Ahead of the hotly anticipated launch of Sky Q, the next-generation home entertainment system, Sky today announces it has agreed deals to bring even more entertainment to the big screen. With some of the world's most watched online video content channels, Barcroft TV, Electus and Funny Or Die will provide even more to watch in Sky Q's Online Video section.

Sky Q is a whole new way of watching TV making it easier than ever to access all your favourite TV in and out of the home, and with these and other forthcoming deals will bring an even wider range of entertainment to the big screen. A brand new family of Sky's most advanced products connect wirelessly to create an ecosystem that makes TV viewing seamless - which Sky calls 'Fluid Viewing'. 'Fluid Viewing' gives you the flexibility to pause what you're watching on your TV screen and pick up in another room on a TV or tablet. And you can take your recordings with you wherever you are.

Sky Q will introduce online video to even more customers from well-known brands like CollegeHumor and Funny Or Die alongside popular services such as Vevo and YouTube. Sky Q's Online Video section will be packaged and presented so customers can easily browse and choose the online video they want to watch.

New content that will join Sky Q's Online Video section:

  • Barcroft TV - new and classic short-form popular factual films, depicting 'the amazing side of life' will join Sky Q. The films include a look at marvels of nature with the Natural World and Animal, as well as Heart Warmers and Adventure Sport categories.
  • Electus Digital - home to CollegeHumor, one of the most viewed comedy channels on YouTube, and Dorkly, the fastest growing site in fandom culture, including the award-winning series Hardly Working, and the new hit series Today in Nerd History with Tony Wilson. In addition, Electus Digital's library content will be available on Sky Q, including the classic series Jake and Amir, Troopers, The Britishes (Downton Abbey inspired comedy sketches) and more.
  • Funny Or Die - the leading comedy destination with award-winning celebrity videos, and topical political commentary plus plenty more. Ryan Gosling, Helen Mirren and Samuel L. Jackson are some of the celebrities that feature.

These latest agreements will form part on an on-going slate of partners to be added to Sky Q as Sky continues to pioneer the first curated short-form video service from any UK Pay TV provider.

Previously announced streaming partners include Condé Nast Entertainment - GQ, Vanity Fair, Vogue and WIRED, GoPro, Jukin Media, Kin Community, Red Bull Media House and Whistle Sports.

Andrew Olson - Director of New Products commented, 'Whether it's watching comedy sketches like The Britishes, top trending fails or extreme activities like cliff diving, we know more and more people love to watch online videos. Today's announcement is about adding even more brilliant content to Sky Q's curated Online Video section which is exciting because it means customers will have even more things they love to watch, from blockbuster drama right through to the best of the web.'

For further information:

Sky Q will go on sale in early 2016. Pricing and date to be confirmed.

Sky

Amy Holland

07585 403 613

Barcroft Media

Justin Crosby

07966 2282631

justin@boomdialogue.com

About Sky

Sky is Europe's leading entertainment company, serving 21 million customers across five countries: UK, Ireland, Germany, Austria and Italy. We offer the best and broadest range of content, deliver market-leading customer service and use innovative new technology to give customers a better TV experience, whenever and wherever they choose.

Sky has annual revenues of over £11 billion and is Europe's leading investor in television content with a combined programming budget of £4.9 billion. The group employs 30,000 people and is listed on the London Stock Exchange (SKY).

About Barcroft Media

Barcroft Media
was formed by Sam Barcroft in 2003 to provide editorial content to the international print media. Over the past decade the business has operated at the leading edge of the transition from analogue to digital media, and now employs over fifty staff in bureaux in London, New York and New Delhi. The business aims to become the leading global provider of short form factual content.
Barcroft Media's pictures, videos and text stories appear daily across hundreds of major international media outlets such as MailOnline, Huffington Post and NewYorkPost.com. Barcroft Productions, is the TV production arm of the business, creating compelling programming for broadcast channels such as TLC, Channel 5, National Geographic Channel and Discovery channels.

Barcroft TV is one of the world's top YouTube news channels with over 1.7 million subscribers and over 1.6 billion channel views. Barcroft TV serves as an incubation channel for Barcroft Productions as the business continues to provide optimised broadcast programming, pre tested and popular for a global audience. Barcroft TV was nominated for a Broadcast Digital Award 2015 for Best Original Web Channel.

About Electus

Electus is the first integrated multimedia entertainment studio to unite producers, creators, advertisers and distributors under one roof and produce all forms of content for distribution across a variety of platforms around the world, including: broadcast, cable, digital, OTT and various emerging technologies. The company connects advertisers, distributors and content creators early on in the development process, enabling marketers and advertisers to be true partners in campaigns and content creation.

Electus Digital, the digital creative and distribution arm of Electus, specializes in creating entertaining content for digital, TV, and film platforms across comedy, music, gaming, and urban lifestyle categories, and provides full-service branded and third party creative production services. It is comprised of website properties CollegeHumor.com, Dorkly.com and WatchLOUD.com, and the award winning production company Big Breakfast. Electus is an operating business of IAC [NASDAQ: IACI].

About Funny Or Die

Recently named the 'Hottest Digital Studio/Network' in Adweek's annual 'Hot List,' Funny Or Die launched in April 2007 and has grown into a premier comedy brand and production studio known for creating award-winning, high-quality content with a global audience of more than 70 million. Funny Or Die's social media division produces content for over 15 platforms and is the #1 comedy brand on both Twitter and Facebook.

Funny Or Die is the top destination for celebrity-driven comedy videos and highly topical political commentary. Funny Or Die's founders are Gary Sanchez Productions (Will Ferrell, Adam McKay, and Chris Henchy), and Creative Artists Agency (CAA). Judd Apatow is also a principal partner.

Sky plc issued this content on 2016-01-15 and is solely responsible for the information contained herein. Distributed by Public, unedited and unaltered, on 2016-01-15 17:06:02 UTC

Original Document: https://corporate.sky.com/media-centre/news-page/2016/sky-q-to-bring-even-more-entertainment-to-the-big-screen