What is the Now TV Sports Pass?

Curious what the Now TV Sports Pass is, how it works and whether it’s worth your hard-earned cash? Recombu Digital gives the lowdown.

What is the now TV Sports Pass?

It is a digital pass that allows you to watch seven Sky Sports channels through the Now TV streaming service. We use the term ‘pass’ deliberately because you can pay for a day, week or month ─ there is no contract you have to stick to so you can pay for the sport you want to watch and nothing more.

How much does the Now TV Sports Pass cost?

A day pass costs £6.99 and gives, as you will have you 24 hours of viewing. Those who want a week will need to part with £10.99, while a full month costs £33.99. It is important to note the month pass acts as a rolling contract so it will keep going until you cancel it. There is no fee for cancelling early.

Now TV Sports Pass: What channels do I get, then?

A Now TV Sports Pass gives you Sky Sports 1, Sky Sports 2, Sky Sports 3, Sky Sports 4, Sky Sports 5, Sky Sports F1 and Sky Sports News HQ, which means you can enjoy the likes of Premier League football, Formula One, British Masters Golf and Rugby Union to name a few different sports.

How do I get Now TV?

A few different ways are available, the easiest of which is to buy the Now TV Box. Buy from Amazon.co.uk and you can get the device and the remote you need to use it for £34.99 and that includes a one-month Sports Pass, meaning the device itself is technically free.

There are other deals available, including a one-week Sports Pass that brings the device down to £23.74 (at the time of writing). The very cheapest way to buy the Now TV Box is if you go for the free three-month Sky Entertainment Pass, as that costs £17.97. For a penny extra you can have two months of movies free instead and buy a Sports Pass separately.

Is it in HD?

720p – aka HD ready – is as good as it gets for the Now TV Box so no full HD, presumably because it gives the full Sky packages some breathing space. As for the sound quality, expect stereo instead of surround sound, another slight downer if you also plan to stream movies.

Does the Now TV Box do anything special?

So long as your television has an HDMI port (an HDMI cable is included in the box), you can make your television smarter. Besides watching Now TV content, you can use apps such as Facebook, Spotify, YouTube and iPlayer for streaming other content.

Given that the smart TV functionality remains in play even if you deregister from the service, this is a very cheap way to have a smart TV. Best of all, it has both the ability to connect to the internet using WiFi or an Ethernet cable.

Can I watch in any other way?

There are various Now TV apps available, including for the Xbox One. Or you can download the mobile app and watch on the smaller screen providing your 3G, 4G or wireless connection is fast enough. Or even through a web browser ─ in short, there are plenty of ways to access Now TV without the box.

Is it easy to apply for the free passes?

Very much so. You simply have to enter the serial number you get written on a card in the box, having signed up for a Sky account if you lack one. Then off you go. Credit card details need to be entered but you will not be charged unless your free Pass expires and you forget to cancel.

How do I cancel a Now TV pass?

Sign in on the Now TV website, click My Account in the top right corner and then under ‘My Passes’ you should see your passes you are signed up to. Click cancel and then confirm. Voila ─ you are free to buy another pass whenever you want (or consider another now Now TV Box for the code and give it to a friend or relation).

Is a Now TV Sports Pass worth the money?

If you watch Sky Sports religiously and absolutely have to have full HD, it may be better to go for a ‘proper’ Sky package. But for those who phase in and out of sport and want to avoid being locked into a 12-month or longer contract, the Now TV Sports Pass is a great option.

The fact the Now TV Box is so cheap right now makes it very tempting for anyone who simply wants smart TV features that are easy to use.