Sky Q launches February 9th starting at £42 per month
There are some potentially steep set-up costs to consider, too.
Sky Q is almost, nearly ready for public consumption. We've heard all about the functionality and features of the new Q family of hardware, and have taken a top-level tour of the user experience. But how attractive Sky's next-gen service ultimately is hinges on how much customers are expected to pay for it. Today, Sky's shared those all important details, starting with the official launch date of February 9th, though home installations won't kick off until the end of that month.
For new and upgrading customers, the top of the range, 4K-ready Sky Q Silver box starts at £54 per month and includes one Sky Q Mini for multiroom viewing (another can be added to the bundle for a £99 one-off payment). The regular Sky Q box, with its smaller hard drive, fewer tuners and no Ultra HD or multiroom support, will start at £42 per month.
Both include access to over 300 channels and Sky's Box Set catalogue as standard, with Sky Movies and Sky Sports packages costing an extra £17 and £25.50 per month, respectively. You can also add the pair for a discounted rate of £34.50 per month. All possible configurations come with an 18-month contract term.
Monthly cost
Basic charge | With Sky Movies | With Sky Sports | With both | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Sky Q | £42 | £59 | £67.50 | £76.50 |
Sky Q Silver | £54 | £71 | £79.50 | £88.50 |
Total 18-month contract cost
Basic charge | With Sky Movies | With Sky Sports | With both | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Sky Q | £756 | £1,062 | £1,215 | £1,377 |
Sky Q Silver | £972 | £1,278 | £1,431 | £1,593 |
Aside from the contract costs, but there are a fair few set-up charges, too. First and foremost, every Sky Q package carries a £50 installation fee (for existing Sky customers only) on top of the cost of the hardware itself. If you don't want to take Sky broadband or either of the movie or sports channel packs, you're looking at £249 for the basic Sky Q box.
You can actually opt for a Q Silver box to pair with the regular bundle for £299, which will prepare you for the launch of Sky's 4K content later this year. You won't, however, be able to add any Sky Q Mini boxes to your account for multiroom viewing, though the Silver technically supports it. The Sky Q Silver bundle that comes with one Q Mini also requires a £299 one-off payment.
Should you be willing to take out Sky broadband -- which includes a free Sky Q Hub router that adds powerline networking and WiFi repeater functionality to any Q box -- or either of the channel packages, you're in for a serious discount. Under these conditions, a normal Q box costs £99, a Silver box on the regular bundle costs £149, and a Silver box plus one Mini on the premium package costs £99.
Set-up charges
Installation fee (existing customers only) | No extras | With broadband, Sports or Movies | Extra Q Mini box | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Sky Q bundle | £50 | £249 | £99 | N/A |
Sky Q bundle (w/ Silver box) | £50 | £299 | £149 | N/A |
Sky Q Silver bundle | £50 | £299 | £99 | £99 |
Though you have to pay for the Sky Q hardware, you're technically leasing it and must return everything to Sky at the end of your subscription. The one benefit to this is that servicing and repairs due to technical failure are free.
Q may be Sky's new darling, but the company isn't retiring any older services to make way for the debutant. Sky+HD TV packages will remain available, and Now TV is still going strong with a third-generation streaming puck announced just today.
