Five years ago this week… Sky announced Sky Glass, the company’s eponymous smart TV housing its Sky TV package inside, manufactured by TP Vision. While dampening the launch of parent company Comcast’s XiOne streaming devices, many questioned how long it would be before other operators followed suit, despite towing the hardware line proving a costly and complex approach for Sky. Today, “operator smart TV” offerings remain limited compared to the growing influence of big tech, but players like Deutsche Telekom are taking a more collaborative approach, integrating TV services into third-party smart TVs rather than rolling out dedicated self-branded smart TVs. Streaming mega merger confirmed: Skydance has confirmed that HBO Max and Paramount+ will become a single streaming…