Blow to Sky viewers as beloved TV feature vanishes – as devastated telly fans brand change ‘hostile'
SKY customers were left astonished after a beloved TV feature vanished in a huge blow to the viewer's experience.
The company's decision to remove the feature will impact the user experience going forward.
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The beauty of a TV guide is soon to be a thing of the past for Sky viewers, after the section on the website has been removed.
Change to the Sky user experience
Viewers started noticing a change to the website on June 18, when the usually obvious and simple to use TV guide, no longer appeared on the website.
What's more, others realised that after using their pre-saved link to the page, automatically redirected to a different landing page.
As a result, viewers are no longer able to see what is upcoming in Sky's programming schedule.
For many, the website TV Guide or EPG (Electronic Programme Guide) was a useful feature for viewers wanting to plan what they watched without impacting their TV-watching experience or needlessly turning their tele on.
Days of frustration ensued, with countless messages in community chats, the viewers questioning went unanswered.
Finally, on June 20, a Sky community manager explained to the disgruntled viewers the reason behind the decision.
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He said: "We want to confirm that the TV guide feature has been discontinued.
"We understand this may be an inconvenience, you can find alternative ways to browse and discover content via your Sky Box, Sky Stream, Sky Glass, Sky Go and other parts of the website."
Viewers deem it a hostile change
But at what first felt like a user error or a website issue, Sky viewers are now left befuddled by the decision to remove the feature.
Members of the Sky Community were quick to share their thoughts, with one user writing: "Who's stupid idea was it to get rid of the TV guide? WE WANT IT BACK!"
Another said: "Was the online EPG hurting anyone or getting in the way? No, it wasn't.
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"Was it a useful tool used by many on a daily basis? Yes, it was. Quite literally one of the stupidest decisions made by Sky in recent years."
A third shared their frustration: "Not a great move, especially when it feels super hostile to those who still watch linear TV."
It is a sentiment shared by long-standing Sky viewers, who had become accustomed to using the feature to enhance their watching experience.
Big change at Sky
The removal of the website EPG is just one in a long line of changes that viewers have had to deal with in a massive TV guide shake-up.
Sky recently decided to permanently close down two beloved TV channels, with viewers only given until July 1 to come to terms with the change.
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It follows the addition of eight new live channels to Sky's service, as well as a series of name changes to major channels and the move of 31 channels in April.
The removal of the website EPG, therefore, only adds to the confusion felt by viewers who can no longer use the feature to discover the new programming released by the provider.
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