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Sky adds Channel 4’s 4oD to a catch-up TV service
MUMBAI: UK pay TV service provider Sky customers will be able to access that the company says is a complete catch-up TV service following the addition of 4 on demand (4oD) to its On Demand service.
The upgrade comes at no charge for Sky customers who have connected their Sky+HD box to broadband and can download catch-up content at a push of a button. New figures show that the surge in connections has continued in the early part of 2013, with the total number of connected Sky+HD boxes now surpassing two million and continuing to grow rapidly.
With the launch of 4oD, catch-up content from Channel 4‘s portfolio of channels – including Channel 4, E4 and More 4 – will be available alongside hundreds of hours of great content from Sky 1, Sky Atlantic, Sky Living, Sky Arts, the BBC, ITV, Channel 5, the History Channel, National Geographic and others. Taken together, it means that Sky+ offers the most complete catch-up TV service in the UK, so customers never need to miss out on shows.
At the same time, older shows and series from the Channel 4 archives will also become available to download from the library section of Sky‘s On Demand service, where box-sets of classic shows and series are available. Channel 4 series available on Sky will include ‘The Inbetweeners‘, ‘Shameless‘, ‘Spaced‘ and ‘The IT Crowd‘.
In addition to joining the On Demand service on Sky+, Channel 4 is also the first terrestrial network to offer its channels and programmes on Sky Go, Sky‘s award-winning internet and mobile TV service. Sky Go users can now enjoy Channel 4 and More4 live on their laptop, smartphone, or tablet, with E4 and Film4 to follow shortly.
In addition, a range of classic Channel 4 shows will be available within the On Demand section of Sky Go. And for Sky customers who upgrade to Sky Go Extra, those Channel 4 shows can be downloaded to watch offline, so they can enjoy TV on the move even when they‘re not connected to the internet.
And finally, More4 HD joins Sky‘s line-up of HD channels, giving Sky‘s 4.5 million HD customers an even greater choice of their favourite TV in HD. Film4 HD will also join the Sky platform in September, further extending Sky‘s market-leading line-up of HD channels.
Sky director of TV products Luke Bradley-Jones said, “The way people enjoy TV is changing as customers embrace technology to take control over their viewing. We know customers have busier lives than ever, which is why we‘ve created the most comprehensive catch-up service in the UK.
“Over 2 million Sky customers have already connected their Sky+ box to the Internet so they can enjoy our full catch-up and On Demand service. But we are working hard to get even more Sky homes connected as we know our customers love the control and flexibility it gives them – it‘s a perfect complement to Sky+.
“Offering great TV from Channel 4 on demand on Sky+ and on Sky Go at no extra charge is all part of our continued commitment to offer our customers the best combination of content and innovation.”
Channel 4 director of commercial, business development Sarah Rose said, “The launch of our successful VOD service, 4oD, on the Sky on demand and Sky Go platforms this month will extend the reach of our content to enable even more viewers to enjoy our wide range of programmes. And through the recent arrival of More4 HD and much anticipated launch of Film4 HD in September, we‘re delighted to complete the roll out of our HD portfolio”.
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Inshorts Group chief Deepit Purkayastha joins IAB video council for Southeast Asia and India
The co-founder and chief executive of the short-form content platform has been inducted into the IAB SEA+India Video Council, giving India a stronger voice in shaping digital video frameworks
NOIDA: India has long been the world’s most chaotic, multilingual and mobile-first digital market. Now, one of its most prominent short-video executives is getting a seat at the table where the rules are written.
Deepit Purkayastha, co-founder and chief executive of Inshorts Group, has been selected as a member of the IAB SEA+India Video Council for 2026. Run by the Interactive Advertising Bureau, the council brings together senior leaders from Southeast Asia and India to shape standards, best practices and measurement frameworks for the fast-evolving video and digital advertising ecosystem.
The timing is pointed. According to the IAMAI-Kantar Internet in India Report 2025, over 588 million Indians are now consuming short-video content, with growth increasingly driven by rural and non-metro audiences. India’s active internet user base has crossed 950 million, with 57 per cent of users now coming from rural markets. Yet the frameworks that govern how video consumption is measured and monetised were largely designed for single-language, Western markets and have struggled to keep pace with the scale, diversity and complexity of India’s digital landscape.
Purkayastha is no stranger to these debates. He already serves on the AI Council at Marketing and Media Alliance India and as co-chair of the Digital Entertainment Committee at the Internet and Mobile Association of India. His induction into the IAB SEA+India Video Council extends that influence into the global video standards arena.
Inshorts Group sits squarely at the intersection of these forces. Its flagship product, Inshorts, India’s highest-rated short news app, reaches 12 million active users with 60-word news summaries. Its sister platform, Public App, reaches 80 million monthly active users across more than 700 districts and 12 languages, serving communities that most global platforms barely register.
Purkayastha said the opportunity was about building something more representative. “India today sits at the centre of the global video ecosystem, but the frameworks that define how value is created and measured have not always kept pace with the realities of our market,” he said. “Being part of the IAB SEA+India Video Council is an opportunity to contribute to a more representative and future-ready approach, one that accounts for diversity in language, context, and user intent.”
As a council member, Purkayastha will contribute to shaping regional standards across video advertising, measurement and platform governance, with a focus on frameworks that are native to India’s multilingual, mobile-first ecosystem rather than imported from global benchmarks designed elsewhere.
For years, India has been content to play by rules written for other markets. Purkayastha’s induction is a signal that it is done waiting to be consulted and ready to start writing them.
