Sky Revamps Channel Lineup – Says Goodbye To Sky One After Nearly 40 Years
Sky has announced a major shakeup to its channel lineup, which will see the end of Sky One after nearly 40 years on-air. Don’t panic though, the shows themselves are not going anywhere.
Firstly, Sky are going to launch two brand new channels – Sky Showcase, and Sky Max.
Sky Max, will be a linear channel and on-demand service, and the new home for Sky’s blockbuster entertainment, including some of your Sky favourites such as original dramas ‘A Discovery of Witches’ and ‘COBRA’ and original comedy entertainment including panel shows like ‘A League of Their Own’ and the return of ‘Never Mind The Buzzcocks’. Sky Max is where you’ll now find all the addictive blockbuster entertainment you know and love. This is basically a direct replacement for Sky One.
Sky Showcase is a linear only main event channel that will curate a selection of the top shows from across Sky’s portfolio of entertainment brands. So when you’re not sure what you’re in the mood for, Sky Showcase is the place to go to find something new to watch.
In addition to those changes, Sky Comedy is being beefed up, so it now becomes the home of Sky Original Comedy including shows such as ‘Code 404’ and ‘Hitmen Reloaded’, that were previously on Sky One, alongside the Best of US comedy such as ‘The Office US’, ‘PEN15’ and ‘Miracle Workers’. So if you’re after a laugh, Sky Comedy is the place to go.
What is interesting is where the channels will sit on the EPG. They are actually pushing Sky Showcase as the flagship channel, with it replacing the Sky One brand at 106. It will feature a selection of programmes from across Sky’s portfolio of channels – airing content from Sky Witness, Sky Documentaries, Sky Crime, Sky Nature, Sky Arts, Sky Max, Sky Comedy, Sky History, Sky Kids, SyFy and E!. It will also air selected highlights from Sky Cinema and Sky Sports.
At launch Sky Showcase will “hero” all-new Sky Original drama ‘Wolfe’, documentaries such as ‘Hawking’ and ‘The Bambers: Murder at the Farm’; high profile original nature series such as ‘Shark with Steve Backshall’, as well as the best of the US including ‘Young Rock’ and ‘SWAT’.
Sky Max’s launch schedule will include blockbuster entertainment such as the return of ‘Never Mind the Buzzcocks’, ‘The Russell Howard Hour’ and the DC Superheroes. This will be on EPG 113.
Sky Atlantic will remain the exclusive home of high-concept original dramas such as ‘Landscapers’, ‘I Hate Suzie’, ‘Gangs of London’ and ‘Chernobyl’, as well as being the home of drama from HBO and Showtime.
In this golden age of television, the sheer volume of incredible programming can be overwhelming,” commented MD of Content Sky UK & ROI, Zai Bennett. “Over the last 12 months, we’ve been making it easier for people to find what they want to watch. From September those looking for the very best of Sky will find it at the top of their programme guide on Sky Showcase, while Sky Max will become the new home of blockbuster entertainment joining the host of genre-led channels launched in the past year – so whether you’re in the mood for true crime, a documentary or just a laugh there’s always a channel to suit. And if you’re not sure what to watch Sky Showcase will curate some of the highlights from our line-up so you can find something new to watch.”
Sky’s linear and on-demand entertainment channels, including their EPG slots will be:
- Sky Showcase – 106
- Sky Max – 113
- Sky Witness – 107
- Sky Atlantic – 108
- Sky Comedy – 114
- Sky Documentaries – 121
- Sky Crime – 122
- Sky History – 123
- Sky Nature – 124
- Sky Arts – 130
- Sky Kids (on-Demand)
- E! – 151
- SyFy – 152
The changes will come into effect from 1 September 2021, and the new channels will be available to Sky customers at no extra charge. The new channels will also launch on streaming service NOW and on Virgin and BT.
