What is the Sky Player?

The Sky Player (previously called Sky Anytime on PC) is an online service, which can provide you with programmes from 25 different channels. You can watch films on Sky Movies, find out the latest news from the BBC, and catch a game on Sky Sports.

About Sky Player

With Sky Player you can watch channels live via the internet or just grab a programme or film on-demand, at a time that is good for you, and watch, stream, or download it. You can also purchase pay-per-view or buy-to-keep events and films, and the Sky Player will tell you how long you have left on any rental. For pay-per-view you have seven days to watch for the first time, then you can watch as many times as you like in the following 48 hours.

Find out more about Sky Player and read the Sky Player FAQs. Or see the different ways to watch Sky Player.

Sky Player for existing Sky TV customers

Sky TV customers can watch programmes that have previously aired on-demand through the Sky Player on their computer at no extra cost, so long as those channels are included in their Sky TV package. If you miss a show early in the month you have the rest of the month to watch it – in fact programmes are stored for 30 days after they’ve aired, so you never have to miss a thing. You can also pay for other programmes and films from other Sky packs.

If you are a Sky TV customer and you want to watch live TV through Sky Player (up to nine channels, including Sky Sports), it is free if you have Sky Multiroom or Sky Broadband Max – for other Sky TV customers, it is either £10 a month in the UK or €15 a month in the Republic of Ireland. Again, included available programmes depend on your sky TV package.

Find out more about sky Player for existing Sky TV customers.

Sky Player for non-Sky TV customers

For non-Sky customers, you can still sign up to the Sky Player and watch channels live (and a selection of on-demand programmes) by taking out a monthly subscription. If the hassle of a dish and set-top box set-up has put you off Sky in the past, then fear not – as the Sky Player subscription service for non-Sky TV customers requires neither (as you watch via your PC or your Mac).

Simply subscribe to Sky’s Sky Player Entertainment Pack then add on the premium Sky Sports channels you want. The Entertainment Pack is currently only £7.50 a month or €9 a month – this is a special introductory price until 31 January 2009, as Sky are working to include more live programmes. (The usual price is £15 or €18). The minimum contract length for access to the Sky Player is just one month and you can rent or buy single episodes of your favourite shows, without being committed to a contract!

Find out about Sky Player for non-Sky TV customers, and the Sky Player subscription package for non Sky TV customers (including how much the Sky Player Entertainment Pack with added Sky Sports costs per month).

Non-Sky TV customers who don’t want a subscription can instead just rent or buy on demand programmes and films. there are thousands to choose from and they cost from only £1 or €1.50 to rent for 48 hours or to own for ever.

Sky Player technical requirements

To watch Sky Player you will need a Mac or PC, and if you don’t already have it you will need to install the Microsoft Silverlight browser plug-in. There are three levels of viewing quality: low, medium, and high for, eg, at home, at work, or in a wifi hotspot. don’t forget that quality will depend on things like your broadband speed, what else you are doing on your computer, etc. And not all programmes are available to watch live as rights may not yet have been agreed. Additionally, you can only watch Sky Player on one computer at a time. Please note that though Sky Player can be viewed using a Mac there are some limitations (eg Sky Player software is not currently available for Macs), please check the Sky Player website for more information.

Find out more about the technical requirements for Sky Player and the Sky Player software download.

And find out how to get Sky Player here.

First published 9 December 2008. Please note that blog posts remain live, and any offers or information may no longer be current when you view this page.