VodafoneThree will launch Vodafone TV in October, a bundled TV offering in the UK that will have Netflix, HBO Max and linear channels in one place.
The news comes just over a year after Vodafone merged with fellow telco Three to create VodafoneThree. Subscribers to Vodafone TV will need a dedicated set-top box. VodafoneThree said its newbie TV service will simplify matters by serving up a range of entertainment offerings in a single package.
A Vodafone TV companion app will allow subs to watch, or continue watching, content on mobile, which ties in with the telco simultaneously rolling out a new super-fast 5G service.
At launch, Vodafone TV will include Netflix and HBO Max, with the option to add other streaming services including Disney+, YouTube Premium, DAZN and Prime Video, which can be purchased on a rolling 30-day basis. The Freely free-TV service is built in, meaning the legacy terrestrial channels as well as their on-demand content are available. Customers can also buy movies through the Vodafone Box Office.
Rob Winterschladen, Consumer Director, VodafoneThree, said Vodafone TV will be “a family entertainment platform that brings together live TV, on-demand, streaming, gaming, music and all the apps on the Google Play Store.”
Speaking about HBO Max being part of the service, Will Morse, Vice President, Commercial Distribution & Operations, WBD UK & Ireland, said: “Partnering with Vodafone will bring HBO Max to even more UK customers, giving mobile and broadband users access to our award-winning movies and series at home via Vodafone TV and on the go.”
With a comprehensive TV bundle, VodafoneThree is offering an alternative to the traditional UK pay TV services from the likes of Sky and Virgin.
The telco is talking up the simplicity of its new offering, but with a lot of talk of a ‘cost of living crisis’ in the UK, a lot will also come down to pricing versus a traditional pay TV service, or paying for streaming services individually. More info on that as we have it.
