Now (formerly Now TV) is a UK streaming service with a bit of a difference. It doesn’t offer any of its own originals, but is instead the best way to stream all of the exclusive content that Sky subscribers get at a much lower monthly price than you’d pay for Sky itself.
It doesn’t hurt that getting Sky means not only all the movies in Sky Cinema – with loads more big blockbusters than Netflix or Amazon can muster – but also all of Sky Atlantic’s TV offerings, including giant HBO hits like The Last of Us, House of the Dragon and The White Lotus.
The only real downside to Now compared to its main rivals is that all that content is split up into the company’s four different subscription packages: Entertainment, Cinema, Hayu (reality TV) and Sport.
However, there are ways to get these memberships for cheaper than the standard price.
Does Now offer a free trial?
Previously it was possible to get 7-day free trials of most of the memberships. Sadly, Now doesn’t offer free trials any more.
If you’re looking to watch The Last of Us specifically, then you can watch the first episode for free on YouTube. However, you’ll still have to pay for a Now subscription to watch the rest.
If you want movies you need Sky Cinema, priced at £9.99 per month; if you want TV boxsets and all the latest big US shows such as The Last of Us, you want Entertainment, priced at £9.99 per month; and if you want to watch US reality TV like Keeping up with the Kardashians or Real Housewives you need the Hayu Membership, which is £4.99 per month.
Warner Bros. Discovery
Sky Sports Membership costs either £11.98 for a day pass, or £33.99 for a month. The former also includes a 9-month mobile pass that offers four channels of live Sky Sports TV – but only if you watch from your phone.
There is a 7-day free trial of Now Boost, which adds FHD quality, ad-free streaming and surround sound. All these things are not included as standard. After than, Now Boost costs £6 per month.
Does Now offer discounts on memberships?
Whilst no free trials are available, there are still ways to get Now for cheaper than full price. At the time of writing, you can get 20% off either the Entertainment or Cinema memberships if you sign up for six months.
We have seen better discounts throughout the year, especially around sale seasons such as Black Friday.
Author: Hannah Cowton, Senior Staff Writer
Hannah Cowton is a Senior Staff Writer at Tech Advisor and Macworld, working across entertainment, consumer technology and lifestyle. Her interests and specialities lie in streaming services, film and television reviews and rumours, gaming, wearables and smart home products. She's also the creator of The London Geek, a geek culture and lifestyle blog.