TV viewers say 'end of an era' as beloved Sky channel axed after 16 years
Sky TV will be axing the beloved channel from all platforms tomorrow after already removing it from Freeview last year. The channel has been on air since 2008
Sky is set to shake up its channel offerings as POP Max will be removed from all Sky platforms starting Tuesday, April 22.
The broadcaster previously carried POP Max and POP Max +1 on Sky Q and Sky+HD, as well as POP Max HD on Sky Glass and Sky Stream.
The channel had already vanished from Freeview last year. Originally launched in 2008 as Kix, the channel underwent a rebranding to POP in 2017.
Sky broke the news on its website, noting that while other POP-branded channels will stay, some will change positions due to the closures. On satellite, Tiny POP will move from 618 to 615, Tiny POP+1 from 629 to 619, and POP+1 from 619 to 618.
The announcement left viewers gobsmacked. "End of an era with Kix and Pop Max," lamented one fan on YouTube."Can't say I'm surprised though. Taking it off Freeview back in December was the final nail in the coffin." Another simply stated: "Didn't see that coming," reports the Express.
POP Max is known for airing animated hits like Miraculous: Tales of Ladybug and Cat Noir, Pokémon Ultimate Journeys: The Series, and Droners.
This marks another disappointment for TV enthusiasts following a series of channel discontinuations. In February, Sky TV and Virgin Media customers were stripped of Eurosport services as Warner Bros Discovery shifted content to TNT Sports and Discovery+ platforms.
Sky isn't alone in cutting channels; ITV has also recently withdrawn several popular channels from the airwaves.
In September 2023, ITV's children's channel CITV stopped broadcasting, with their kids' content shifting to the digital-only streamed channel ITVX Kids on the ITVX app.
On April 16 this year, ITV announced further reductions, including the closure of ITVBe, which was home to much of the broadcaster's reality content.
The channel, which only launched in 2014 and aired shows such as The Only Way Is Essex and The Real Housewives of Cheshire, will broadcast for the last time in June after just over a decade on air.
Its shows will now transition to ITV2, which will premiere the new series of TOWIE in the autumn.
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