Mere weeks ahead of Disney+’s UK launch, Disney has signed an agreement with Comcast-owned Sky to bring the streaming service to Sky Q and Now TV in the UK and Ireland, according to Variety. “The deal also includes the first-pay window for 20th Century film titles such as ‘Le Mans ’66’ and ‘Terminator: Dark Fate,’ which will continue to be made available to Sky Cinema customers,” Variety reported.
Back in December, Disney signed an exclusive distribution deal with French pay-TV firm Canal Plus, making it the sole distributor of Disney+ in France. It is unclear whether or not the deal with Sky is exclusive as well.
In February, Disney+ announced customers can save if they subscribe to the streaming service ahead of the March 24 launch. Streamers in the UK (£49.99), Germany (€59.99), Italy (€59.99), Spain (€59.99), Ireland (€59.99), Austria (€59.99), and Switzerland (84.90 CHF) can save nearly 20 percent on an annual subscription in the pre-sale.
As previously announced, the streaming service will launch in the UK, Ireland, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, Austria and Switzerland on March 24. Additional Western Europe markets, including Belgium, the Nordics and Portugal, will follow in summer 2020.
Disney+ launched in the U.S. on Nov. 12, and immediately became a hit. The streaming service was downloaded 3.2 million times to mobile devices and garnered 1.3 million hours of viewership in its first 24 hours, according to Apptopia. Despite initial hiccups, the streaming service reached 10 million subscribers merely 24-hours post launch.