MILLIONS of Sky Sports viewers are being urged to check their TV guides today as a major reshuffle hits the channel line-up.
The shake-up hits customers across the UK and Ireland from today, July 28, with rebrands, renames and major channel moves across Sky’s satellite, Glass and Stream services.
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Sky has confirmed that Sky Sports The Lions (Satellite 408/865 – Sky Glass/Stream 408) will revert to its original name, Sky Sports Action/Sky Sports Action HD, after a temporary rebrand.
Sky 2025 Recap (Satellite 302 – Sky Glass/Stream 302) will also be temporarily renamed Favourites HD.
Meanwhile, a wide reshuffle of the Electronic Programme Guide (EPG) will see many popular channels move to new positions. In the UK on satellite, Sky Sports+ HD is moving from 412 to 404.
The broadcaster routinely makes changes to its channel line-up, particularly to reflect seasonal sports coverage or temporary promotions.
Earlier this year, Sky Fantasy was reverted back to Sky Family (Satellite 306/850 – Sky Glass/Stream 306) after a seasonal rebrand.
Sky Hits HD (Satellite 303 – Sky Glass/Stream 303) was renamed Sky Originals HD, and Sky Superheroes (Satellite 302 – Sky Glass/Stream 302) switched to Sky 5* Movies HD.
In previous reshuffles, several fan favourites have also disappeared completely.
Eurosport channels were removed as their content merged with TNT Sports. Pop Max, a children’s channel, and Sky History +1 have also been axed.
Fans were left disappointed when ITVBe was dropped in June, although many of its popular reality shows have since moved to a new home.
Virgin Media recently axed several of its legacy music and entertainment channels as it prioritises on-demand content.
Customers were surprised when Virgin’s Comedy Central Extra and MTV Base were quietly removed from the line-up.
Freeview has also caused frustration after dropping BBC News HD in some regions, and reducing coverage of channels like Forces TV and PBS America.
ITV made waves when it merged its standalone channels like CITV into its new streaming service ITVX, effectively removing the long-standing kids’ channel from live schedules.
Viewers are now being urged to recheck their guides to avoid missing any major sporting events or live matches.
More channel closures ‘inevitable’
An industry expert told The Sun that more channel closures are likely in 2025 and beyond.
“This is inevitable, more broadcasters will cull broadcast/linear TV channels as viewers are flocking to streaming services,” Paolo Pescatore from PP Foresight said.
“The big TV switch off is around the corner, with all programming set to be delivered via the internet.
“Viewers are now spoilt for choice with how and where they watch the TV shows they love across a range of connected devices.
“To respond, broadcasters need to be prepared and work more closely with telecom providers to ensure a seamless experience for users.”
Image credit: Getty
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