New Sky channels: Crime, Comedy, Documentaries, Nature

Yes. The Sopranos were being shown on Sky Atlantic, and Veep on Sky Comedy this afternoon between 5-6 and a pin was required to view both programmes.

This has been a requirement on BBC iPlayer for quite some time for any post-watershed content downloaded during the day. Even if you don't subsequently watch it under after 9pm, that download will always ask for a PIN on Sky.

There is pin code authorisation for NOW TV Sky Cinema live channels before 9pm if you watch a film rated that wouldn't be shown before the watershed otherwise.

I haven't checked to see if this is now on the Sky Entertainment pass channels from today.

This should help Sky “fill” their schedules a bit easier - particularly with Sky Replay coming up.

So, what could come next? NOW TV rebranding to something like “Sky Now” or something like it?

Unlikely, isn't it deliberately not Sky branded to attract customers who might be put off by the Sky name? It's Sky but not 'Sky'

Originally they they marketed it as follows:

Although the tag line seems to have now been dropped (pun intended).

At one stage they described it as part of a three prong strategy - Sky Q as the premium service, Sky+HD as the standard and Now TV as the budget - but then Sky Q became the standard box really quickly. At least in Ireland there’s been an effort to distance it from Sky, possibly in order to justify Sky’s premium prices (but they are the best TV service in the market, so people are willing to pay it).

Worth noting that in Germany and Austria, where the “Now TV” trademark isn’t available - the service was always Sky branded, firstly as Sky Ticket in both markets while Austria now has the “Son of Now TV” service, Sky X.

It was Sky branded in Spain too - but it seems to have failed there and is closing in a few weeks.

Although Spain was a little different as it was only Sky offering. So branding it Sky was a way of getting the Sky brand into that market.

I can confirm that you now need a pin code to watch some Entertainment output on the live NOW TV streams. I just tried it with The Sopranos.

Yeah, it closes on the 1 September. Source (in Spanish): https://ecoteuve.eleconomista.es/programas/noticias/10683714/07/20/Cierra-Sky-Espana-la-plataforma-dejara-de-emitir-el-1-de-septiembre.html