Sky is stepping up its shift to streaming with a device that will hasten the end of the satellite dish.

Later this year the pay TV broadcaster will launch Sky Stream, a streaming box offering access to all Sky channels and apps over an internet connection. 

The move comes after the launch of Sky Glass, the streaming TV released late last year that aims to protect its customer base from the wave of US entertainment apps arriving in the UK.

The so-called streaming puck will allow Sky to fight for subscribers by targeting potential customers who do not want to switch to a Glass TV.

It will also speed up the move away from the satellite dish, which has allowed the company to maintain its dominance of the pay TV market for nearly three decades. 

A Sky spokesman said: “The puck is a quick and easy way to enjoy most of the Sky Glass experience. All customers have to do is plug it in and play. You can stream every channel, show and app over WiFi, without a dish.”

The move places the Comcast-owned company in a direct battle with streaming aggregators such as the Amazon Fire TV stick, Google’s Chromecast or Roku, which offer on-demand devices that customers can plug into their existing TVs.

Sky has long been positioning the broadcaster as an aggregator of streaming players by offering subscription packages that include Netflix, Disney+ and Amazon Prime on the Sky Q box. 

The defensive move included launching the streaming platform NOW a decade ago to help soften the impact of so-called “cord cutting” – customers cancelling their subscriptions.

Sky Glass went on sale in October offering monthly payment plans starting at £13 a month for a 43 inch TV. The Sky Ultimate TV package including Netflix is £26 a month, bringing the total to £39 a month.

The puck was initially offered to Sky Glass customers who wanted to watch its streaming service on a TV in another room for an extra £10 a month. 

The launch comes amid growing speculation as to whether Sky will table a bid for Channel 4 following the Government’s decision to push for privatisation.

Sky is among those rumoured to be monitoring the sale process, alongside with the likes of ITV and US companies including Paramount and Warner Bros Discovery.