TalkTalk to offer free YouView box and access to Sky Sports

UK ISP TalkTalk has announced details of its YouView offering that will include a free set-top box and access to channels from pay TV operator BSkyB.

TalkTalk Plus customers will receive a YouView box free-of-charge, giving them access to 74 Freeview hannels, 5,000 on-demand titles and a seven-day catch-up service. TalkTalk Plus will cost £14.50 (€18.50) per month, plus £9.50 line-rental.

Channels from Sky and UKTV will also be available later this year on TalkTalk’s service.

The Sky channels include Sky 1, Sky Living, Sky Arts 1 & 2, Sky News, Sky Sports News, Sky Sports 1, 2, 3 and 4, Sky Sports F1 and the full suite of Sky Movies channels as well as subscription video-on-demand content via Sky Anytime.
Max Alexander, managing director of TV, TalkTalk, said: “Adding the line-up of Sky channels to our YouView service is great news for our customers. Being able to offer a range of the most popular premium channels with the flexibility of being able to purchase content one month at a time is going to be hugely popular with our base and offers a great value addition to our YouView service.

Separately, British thematic channel operator UKTV has inked a deal with TalkTalk that will its entire bouquet of networks and a raft of video-on-demand content made available on its new YouView service.

The broadcaster, which is owned by BBC Worldwide and Scripps Networks International, will offers its pay channels Watch, Gold, Alibi, Eden, Good Food, Home and Blighty via the TalkTalk Player, while the company’s digital terrestrial television channels Dave, Really and Yesterday will also be available on YouView.