Sky and Disney have signed a multi-year distribution deal that will see the company offer Disney+ to Sky customers in the UK and Ireland at no extra charge, as well as a streaming bundle that includes HBO Max, Netflix and Hayu.
The deal will also see Comcast subsidiary Sky debut a dedicated Disney+ Cinema linear channel.
Launching in March 2026, Disney+ (standard with ad space) will be included in a range of Sky TV subscriptions, will further integrate the app with Sky’s operating system, and will save Sky customers £5.99 a month. As part of the deal, Disney+ shows will be promoted alongside Sky content, with ‘continue watching’ rails and recommendations.
Sky subscribers can activate Disney+ through products such as Sky Q, Sky Glass and Sky Stream, and Disney+ customers who migrate their accounts and profiles to watch via Sky can also save money.
As part of the service, Sky offers a bundle that combines Disney+, HBO Max, Netflix and Hayu into a single Sky TV subscription. Starting from £24 per month on a two-year fixed-term contract.
Sky chief consumer officer Sophia Ahmad told Variety: “We’re really pleased with this deal. Our customers tell us they face so many choices and complexities in this market, so by signing this deal we’re agreeing to a deeper level of product integration.”
Carl Holmes, general manager of Disney+ in EMEA, told Variety: “Currently, Sky has millions of customers who choose not to purchase Disney+ directly, but from now on they will be able to get Disney+ at no extra cost. And we hope those customers will continue to use the Disney+ app and enjoy our content.”
The UK has so far been Disney+’s biggest market in Europe, primarily selling directly to consumers, but the Mouse House has deals in the region with Virgin Media, Uber, Lloyds Bank and Tesco for its streaming platform. Mr Holmes clarified that none of these deals would be “on the scale or ambition of the deal with Sky”.
He added that the purpose of the deal is to “reach millions of customers who prefer to purchase their TVs as part of a larger subscription, and in that sense this complements and adds to our existing growth.” Holmes predicted the deal would increase Disney+’s reach in the UK and Ireland by around 40%, taking into account the overlap, based on figures based on BARB’s facility survey.
Both parties declined to comment on the length of the contract, but Holmes said it was for “multi-year terms,” adding: “We don’t sign for short periods of time.”
This agreement does not apply to the co-production or distribution of Disney+ content outside of streaming platforms or linear Disney+ cinema channels.
