Spark is offering Sky Sports Fan Pass through to its customers for $30 a month.
Spark hasn't been afraid to put the boot into Sky, with telco's boss very publicly ditching the pay TV company's set top box in 2016.
Despite that - and the fact they both go head-to-head with their online streaming sites Neon and Lightbox - Sky and Spark have put aside competitive differences and announced a tie-up this morning.
Sending my box back to Sky TV. So much better value with Lightbox and other on demand streaming services nowadays. pic.twitter.com/TlYleHeTmD
In the move, Spark will offer Sky TV's sports streaming service Fan Pass for $30 a month to its unlimited broadband customers.
The telco, which last month secured rights to broadcast next year's Rugby World Cup with TVNZ, said it was looking to expand on its sports offering for consumers.
"We've heard from many customers that they love the entertainment they get from Lightbox and Netflix through their broadband plan, but they also want a bit of sport in their lives," acting chief executive for home, mobile and business Grant McBeath said.
"That's why we're partnering with Sky to give them a menu of world-class sports viewing at a very reasonable price and over a flexible, digital channel – it's the perfect solution."
Spark has 694,000 broadband customers, and those with an unlimited home broadband plan would be eligible to purchase a 12-month subscription to Fan Pass for $30 a month instead of the usual $55.99.
This would include access to Sky Sport channels one to four and highlights on demand.
The deal was a promotional one Spark said, and not a sign of a wider partnership with Sky, although it wasn't ruling anything out.
"There is no deeper, content-sharing deal planned at this stage, and we have had no conversations with Sky about Rugby World Cup or any other content," a spokesperson said.
"Of course, we are always open to considering partnership deals which result in us bringing more to our customers."
The deal signals a slight thawing of the relationship between Spark and Sky TV, who already has significant content partnerships with rival Vodafone.
News that Spark and TVNZ had managed to wrest the World Cup rights from former holder Sky came as a surprise to the industry last month.
At the time, Sky director of sport Richard Last said the company would rather have won the rights, but conceded it was important to walk away when the price in negotiation wasn't right.
The rugby broadcasting rights are expected to be hotly contested. Photo / file
Asked why Sky wasn't willing to bid higher to hold onto the flagship rugby event, Last explained that Sky had an allocated budget and that the executive team needed to make strategic decisions based on what could deliver the most value to the company and its customers.
"It's a six-week tournament, not a six-month tournament. We have to prioritise things over the longer term," he said.
With the SANZAAR rugby broadcasting rights up for renewal, all eyes will be on whoever makes a successful bid.
Asked if Spark would be among those bidding, it wouldn't rule out the possibility.
"We see tournaments like the World Rugby ones announced earlier this year as a good entry point for us into the sports content market," a spokesperson said.
"Our immediate focus is to distribute great sports content to New Zealanders in new and creative ways. We wouldn't rule anything out for the future."
Fan Pass
Who is eligible for this offer? Spark customers on an unlimited home broadband plan. Eligible customers will be contacted by Spark over the next few months with details on how to sign up.
Is there a one-month, casual option? This offer does not include a casual option. The offer is for a 12-month subscription. A $99 early exit fee applies if the subscription is cancelled within 6 months. For cancellations after 6 months, no fee is payable.
How do I watch Fan Pass through my TV? Fan Pass is available on Samsung smart TVs or through devices such as Chromecast or Apple TV.
What about pay per view? Pay per view through Fan Pass is not included in this offer. However, you can add pay per view events when you're logged into your Sky Fan Pass account.
