XBOne Xbox One to host Sky and Canal+ TV content in Europe

[Martok]

Microsoft has already signed deals with Sky and Canal+ to bring European TV content to Xbox One.

As part of this week’s reveal event, Microsoft focused on its new console’s TV offering, announcing a major partnership with the NFL which will bring exclusive, interactive content to Xbox One. It also announce a partnership with Steven Spielberg, who will be involved in a new Halo TV series.

We asked Microsoft Studios boss Phil Spencer what the platform holder’s plans are for Europe.

“We have partnerships with Sky, with Canal+ in France, and we’ll continue to grow our international expansion,” he told us. “We’ll put a worldwide face on the platform because Europe, in particular, is especially important to us this generation.”

“We want the world to watch television through this box,” he added.

Source: Edge


What happens if you're a Virgin Media customer then?

I only have Freeview and won't pay for Sky or Virgin Media, so this makes the XBox One even less relevant to me.

 

[Slaine]

Less relevant for the UK at large. Sky only has 11 million subscribers, yet Phil Harrison @ Microsoft said he expects the Xbox One to sell a billion. To put that in perspective, the games console figures are approx 300 million each generation.

Good luck with that Phil

 

[yinkin]

I avoid subscription services like the plague, this news is utterly meaningless to me.

 

[ColSonders]

I begrudge paying a TV license....that alone should tell you how much TV I watch.

 

[jonnywombat]

Funnily enough my sky box hosts my sky tv... why would I want or need a second device to do the same thing?

 

[Jkrohn1]

Microsoft signed a deal with Sky in the UK for there Sky Player on the 360 as I'm not a Sky customer and have never seen it won't it just be on demand rather then Live tv like in the reveal?

 

[ColSonders]

The stuff in the reveal relies on you having a separate decoder box and outputting the signal into the XBOXONE.

You can already do that by simply bypassing the XBOXONE and plugging your sky box straight into your TV.

The only reasons to hook it up to the XBOXONE is so that you can use it without the horrendous Sky remote (which many people actually love) and instead use the webcam....and so that the XBOXONE can overlay other info onto the screen...which looks mostly to be Picture in Picture stuff for viewing other things at the same time.

Of course the second you start watching TV through the XBOXONE there's a whole host of additional DRM that Microsoft can then employ with what looks like the intent of being able to charge you more or use it as a method of advertising.

 

[Plaxinator]

I begrudge paying a TV license....that alone should tell you how much TV I watch.

I don't watch any TV so I cancelled my TV licence.

 

[ColSonders]

I only hooked an aerial up to my living room TV because my mother in law was coming over to baby sit, i'd been living in this house for nearly a year at that point.

My wife does actually watch a bit of TV.

How does cancelling a TV licence work in this day and age of internet based TV? Don't the apps like 4od and iPlayer give you most of the stuff anyway?

I know every time i've bought a TV or digibox type device i've had a hounding letter from the TV licensing people, that I usually write something abusive on then send back to them. But we do actually have a TV licence in my wifes name.

 

[TalllPaul]

So I would need to get the channel subscription? Then a HDMI device sold separately? Then pay for Live to even use it?

 

[Jkrohn1]

So I would need to get the channel subscription? Then a HDMI device sold separately? Then pay for Live to even use it?

In a nutshell yes but you can talk to the xbox to control it saving you absolutely nothing as a controller will do the same thing just you will have to use your hands.

 

[ColSonders]

you will have to use your hands.

That's what she said.