Disney Plus and Sky exclusive rumour: Will the Mandalorian march over to Sky Q boxes?
Disney and Sky are said to be on the brink of signing a deal which will see new streaming service Disney Plus available through Sky’s TV services.
The deal is understood to be an exclusive partnership, which if true would mean that Virgin Media and BT TV customers would not be able to stream Disney+ through their set-top boxes.
It’s also expected that the deal will be ready in time for the 24th of March, the long-awaited launch date of Disney Plus in the UK.
Related: Disney Plus UK
The rumour comes from anonymous sources speaking to the Telegraph, who add that the deal is similar to the one Sky currently has with Netflix.
This arrangement, renewed earlier this month, sees Sky able to integrate the streaming service within the Sky Q menus, allowing users to comb the on-demand libraries of both Sky and Netflix using one universal search tool. In future, tapping ‘M’ into the Sky Q search bar may well pull up The Mandalorian, alongside Match of the Day, and Mindhunter.
Customers can also choose to have their Sky and Netflix subscriptions handled one bill for added convenience.
It’s currently unclear if the hypothetical deal would also see Disney Plus available through Now TV hardware. Owners of a Now TV Smart Stick and a Now TV Box can currently access Netflix through one menu, so it’s possible that a deal with Disney would allow for the same.
Related: What is Now TV?
The Telegraph also reports that EE is looking to bundle Disney Plus subscriptions in with selected mobile contracts, presumably in the same way that access to Amazon Prime Video and BT Sport can be added as Swappable Benefits.
With Disney Plus belatedly coming to the UK after officially launching elsewhere in the world, the company will be keen to strike as many content partnership deals as it can.
Trusted Reviews reached out to Sky and Disney for comment.
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Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
Professional conduct
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.
