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Available from today from nowtv.com, the dinky box is based on the Roku hardware platform, sharing the same smallscale dimensions, connectivity and design. While it doesn't offer the same number of channels as Roku's £30 LT model (there's no Netflix access, for instance), it does feature a Roku channel portal. Other apps onboard include Spotify, flickr and Facebook.

Sky's new gadget brings its growing Now TV service to a potentially even bigger audience. Owners of the Smart TV extender can pay a one-off fee of £9.99 for a Sky Sports day pass or a monthly subscription for a Sky Movies Pass; the latter begins at £8.99 per month for three months and then rises to £15 per month. Alternatively, they could simply use the bargain-priced box as a way of getting BBC iPlayer onto non-Smart TVs around the house.

The box comes with a remote control, HDMI cable and connects via Wi-Fi. And the £9.99 price tag includes delivery.

Says Sky: 'Despite the explosion in connected devices such as Sky set-top boxes, games consoles and connected TVs, there are still up to tens of millions of regular TVs in the UK that cannot currently connect to the internet. The NOW TV box provides an affordable and simple way for any broadband-connected home to join the online TV revolution.'

The announcement comes only a day after LG announced it had signed an exclusive 12-month deal to incorporate Now TV onto its Smart TV platform.