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Sky, Disney agree Disney+ carriage deal

Baby Yoda in The Mandalorian

Disney and Sky have agreed a new multi-year deal that will make Disney+ available for purchase in the UK and Ireland via the Comcast-owned satcaster’s services.

The Mouse House’s streaming service will be available for purchase on pay-TV service Sky Q, to be followed by Sky’s streamer Now TV in the coming months.

This means Sky customers will be able to watch exclusives such as The Mandalorian, High School Musical: The Musical: The Series and The World According to Jeff Goldblum for an extra fee.

The deal also includes the first pay window for 20th Century titles, so Sky Cinema customers will have access to recent blockbusters such as Le Mans ’66 and Terminator: Dark Fate.

The agreement mirrors the multi-year distribution deal Sky has with Netflix, which was renewed earlier this year and gives Sky customers access to the streamer through their set-top boxes.

Jeremy Darroch, group chief executive, Sky, said: “We’ve built a strong partnership with Disney over three decades and we’re pleased that our customers in the UK and Ireland can continue to enjoy their world-class content – all in one place on Sky Q.”

Kevin Mayer, chairman of Walt Disney Direct-to-Consumer and International, added: “We are delighted that Sky is selling the Disney+ service on their platform and, along with our other distribution partners, will deliver exceptional reach at launch.”

Disney+ went on sale in the UK last month ahead of its launch there later this month on March 24, with an introductory offer that undercuts rivals in the market such as Netflix.

The Mouse House is offering a year’s subscription to Disney+ for £49.99 (US$63.99), which is equivalent to £4.17 per month.

This undercuts the likes of Netflix, which costs £5.99 per month in the UK for a basic subscription, rising to £7.99 and £9.99 for standard and premium subscriptions, respectively.

The offer is only available until March 23, 2020, the day before the service launches in the UK, after which it will cost £59.99 for an annual subscription. Disney+ is also offering a standard subscription for £5.99 per month.

The service features Disney, Pixar, Marvel, Star Wars and National Geographic content and is currently available in the US, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, the Netherlands and Puerto Rico.

It will launch in Ireland, Germany, Switzerland, Austria, Spain, Italy, France and India by the end of March, while Belgium, Denmark, Iceland, Finland, Norway, Portugal and Sweden are all set to receive it this summer.

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