Sky UK to Resuscitate Once Popular Sky One TV Channel on 24th February 2026
Sky (Sky Broadband, Sky TV etc.) has this morning announced that they’re bringing back the once popular Sky One channel to their Pay TV platform, which was the oldest non-terrestrial TV channel in the UK until Sky retired it in 2021 as part of a key branding and channel shake-up of their Electronic Program Guide (EPG).
In case anybody has forgotten, Sky One used to be home to some of Sky’s most popular TV shows and originals, although in the years leading up to its demise it became ever more diluted as Sky increasingly split their content across an ever-increasing array of other premium channels (e.g. Sky Atlantic, Sky Showcase etc.). Until eventually Sky One itself was retired in September 2021.
Since then, Sky has increasingly moved away from satellite-based TV provision to focus more on broadband-based disruption via their Sky Glass and Sky Stream platforms, although they continue to face growing competition from rival streaming providers and now appear to be looking to the past for inspiration.
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Sky has thus announced that Sky One is to return to its channel 106 position on 24th February 2026. The channel is to play host to new shows, such as “The Dyers’ Caravan Park” and “Gemma Collins: Four Weddings and a Baby”, as well as “Rob & Romesh Vs..”, “The Paper” and “Ted”. Sky One will also host comedy show Saturday Night Live UK (SNL UK), launching “later this year“.
Carli Kerr, MD of Sky TV & NOW TV, said:
“Our goal is to make it easier than ever for Sky TV customers to find and enjoy the shows they love. Building on the iconic heritage of Sky One, the channel will be a one-of-a-kind destination that’s big, bold and bursting with energy.”
The return of Sky One replaces Sky Showcase and Sky Max, although Sky Atlantic, Sky Comedy, Sky Witness, Sky Crime, Sky Nature and Sky Documentaries will remain separate. Sky One will be available for Sky Ultimate TV, Sky Signature and Sky+ customers.
Changes to channel numbering are as follows:
➤ For Sky Q: Sky Comedy moves to channel 113, Sky Documentaries moves to channel 114, Sky Crime moves to channel 121, Sky Arts moves to channel 122, Challenge moves to 130, and Sky Sci-Fi moves to channel 145
➤ For Glass and Stream: Sky Comedy moves to channel 109, Sky Documentaries moves to channel 110, Sky Crime moves to channel 111, Sky Arts moves to channel 112, Challenge moves to channel 116, and Sky Sci-Fi moves to channel 114.
Mark is a professional technology writer, IT consultant and computer engineer from Dorset (England), he also founded ISPreview in 1999 and enjoys analysing the latest telecoms and broadband developments. Find me on X (Twitter), Mastodon, Facebook, BlueSky, Threads.net and Linkedin.
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Max and Showcase already show pretty much the exact same programmes so makes sense to merge if they don’t have enough content to fill two channels.
> Sky One will be available for Sky Ultimate TV, Sky Signature and Sky+ customers.
Presumably also on NOW TV’s Entertainment package.
Good idea. I never understood the difference between Max and Showcase but always knew that their premium output was on Sky One or Sky Atlantic. It became a bit confusing
The titles of what they are going to put on it sounds fascinating. Four Weddings and a baby, what on earth is that about?
i think I will give it a miss, sound like it will be rubbish like most of the stuff on TV these days to be honest
Yay, let’s bring back a channel that nobody wants and fill it with —-, how about sticking talking pictures TV on sky stream like everyone asked for.
I think sky is steadily getting worse and prices are getting dearer they have reduced the music channels got rid of TCM and true movies and replaced with rubbish channels like great I never watched sky one anyway so I never missed that there are no channels for females to watch my wife liked watching true movies once my contract is up I will cancel sky as it’s just not worth what they charge and it just gets dearer I can understand why people I using these firesticks it save them a fortune sky need to take a long look at their prices and channel list they need to give value for money something which they are not getting at the moment it’s all down to greed
And yet people still seem to spend silly amounts on it per month. The problem is, if they want to watch sport they have little choice, certainly with that sport that people kick ball around a field until someone gets it between two posts. I like f1, but I would not pay the amount Sky wants for it, I stopped watching it when it went to Sky.
I know people that pay £60 a month and that is just for the TV, not including their broadband, and they are stuck with that for 24 months. Crazy
The sad thing is, some of these people who spend that are the ones complaining they find it difficult to pay for bills.
I think this is the correct move.
I also think we need to do the same to Main Event on sky sports.
Also given stream etc has much more capacity – they really out to start at leats making some of the other sports in 4K. no reason also why Sky One, Sky Premier can’t be a UHD channel either.