Sky is planning a new joke. This time it’s not just about one of the countless channels already, it’s about another series or entertainment show, but about one device. The company, which has been part of British media giant Comcast for three years, plans to sell televisions in the future under the “Sky Glass” brand. “Millions of customers in Europe are waiting for that,” new Sky boss Dana Strong said in London on Thursday. It’s more than just a device, it’s an “entertainment platform”.

Is remarkable. So far, Sky has focused mainly on content like the hit series At Chernobyl And Babylon Berlin Or on sports broadcasts such as the Bundesliga, the English Premier League or the Formula One. The company has a total of 23 million payment subscribers in Great Britain, Ireland, Germany, Austria and Italy. Netflix customers can view the program on the Internet – using their own set-top box. Now everything needs to be integrated into a TV set with a WiFi connection, however, for this you need a Sky subscription. With the device you can watch all the other streaming services (if you pay for them) as well as all the free-to-air channels, and there are other functions. In short, one can say: Sky sells smart TVs that can only be used on one subscription.

In Germany, the devices will not be available until 2022

Apple already knows the combination of streaming offer and subscription. Apple TV programs can be played on iPods and MacBooks. The difference is that the use of the device is not tied to the contracts there. Apple has a lot of experience in consumer electronics – though not yet on television.

Sky Devices will be offered in three sizes in the UK by mid-October, costing between 50 650 and 50 1050 (60 760 to 50 1250), but can also be funded monthly. In Germany, they should be available in the second half of 2022.

Sky Group acquired US company Comcast from Philadelphia in 2018 for about $ 40 billion. Comcast has acquired NBC Universal, which has several special interest channels, but also offers group cable, satellite and telephone services. Sky’s first major strategic decision since joining Comcast was to enter the equipment business – it was urgent.

Because audiences are now migrating to other streaming services and media libraries on TV stations. In Germany, Sky is owned by the Football Champions League and partly by the Bundesliga Lost on a streaming service called Dazn. New televisions don’t have to make money, he said Thursday. The goal is to connect subscribers to Sky more closely and in the long run. Surely, who can easily participate in their television set?