⚠️ RESOLVED - "Sorry NOW TV is currently unavailable" on your stick or Box?

[NOWTV-Team]

Update - 23/09

A patch has now been released that should fix this issue. You may need to update your device, to do this:

• Start by pressing your NOW TV remote control buttons in this order:

Home x5
Fast Forward x3
Rewind x2

• Select the Update Software option that appears on the next screen.
• Press OK to update your device.

If you still see the issue after updating please let us know by replying here.

---

We're aware of some sticks showing "Sorry NOW TV is currently unavailable when trying to watch content. We're working hard to fix this issue and will update customers when we have a resolution. 

Meanwhile, as a possible workaround to this problem - pressing the back (arrow) button on your NOW TV remote should dismiss the the message and allow you to continue 

Thanks

NOW TV Team

[Anonymous User]

Have now tried everything, full reset twice plus all the other suggestions and the “ newest update “ still not working now missed the Grand Prix which is all I want from the service so you are now cancelled 😡

[Anonymous User]

I followed these instructions - and they didn't resolve the problem either. The firmware has now been updated to date 08 10 2020 - but the stick is still giving the same error message every time I press the home button.

[Anonymous User]

Now TV stick still not working. The error message now doesn’t allow you to press the back button anymore. Can not access from Sky store, then pressing home. Can watch on an iPad, but not on our tv. 

[Anonymous User]

Followed instruction it didn't work

I did this about 10 times

Unplugged and reset about 6 times

Had a message that NowTV was aware of the problem.

Then nothing

Very poor service

Downloaded ap on iPad twice but can’t connect to tv

PLease FIX this

[Anonymous User]

I had this issue...tried software update, factory reset, numerous live chats etc and nothing worked. Eventually worked it out by trial and error. My BT parental controls were blocking the NOW TV app. In my case it was the ‘file sharing’ box I needed to uncheck...i.e unblock for it to work.

Now given this seems to be a common issue, and BT are a widely used ISP you would have thought NOW TV would have identified this as a potential issue following a firmware update...still, hope that helps some of you!

[Anonymous User]

Thank you!  My husband altered our firewall settings and turns out it’s something in the code that has been causing issues! Thank you again 😊. 

[Anonymous User]

Great, glad you’re sorted 🙂

[LameSecurity]

Seems like the Now TV stick wants to access the Adobe Audience Manager, 

dpm.demdex.net

A lot of ISP's block this as it's prime purpose is for collecting personal data and profiling for ad tracking and pushing. 

It is advisable to block it as it can be used for less desirable reasons. 

Unfortunately, the NOW TV sticks have started using it to access any of the functions on the stick. Not a very welcomed move, as exposure of this 'service' puts users network and personal privacy at risk.

[Anonymous User]

I have had this irritating "Sorry NOW TV is currently unavailable" error message for several weeks now - and despite following advice from customer services to restart and/or factory reset my sticks it has persisted. They even send me a brand new stick (with yellow buttons) a few days ago and the error message happened on that stick as well - as soon as I plugged it in.

Thankfully, it has previously been possible to get around the message by pressing the back button to get to the stick's homepage, then manually launching the NOW TV app. HOWEVER, things have gone from bad to worse today - a green RESET button has appeared below the text - but this does nothing. Furthermore, pressing the back arrow no longer works. All of my three sticks are stuck on the error message. Not only can I no longer access NOW TV - I cannot even use the sticks to watch other apps like the BBC iPlayer or ITV Hub. Effectively, they are utterly useless now.

This is absolutely disgraceful. I subscribe to both Sports and Entertainment packages and pay Sky nearly £40 each month for this. They have clearly done something at their end to "break" the service and it is no longer fit for purpose. Their customer service team seem at a loss to solve the problem and their solutions (restarting the router, factory resetting the sticks etc) do not work - they just waste my time and cause increasing frustration. I was promised that the problem had been escalated to the technical team - but I haven't heard from them. Hardly a surprise, as it is almost unbelievable that the developers failed to test the firmware updates or server updates that are likely to have caused this issue prior to release - or subsequently to fix it, so they probably wouldn't know what to say if they rang me.

Please will other users in the community respond to this message, so that we all get a better idea of just how common it is and to highlight the magnitude of the problem to Sky.

Meanwhile, does anyone fancy joining me in a class action for compensation ?!!

[mae-3]

This is also happening on the latest Apple TV Now TV app with the offender being dpm.demdex.net access and raises privacy concerns?

[Dallinga]

I’m getting this error on my Apple TV on the new app... back to the old app and it works fine.... pretty terrible ‘upgrade experience’ in my opinion. 

[Anonymous User]

has the same problem- unchecked the file sharing box on the parental controls and now it works fine!

[Anonymous User]

This fixed the issue for me! Thank you!

I had to enable file sharing in the BT parental controls.

[Anonymous User]

Your so called "patch" just seems to have made the problem even worse. I cannot even watch other apps on the stick now - including paying for movies on the sky store. Sky has inflicted a massive own goal on itself with this issue. Absolutely disgraceful - with both the hardware they have sold and software broken, this is surely a breach of the contract that they entered into with customers.

My Amazon fire sticks have NEVER failed to work perfectly. Perhaps the technical team at Sky need to ask Amazon for help 

[Anonymous User]

How can they do another software update and make it even worse!

I have had complaints open with NowTV about this for months, have raised complaints with the Executive team, Technical Support and now the obudsman.

I have had not a single response from NowTV about this! Chatting to support, the executive team are aware of my complaints and have asked for updates, but they have not even sent an email or a phone call to say they are looking into it!!!

I have never seen a company with such bad support! and lack of interest in customers issues! even including their own executive team!

The only good thing is they have taken so long that they have now breached the ombudsmans time limit for resolving complaints so its now over to them!

I would suggest anyone else with the issue does the same, because NowTV don't seem to care about their customers and the fact they are charging them for a service they know we cannot access.

[Anonymous User]

Hello Matt

Please will you let us all know which ombudsman you reported this problem to. I intend to follow you with this complaint and I hope that everyone else affected by it will do likewise.

Enough is enough - it's time to fight back !

Andy

[Anonymous User]

Sure, 

So you have to make a complaint with NowTV, once your complaint has been open with NowTV for 8 weeks, they will automatically send a deadlock letter (although cheekily the email doesn't state its a deadlock letter, just if you want to complain further (here is the process)).

Then you file a complaint with the CISAS, who are the ombudsman for NowTV.

I think you need the deadlock letter, otherwise the ombudsman doesn't entertain.

Try and keep all transcripts of chats with support and emails you send them as evidence too.

[Anonymous User]

Have followed instructions and still doesn't work.

Went out and bought any new NOW box as I thought that the old one might be damaged. New one installed and it's still happening

[Anonymous User]

I think LameSecurity is right (or he/she certainly seems to be in my case). As I mentioned previously in this thread...if I unblock ‘file sharing websites’ from my Parental controls, then NOW TV works...if, however, I block the address mentioned by LameSecurity, NOW TV doesn’t work.

So I’m forced to turn off parental controls whilst I watch NOW TV, and remember to reinstate afterwards.

If you haven’t tried it I suggest you do as it was definitely the cause of my issue (aside from the NOW TV firmware update).

[Mouseymousey]

It's insane that this problem is still unresolved but just to add to potential workarounds for this problem I found that for me, unblocking the URL pubads.g.doubleclick.net from my Pi Hole (network ad blocker) resolves the issue. Not ideal as then I get loads of ads on all other devices on the network so I unblock it, start Now TV, then re-block it.

[Anonymous User]

Anyone still having this problem. Make sure you remove any add blockers from your network. This fixed the issue for me