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BSkyB launches Now TV internet service
MUMBAI: British pay-TV operator BSkyB has launched Now TV, a new internet TV service to complement its online television service Sky Go.
Building on the increasing popularity of watching TV over the internet, Now TV will offer access to Sky Movies, its subscription movies service, in a new way.
The Now TV service will open up more choice for consumers by making Sky Movies – followed later this year by Sky Sports – available across a wide range of internet-connected devices.
Now TV customers can ‘pay & play‘ for instant access to an extensive range of over 1,000 movies through Sky Store including the very latest ‘now on DVD‘ releases and much-loved classics. ‘Pay & play‘ movies on Now TV range from 99p for classic titles to ?3.49 for the latest blockbusters.
For an all-you-can-watch experience, Now TV also offers the monthly Sky Movies Pass with instant and unlimited access to the entire Sky Movies collection.
At any time, customers with a Sky Movies Pass can choose from over 600 movies, including recent blockbusters and classics from major Hollywood studios such as Disney, Fox, Paramount, Sony, Warner Bros, and Universal.
All Now TV customers signing up for the Sky Movies Pass can enjoy a free 30-day trial. Following the end of the trial period, the Sky Movies Pass is available for ?15 a month.
Available to anyone in the UK with an internet connection, Now TV will be available on PC, Mac and selected Android smartphones; on iPhone, iPad within the next month, on Xbox later this summer and YouView when it launches.
More Sky content will also be added in the coming months, with Sky Sports due to launch on Now TV before the end of the year. This will enable Now TV customers to enjoy live action from the Barclays Premier League, Uefa Champions League, England Test cricket, Heineken Cup rugby, ATP tennis, the Masters from Augusta and much more.
The introduction of Sky Sports will be followed on Now TV by shows from Sky 1, Sky Atlantic, Sky Arts and Sky Living, including homegrown drama, original comedy and US shows.
Now TV Director Simon Creasey commented, “Now TV will bring more choice to UK consumers and an easy way to enjoy amazing movies, instantly. Following the explosion in internet-connected devices, we know that more and more people are looking for great content to watch over the web, and that‘s where Now TV comes in. As we move forward, Now TV will get even bigger and better, with more devices and more platforms in the coming months. Customers can also look forward to the best live action from Sky Sports and great drama, comedy and entertainment from our Sky channels.”
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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.
