Sky’s owner Comcast has revealed that it has retained 99% of its customers, and 95% of Sky Sports customers, despite the impact of Covid-19.
The Q2 results also reveal that Comcast’s European revenue through its Sky division has dropped by 15.5%. This is partly as a result of allowing customers to pause sports subscriptions whilst live sport was suspended.
Comast’s Sky business comprises its broadcasting business, TV packages, and broadband and mobile services.
Sky Arts, an arts and culture channel from broadcaster Sky is to become free-to-air in September.
Not only will the channel become available to more satellite viewers, but the channel will also join the Freeview terrestrial platform, as confirmed by the Ofcom license published this morning (28th July 2020).
The Freeview multiplex is yet to be confirmed, but previous speculation has suggested Sky Arts may replace Challenge on Freeview, which is also owned by Sky.
The move follows the launch of several new Sky branded channels in recent months, as well as the re-branding of Pick to Sky Pick. Challenge is yet to re-brand.
Sky have unveiled a series of upcoming updates to the Sky Q platform, the flagship receiver which allows access to online and catch up content alongside the usual range of channels.
Among the improvements are:
The first update is expected in the next few weeks.
Children’s channels Disney Channel, Disney Junior, and Disney XD are to close in the UK. Unsurprisingly, this is part of the moving of content to Disney’s subscription streaming service Disney Plus, which will become the exclusive home for all of the content.
The move will take effect on October 1st, and will affect Sky and Virgin Media subscribers who currently subscribe to packages which include the channels.
Disney Plus launched in March this year, and costs £5.99 a month. Sky subscribers can access the service through the app on Sky Q.
The change is specific to the UK, although similar moves may made in other countries. Other Disney owned channels including National Geographic are not affected by the change.
Sky owned Pick has made a few changes ahead of the broadcast of live football from Friday.
The most noticeable change is a tweak to the brand, with the Sky Pick name being adopted, along with a new logo in the corporate Sky style. This is likely to be the first time viewers will have been made aware of the channel’s owners.
New high-definition (HD) feeds have appeared. On satellite, a new HD outlet has opened, and is available on both Sky and Freesat on a UK spot beam, without encryption.
The use of a UK spot beam is crucial, as the Premier League (and other sports) have carriage deals with other broadcasters in other countries. Therefore, if the channel was carried on a Europe wide beam, it would need to be encrypted to protect the rights of other broadcasters.
This means that the standard definition version on Freesat will not carry football, as the channel is available on a Europe wide footprint. Additionally, the +1 timeshifts on both Sky and Freesat will also not carry football, neither will the Irish versions of the channel.
On Virgin Media, Sky Pick has switched to HD, although viewers may not immediately be aware as the HD suffix has not been added to the channel name.
With the remaining Premier League football matches to be held behind closed doors, a number of broadcasters have announced they will showing games free to air.
The BBC will broadcast four games live, in addition to its Match of the Day highlights programmes. The channel to show these matches is not known, but is likely to be BBC One or the BBC Red Button service.
Sky owned free-to-air channel Pick will be showing 25 games live, with the first being Everton v Liverpool, which will also be simulcast on Sky Sports.
Amazon will be streaming 4 matches on its platform Amazon Prime platform, without the need for subscription. The exact matches are yet to be announced.
This leaves BT Sport as the only rights holder to have not announced any free to air coverage.
Including the free to air matches and those as part of subscription services, all remaining Premier League games will be televised live.
The Sony Crime Channel is to close on during the early hours of 10th June 2020, on its remaining platforms Sky (satellite) and Virgin Media (cable), as Sony focuses on its remaining movie and entertainment channels.
Although launching with a large amount of publicity, the channel had struggled to compete with its rivals, and has been downgraded. The channel had already lost its national Freeview (terrestrial) slot.
Sony Crime Channel launched in February 2018, and has lasted just over two years on the air.
Sky Documentaries and Sky Nature are due to launch this spring, and will be joined by Sky History and Sky History 2.
Sky History is part of a joint venture between A+E Networks UK and Sky, and will be a rebrand of the current History channel. Both Sky History and Sky History 2 will be available on Sky’s Now TV streaming platform, as well as Virgin Media, BT TV and TalkTalk TV.
The changes are also due to take place this spring, with both channels to continue being operated and managed by A+E Networks UK.
Information TV, owned by now collapsed parent company Carlauren Group Ltd, has been in financial difficulties since 2019. This has now led to channel changes.
Sports channel Front Runner has now closed. The channel was home to Greyhound Racing, which has moved to Live 360. Live 360 is available on Sky channel 175, and can be streamed on compatible Freeview boxes via Vision TV on channel 264.
Meanwhile, sister channel Showcase TV is transitioning to new satellite capacity, and is currently unavailable on Sky and Freesat, but is expected to return. Showcase TV allows smaller, niche broadcasters to book out blocks of time on the channel, enabling part time broadcasting.
Retro Movies appears to have stopped broadcasting on satellite. Although still listed on Sky and Freesat EPGs, the satellite feed has went ‘dark’ with no programmes or other content being broadcast.
According to website RXTV Log, Retro Movies is still available as part of Channelbox on Freeview 271, as a streamed channel on devices connected to the internet.
There has been no official word from Retro Movies. Their website (at time of publication) is still live, but the schedule doesn’t list any programmes beyond Friday 24th January.
Talking Pictures, Sony Movies Classic and TCM Movies are alternative channels for those wishing to view older films.
