Sky refreshes on-demand brand

by Fiona Ramsay Media Week 15-May-08, 15:15

LONDON - Sky is attempting to increase traffic to its PC-based video-on-demand service, Sky Anytime, by rebranding it as Sky Player.

The rebrand comes as Sky rolls out an updated version of the service that allows users to play back content. The new version includes live feeds of channels Sky News and Sky Sports and has been refreshed with new features to allow greater personalisation.

Launched in January 2006, Sky Anytime on PC offers movies, sport, entertainment, lifestyle, culture and documentaries content from all Sky channels, and third-party brands such as the History Channel and National Geographic Channel.

Sky Anytime TV, which is available in 2.7 million homes with Sky satellite TV connections, will retain its current branding, while Sky’s mobile service will be renamed shortly.

A Sky spokesman said the PC-based service will take on the Sky Player brand in recognition of the public’s growing awareness of additional online video “player” services such as the BBC’s iPlayer.

Sky Player offers Sky customers access to free content online, in line with their core Sky TV subscriptions, plus some additional content available on a paid-for basis, and to non-Sky customers on a paid-for basis.