List of channels on Sky (UK & Ireland)

Sky is the brand name for BSkyB's digital satellite television service platform, transmitted from the Astra satellites located at 28.2° East and Eutelsat satellites at 28.5° East. The service is in the main available through subscription packages with additional pay-per-view channels. Sky also provide a 'Freesat-from-Sky' option (not to be confused with Freesat) for a one off payment which has the free-to-air channels plus a small number of free-to-view ones (which require a Sky viewing card).

This list details the current channels available on Sky in the United Kingdom and Ireland. It also includes those that are coming in the future. There are currently around 700 television and radio channels available on the Sky platform. Some channels are not available in all regions. Subscription HD channels also require the Entertainment Extra+ Pack in the United Kingdom and the appropriate pack (e.g. Entertainment or Entertainment Extra) in Ireland.

HD Swap
In genres with HD channels, channel numbers sometimes differ depending on whether you are an HD subscriber or not. HD subscribers will find that most HD channels are "HD swapped" with the standard definition counterpart, meaning that the HD version of the channel has greater prominence in the EPG. Where an HD swap applies, the channel numbers in the tables below have been shaded either yellow or orange.

In most cases the HD swap applies across the whole of the United Kingdom and/or the Republic of Ireland - in such cases the relevant channel number boxes are shaded yellow. Where a channel is on the EPG in a limited area of the United Kingdom and is is HD swapped there, the United Kingdom channel number boxes are also shaded yellow e.g. UTV/UTV HD & RTE Two/RTE Two HD.

In a small number of cases (relating to BBC One and BBC Two), the HD swap is not applied across the whole of the United Kingdom - the United Kingdom channel number boxes are therefore shaded orange and an explanation is included in the Regions column about which region(s) are swapped. In the case of BBC One and BBC Two In the Republic of Ireland, the channels that are swapped are not simulcasts - these are shaded orange rather than yellow (see the Regional/Audio Description table for full details).

Entertainment
Footnotes to Entertainment table


 * E1 - Free-to-air in United Kingdom but defined in Republic of Ireland as a Bonus Pack channel.


 * E2 & E2a - 23 standard definition Entertainment channels (footnote E2 or E2a) have a different version of the channel which has Irish adverts for Irish viewers (the HD equivalents of these channels, where they exist, have United Kingdom adverts in both countries). In cases marked footnote E2a, the HD swap does not therefore take place in the Republic of Ireland.


 * E3 - All regions manually tuneable outside relevant region - see Regional/Audio Description section below.


 * E4 - The Republic of Ireland versions of these channels are encrypted, but in the United Kingdom can be manually tuned in.


 * E5 - Free-to-air on Freeview but not on Sky.


 * E6 - 1 hour timeshift service.

Lifestyle and Culture
Footnotes to Lifestyle & Culture table


 * L1 - 1 hour timeshift service.


 * L2 - Free-to-air on Freeview but not on Sky.

Movies
Footnotes to Movies table


 * M1 - 1 hour timeshift service.

Music
Footnotes to Music table
 * M1 - A separate version of this channel exists showing Irish adverts for viewers in the Republic of Ireland.

Sports
Footnotes to Sports table


 * S1 - A different version of these channels also exists on these numbers for pubs.


 * S2 - These channels have Irish adverts for viewers in the Republic of Ireland.


 * S3 - Included with Entertainment Extra Pack, otherwise Sports Pack.


 * S4 - Included with Entertainment Extra+ Pack, otherwise Sports Pack.

News
Footnotes for News table


 * N1 - Channel has United Kingdom adverts for United Kingdom viewers but Irish adverts for viewers in the Republic of Ireland.

Documentaries
Footnotes to Documentaries table


 * D1 - Standard definiiton verion has United Kingdom adverts for viewers in the United Kingdom but Irish adverts for viewers in the Republic of Ireland. The HD swap does not take place in the Republic of Ireland.


 * D2 - 1 hour timeshift service.


 * D3 - Free-to-air on Freeview but not on Sky.

Kids
Footnotes for Kids table


 * K1 & K1a - 4 standard definition Kids channels have different versions of the channel that have Irish adverts for viewers in the Republic of Ireland. In cases marked K1a, the HD swap does not therefore take place in the Republic of Ireland.


 * K2 - 1 hour timeshift service.


 * K3 - Free-to-air but is defined in Republic of Ireland as a Bonus Pack channel.

Box Office
Apart from 700, these channels are available only to households

Adult
All disabled on child-friendly EPG. Some premium adult channels have free-to-air previews before encryption.

Footnotes to Adult table


 * A1 - Available with the Adult Pack, otherwise each channel available separately pay-per-view.
 * A2 - Available with the Premier or Xcellence Pack.
 * A3 - Available with the Xcellence Pack or the Red Hot Monthly Pack, otherwise each Red Hot channel separate pay-per-view.

Regional/Audio Description
This table provides a full list of all regional variations of BBC One, BBC Two, ITV, ITV +1, Channel 4, Channel 4 +1 and Channel 5 (including HD versions) available on satellite and shows where they are listed in the EPG. You will receive the version relevant for your region between 101 and 215 on the EPG (sometimes these are HD swapped - see below). Some of these channels are also available in the regional section (951 to 979).

In most cases regional versions can be manually tuned in. If there is any part of the United Kingdom or Republic of Ireland where a regional version is not on the EPG the tuning details are shown. In a small number of cases, e.g. BBC Two HD, the tuning details do not need to be shown as the channel is on the EPG in all areas.

Each BBC One region shown below is available on 101 or 141 in the relevant geographic region and that region is not available from EPG 951 to 968 (so, for example, BBC One London is on 101 in London so 954 is not listed on the EPG in London). Similarly, each BBC One HD region shown below is available on 101 or 141 in the United Kingdom in the relevant geographic region and that region is not available from EPG 976 to 979. Similarly each BBC Two nation shown below is available in the United Kingdom on either 102 or 142 in the relevant geographic region and that nation is therefore omitted between 969 and 972.

The regional variations of ITV/STV/UTV are on the EPG in the United Kingdom on 103 (or 178 in the case of UTV where it is HD swapped) in the relevant region. ITV +1 is in on EPG 131 in the relevant region of the United Kingdom. However, most regions (some ITV HD channels excepted) can also be manually tuned outside the region as shown in this table.

Details about HD swaps that apply to BBC One, BBC Two and UTV are shown. HD swaps are shaded yellow where the swap involves a simulcast of the SD and HD versions; or orange where the two versions are not simulcasts. For example, in the Republic of Ireland the BBC One and BBC Two swaps are with English versions of BBC One HD and BBC Two HD so these are shaded orange.

The following regional variations that broadcast on other platforms in the United Kingdom are not available on satellite: STV (North Tayside); ITV Border (Scotland); STV (Central West) HD; STV +1 (North); and UTV +1.

Notes to Regional/audio description section


 * R1 - Not manually tuneable with standard Freesat/Sky boxes but manually tuneable across United Kingdom & Republic of Ireland with specialist tuners.


 * R2 - On EPG in all United Kingdom regions except London.


 * R3 - Only difference between regions shown for Channel 4, Channel 4 +1 and Channel 5 is the advertisements.


 * R4 - 1 hour timeshift service.

Radio
All radio stations are 'Free-to-air'.

2014 EPG changes - launches, removals and moves
2013 changes to Sky platform

Currently testing or broadcasting off EPG
* not viewable with standard Sky box

Future EPG changes
March 2014
 * 31st - London Live (London) - 117

April 2014
 * 1st - Nick Jr. 2 will be temporarily rebranded as Nick Jr. Peppa - 620
 * 1st/2nd - STV HD (Scotland) - 178

May 2014
 * Irish TV - 191

Spring 2014
 * Made in Leeds (Leeds) - 117
 * Made in Bristol (Bristol) - 117

Between April & June 2014
 * Veria Living

July 2014
 * EPG 'reshuffle' in entertainment, lifestyle, religion, kids, shopping, international genres

Autumn 2014
 * Lifestyle genre merged into entertainment

2014
 * RTÉ One HD (Republic of Ireland (& Northern Ireland?))
 * ITV Encore (United Kingdom)
 * ITVBe (United Kingdom)

January 2015
 * UTV Ireland (Republic of Ireland)

Autumn 2015
 * BBC One +1 & BBC One +1 HD - to replace BBC Three & BBC Three HD, subject to BBC Trust approval

Dates to be confirmed
 * RTÉ Ireland (United Kingdom)
 * BBC One HD English regions (United Kingdom)
 * BBC Two HD nations (United Kingdom)
 * Al Jazeera English HD - 514 (HD swap)

Notes
 * Region of launch shown in brackets. Scheduled for launch in whole of United Kingdom and Republic of Ireland if no region shown.


 * A number of local TV channels have started launching on Freeview. They will be added to the forthcoming channels list above if and when a launch on Sky is announced.


 * A list of future launches of local tv channels and further details about the above changes (including links to web articles in most cases) is set out at Forthcoming changes to digital platforms (UK & Ireland).