mainly directly on consumers, although The Mouse House has agreements in the territory with Virgin Media, Uber, Lloyds Bank and Tesco regarding its streaming platform. Holmes clarified that none of these deals “have the scale or ambition of this agreement with Sky.”
He added that the aim of the deal was to “reach millions of customers who prefer to buy TV as part of a larger subscription, and in that sense it is complementary and complementary to our existing growth.” Holmes predicted the deal would increase Disney+’s reach in Britain and Ireland by around 40%, creating overlap, with the figures based on BARB’s location survey.
Both parties declined to comment on the term of the agreement, although Holmes said it was “several years,” adding, “We wouldn’t do this for a short period of time.”
The deal does not apply to co-productions or the distribution of Disney+ content outside of the streaming platform and the linear Disney+ Cinema channel.
