Your Sky Q box just lost access to two popular channels in the latest shake-up to satellite telly in the UK. Sky History +1 and Sky History 2 HD have been removed from Sky Q and Sky+ boxes nationwide, the broadcaster confirmed to GB News.
These factual channels aired popular shows like UnXplained with William Shatner, Bradley Walsh: Egypt's Cosmic Code, Ancient Aliens, Sex: A Bonkers History, History's Greatest Mysteries, Jack The Ripper: Written In Blood, Ross Kemp: Deep Sea Treasure, The Tattooist's Son: Journey to Auschwitz, Mysteries Unearthed With Danny Trejo, and The UnBelievable with Dan Aykroyd to name just a few.
On its listings, Sky History is described as a way to "delve further into ancient cultures, famous figures from antiquity and monumental historical events. Let us entertain you in unexpected and exciting ways, revealing the connections and unearthing the little-known facts of the world around us."
The channels are a collaboration between Sky and Hearst Networks UK, the conglomerate behind Crime+Investigation, BLAZE, and Cosmo too. Sky History has been available in the UK since 1995.
While both Sky History +1 and Sky History 2 HD have vanished from set-top boxes that rely on satellite dishes — Sky+ HD and Sky Q — both remain up and running on newer hardware, like Sky Glass and Sky Stream.
These newer boxes only require a Wi-Fi connection to stream live television, pause and rewind ongoing broadcasts, and access on-demand content from Sky and streamers like Netflix, Prime Video, Disney+, and Apple TV+.
Sky Q and Sky+ HD boxes can still access Sky History — which airs the same shows as Sky History +1 one hour earlier — and Sky History 2 in Standard Definition. Many of the shows listed above are available to stream anytime on-demand too.
Despite the recent deperatures, Sky Q viewers still enjoy access to over 290 live channels, including exclusive must-see telly like The White Lotus and The Last of Us on Sky Atlantic, and channels such as Sky Max, Sky Comedy, Sky Documentaries and Sky Crime, featuring fan favourites like A League of Their Own and Brassic.
With HBO Max poised to launch in the UK next year, Sky has confirmed that its subscribers will unlock access to this brand-new streamer as part of their existing plan. HBO shows like Euphoria, House of the Dragon, And Just Like That, The White Lotus, Succession, Last Week Tonight with John Oliver will remain available on-demand.
The latest shake-up to Sky+ HD and Sky Q boxes fits a worrying trend for those with a satellite dish, with several high-definition (HD) channels being removed while remaining available on Sky's internet-based services.
Just days ago, U&W and U&Yesterday also ceased broadcasting in HD on Sky satellite services.
Viewers have expressed frustration on Sky's forum, with one commenting that it "seems a backward step to keep SD and close HD channels on satellite."
While Sky Sports Racing SD was positively replaced with its HD version, other channels have done the reverse, keeping inferior SD broadcasts while removing HD options.
These channel removals have sparked concerns among some Sky Q users about the future of the satellite service.
"This is the start of Sky Q's slow lingering death," one user wrote on Sky's forum. Sky Q was released in 2016 and hasn't been updated with new hardware in nine years. According to one expert, it's now extremely unlikely we'll ever see a new satellite dish-powered box from the UK broadcaster.
In recent week, Sky Glass Gen 2 was launched with an improved screen, better sound, and a selection of new colours. Sky has also teased the arrival of a new cheaper Sky Glass Air model to release later this year.
Sky executives insist that Sky Q remains a priority.
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"It's still a great product," said Fraser Stirling, Global Chief Product Officer for Comcast and Sky told The Sun. "Customer satisfaction is really good still and the reason it's good is because we're still invested in it."
Sky signed a contract extension with satellite operator SES last year that runs until 2029, so there's no end in sight for Sky+ HD or Sky Q boxes in the short term.
For now, satellite loyalists can take some comfort that their service remains supported until the end of the decade, even if the vast majority of Sky's time and investment has now shifted to its streaming-based products.
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