Now TV hikes prices by 20% adding up to £24 a year – how to cut your costs now

THOUSANDS of Now TV customers with the streaming service’s Sky Cinema Pass will see prices rise by £24 a year from this month.

Sky, which owns Now TV, is upping prices for both new and existing users by £2 a month from £9.99 a month to £11.99 a month.

Now TV is upping the price of its Sky Cinema pass by £2 a month

The telecoms provider says the last time it increased the price of its Cinema Pass was back in October 2014 when it rose by £1 a month from £8.99.

It wouldn’t tell us how many customers are affected but says it is in the “thousands”. It adds that affected customers will be contacted about the hike.

A spokesperson for Now TV said: “We last changed the Now TV Sky Cinema Pass price four and a half years ago and since then have brought customers even more choice and flexibility, along with 11 live channels, a collection of over 1,000 films and a new film premiere every day.

“This change will allow us to continue to invest in even more great content and functionality to keep evolving the viewing experience for our customers.”

But Now TV says the price of its other passes aren't changing — But Now TV says the price of its other passes aren’t changing

Are Now TV’s other passes also going up?

Now TV says it is only the Sky Cinema pass price that is rising this month, although the Sky Sports day pass did increase in February by £1 while the weekly pass rose by £2.

Sky’s other Now TV passes will remain at the following prices:

Now TV Entertainment – £7.99 a month
Now TV Kids – £3.99 a month
Now TV Sky Sports – £33.99 a month, £14.99 a week, £8.99 a day, £5.99 a month for mobile
Now TV Hayu – £3.99 a month

Cut costs and stay with Now TV

Unlike with subscription services it may be tricky to haggle down the price of Now TV as you’re not locked into a lengthy contract but there’s no harm in trying – especially if you call threatening to leave because of the price hikes.

You can also save by cancelling your existing contract and taking out longer packages – although you will need to do this in a new name as it’s only for new users.

For example, its three month Sky Cinema package at £23.99 works out as £7.99 a month, while its six month pass at £42.99 is the equivalent of £7.17 a month.

We’ve rounded-up the best NOW TV offers for April 2019 – and you could save up to FIFTY per cent.

Also look for discounts and deals being offered on Now TV passes by other retailers.

Cut costs by leaving Now TV

Another way to cut costs, unless you only use Now TV to watch exclusive shows live, such as Game of Thrones, is to cancel your pass.

You can either live without on demand streaming services or consider other platforms, such as Amazon Prime Video or Netflix.

Amazon Prime Video costs £5.99 a month for its streaming service or £7.99 a month or £79 a year upfront for video and Prime’s other benefits, such as one-day delivery and music streaming.

But you can take out a 30-day free trial for free. Original shows include Hanna, American Gods, and The Grand Tour.

Meanwhile, Netflix costs £5.99 a month for its basic one-screen package, £7.99 a month for its two-screen package, and £9.99 a month for its four-screen premium package.

Netflix originals include Our Planet, After Life, and The Crown.

But again, you can give it a try for a month without any fees.

Just remember to cancel the subscriptions before the end of the trials or you’ll be rolled onto the fee-charging packages.