Online Sky Player TV subscriptions launch

Watch programming on your PC or Mac

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4 December 2008 11:43 GMT / By Amy-Mae Elliott

We've brought you news that this was in the pipeline, but Sky has now made its online-only subscription plans official.

Sky's new online service lets people in the UK and Ireland subscribe to packages of TV channels to watch live on their PC and Mac, without the need to subscribe to an existing TV-based service.

The service will initially offer channels from Sky, including Sky Sports and Sky News, as well as the Disney Channel, National Geographic and British Eurosport, with more promised in the new year.

Sky Player TV customers have to sign up to a monthly subscription to the "Base Entertainment Pack" which will initially offer access to Disney Channel, British Eurosport, National Geographic Channel, Sky News and Sky Sports News.

The cost of the Base Pack will be £15 - although is currently on offer until the end of Jan for £7.50.

To combine the Base Pack with Sky Sports Xtra and then the choice of either Sky Sports 1 or Sky Sports 2 is £26, on offer at £22, while two sports channels will cost £34, on offer at £30.

Compared to Sky's "normal" services, this does not seem to be that competitive. At the moment one Entertainment Pack, Sky Sports Packs 1 and 2, with Sky Broadband Base and Sky Talk Freetime is available now for £36 a month, although obviously with the cost of the box and installation on top.