Sky to update EPG to reflect growing VOD usage

UK pay TV operator BSkyB has begun updating the EPG for its Sky Plus HD service following the success of its internet-delivered VOD service.

Over the next few months, Sky will upgrade the EPG to reflect the growing popularity of its Sky Anytime Plus platform. Sky’s on-demand service will be integrated into the landing page for particular genres, giving customers a snapshot of the different viewing options available to them, Luke Bradley-Jones, Sky’s brand director, TV products, explained in a blog posting. Sky Movies customers, for example, will be able to choose between viewing movies live, watching movies that they’ve previously recorded to their Sky Plus planner or on-demand via Sky Anytime Plus. There will also be a search function available on the page allowing Sky Movies customers to search for specific films.

The update will occur as part of a phased roll-out which will last throughout this year, starting with tens of thousands of boxes from today and expanding to millions more before the end of the year. Bradley-Jones said that each month, Sky’s TV customers interact with the EPG more than 1.2 billion times on average.

Other changes will include a greater number of channels available per page, increasing from six to eight channels. Sky Plus Planner users will also be able to browse through their recordings by genre.