What is a NOW TV box?

Charlotte Whyatt • 16 May 2018 Guides

Sky's NOW TV Box and NOW TV Smart Box are a brilliantly affordable and flexible way to stream a wealth of premium content on your TV.

NOW TV is Sky's on-demand streaming platform which allows you to enjoy a huge variety of top-quality content without being locked into a lengthy and potentially expensive contract.

It works slightly differently to services like Netflix, requiring you to purchase different passess, Entertainment, Sky Cinema, Kids and Sky Sports, to access specific content.

You can stream NOW TV on a range of different devices, including smartphones, tablets and game consoles, via a free-to-download app but our guide will take you through everything you need to know about how to use one type in particular, the NOW TV Box.

What is a NOW TV Box?

A set-top-box which enables you to access Sky's NOW TV platform and stream a huge variety of premium content on your TV. 

There's two different types available, the standard NOW TV Box and NOW TV Smart Box, both of which feel as equally simple and intuitive to use. All you need to do to connect your box up to your TV is to plug a HDMI cable into the relevant slot on each device.

The main difference between the two is that the Smart Box also allows you to watch all 70 Freeview channels as well as pause and rewind live TV. Sadly, you can't record and store anything for future viewing with either box. 

What is free on the NOW TV Box?

Apps like BBC iPlayer, YouTube and All4, which come either pre-installed on your box or are available to download for free from the NOW TV app store, allow you to watch quite a bit of free content even if you haven't yet bought a pass.

All 70 Freeview channels, 15 of which are available in HD providing you've got a compatible TV, can be viewed at no extra charge with the NOW TV Smart Box. 

What channels do you get on a NOW TV Box?

BBC One, BBC Two, ITV, Channel 4, Channel 5, ITV2, Film 4, E4, Dave, ITVBe, CBBC, CBeebies and 5Star are just a few of the 70 Freeview channels you're able to receive with a NOW TV Smart Box.

Those which can be enjoyed in HD include BBC News, BBC One, BBC Two, ITV, Channel 4, Channel 5, CBBC and Cbeebies.

How much is a NOW TV subscription?

The monthly Entertainment, Sky Cinema, Kids passes along with the Sky Sports Day pass are all priced at less than £10 each, but you'll be looking at paying a little extra for a Sky Sports Week pass and over £30 for a Sky Sports month pass. 

How long is a NOW TV contract?

The Entertainment, Sky Cinema and Kids passess all last for a month from the day of purchase and will automatically renew themselves unless manually cancelled.

With the Sky Sports pass, you've got the option to buy one for either a day, a week or a month but only the monthly pass will automatically renew itself.

How do I cancel a NOW TV subscription?

Head to the My Account tab in the top-right hand corner of the screen and then select My Passes from the drop down menu. You should see a complete list of all of your active passes with a cancel button situated next to each of them.

Once you've clicked the appropriate one and followed the on-screen prompts, you'll receive an official email from NOW TV confirming the cancellation of your pass. You'll still be able to use your cancelled pass up until the date of your next payment. 

You can only cancel those Sky Sports day or week passes which haven't been activated or were bought in the last 14 days. 

Do I get to keep the NOW TV Box if I cancel?

You can keep your NOW TV Box even if you cancel all of your passes.

Can I get Sky Box Office on a NOW TV Box?

The Sky Sports Box Office app can be downloaded for free from the NOW TV app store on both the standard NOW TV Box and the NOW TV Smart Box. 

You'll need to purchase the pay-per-view event from the Sky Sports Box Office website on another device first before it'll appear for you to enjoy in the app.  

Can I get Netflix on a NOW TV Box?

A Netflix app isn't currently available to download on either NOW TV Box, but Sky have previously stated it will arrive sometime in 2018.  

How do I connect a NOW TV Box to WiFi?

When you first boot up either type of NOW TV box, you'll be prompted to set-up either an ethernet or wifi connection. Select the wifi option, pick your home network from the on-screen list and enter the relevant password.  

Are there any NOW TV Box apps?

Apps like UKTV Play, Sky Sports Box Office, Sky Store, BBC News, Flickr, IGN and Crunchyroll are available to download for free from the NOW TV app store on the NOW TV Box and NOW TV Smart Box, although some of them do require you to make in-app purchases. 

The BBC iPlayer, ITV Player, All4, Demand 5, VEVO, YouTube apps come already pre-installed on both boxes.

NOW TV Box overview

• Stream a huge range of premium content on your TV

• Choose between the NOW TV Box and the NOW TV Smart Box, the latter allowing you to stream 70 Freeview channels and pause and rewind live TV

• The Entertainment, Sky Cinema and Kids passes are all available for under £10 each and last for a month at a time

• The Sky Sports Pass can be bought for either a day, a week or a month and range from under £10 and over £30 in price

• All can easily be cancelled on your TV and renewed whenever you want

• You get to keep your NOW TV Box even if you cancel all of your passes 

• The NOW TV app store offers a great selection of free to download apps like Sky Box Office and Sky Store