Latest news with #TVguide
The Sun
5 days ago
- Business
- The Sun
Millions of Sky and Virgin customers warned of four TV changes coming to screens ahead of major channel closure
SKY and Virgin customers should expect a number of changes coming to the TV guide this week - right before a major channel closure happening next month. The line-up is routinely overhauled to make way for closures, new arrivals, as well as rebrands. 1 Sky Q boxes in particular have already received some big switches this week. On Tuesday, more than 30 radio stations were shifted around on the TV guide for the first time in years. Later this week, there are yet more changes on the way for some Sky and Virgin viewers, depending on your subscription. And early next month there's a channel closure that will impact all platforms. This week's changes take place on Friday and affect Sky Cinema. Sky Cinema regularly changes up the channel names to reflect special themes and events. From Friday, there are four to watch out for. Sky Cinema Hits, Sky Cinema Action, Sky Cinema Drama and Sky Cinema 80s will all disappear temporarily. They'll be replaced by Sky Cinema Blockbusters, Sky Cinema Karate Kid, Sky Cinema Pride and Sky Cinema Romance respectively. For those who need a reminder of the channel numbers, they are as follows: Sky Cinema Blockbusters - Sky 303 / Virgin 403 Sky Cinema Karate Kid - Sky 307 / Virgin 407 Sky Cinema Pride - Sky 310 / Virgin 410 Sky Cinema Romance - Sky 302 / Virgin 402 The 1% Club players stumped on tricky maths question as 13 players pass - but could you have got it right- Channel closure Early in June a channel will sadly close after more than 10 years on air. Fortunately, a replacement has been lined up already. Reality TV destination ITVBe is disappearing from every platform, including Sky and Virgin, as well as Freeview, Freesat and Freely too. The biggest ITVBe shows, like TOWIE, will move to ITV2. Meanwhile, ITV is filling the vacant slot with a new channel called ITV Quiz. ITV shows a number of popular game shows such as The Chase, Tipping Point, Who Wants To Be A Millionaire?, The 1% Club and Deal or No Deal - though it's not clear which will appear on ITV Quiz. ITV has confirmed to The Sun that ITVBe will close and be replaced by ITV Quiz on June 9. 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
The Sun
18-05-2025
- Entertainment
- The Sun
Sky reveals six surprise TV guide changes due in days as major channels rebrand following closures
SKY is making more surprise changes to its TV guide – with six big updates landing in just a few days. It's the latest shake-up to hit viewers this year, with familiar channels getting new names or temporary themes as part of ongoing rebrands. 2 From Monday, customers across the UK will notice some fresh new titles appearing in their Sky TV listings. The changes will affect users on Sky+, Sky Q and the newer Sky Glass and Stream platforms. The rebrands are mostly part of Sky's regular themed pop-up strategy, which sees movie channels temporarily switching names to spotlight certain actors, franchises or genres. One of the first big switches will see Sky Mega Hits return to its old title of Sky Hits HD. That means fans can expect the usual line-up of mainstream blockbusters and all-time favourites. Meanwhile, Sky Mission Impossible, which only arrived a few days earlier as a tribute to Tom Cruise's spy series, will make way for Sky 80s HD. This channel will be packed with cult classics and nostalgic hits from the neon decade. The changes aren't just limited to films either. On Wednesday 21 May, two music channels are getting seasonal makeovers. That's Oldies will rebrand as That's Summer, likely serving up sunshine tunes and feel-good throwbacks for the warmer months. At the same time, That's Dance will become That's Pride, expected to feature LGBTQ + anthems and content in the lead-up to Pride Month. Sky will continue the refresh on Friday 23 May, when family-friendly channel Sky Family is swapped out for Sky Fairytale. As the name suggests, this version of the channel is expected to focus on magical movies, fairytale favourites, and fantasy fun for all ages. Then, just one day later on Saturday 24 May, Sky Cinema Action will once again rebrand – this time to Sky M:I, dedicated solely to the Mission: Impossible franchise. Tom Cruise fans won't have long to wait between themed channels, with his biggest hits still taking centre stage across the schedule. These channel switches come at a time of big changes in the TV world. Earlier this year, Sky and Virgin Media users saw several long-standing channels close down completely. Eurosport, Pop Max, and Sky History+1 have all disappeared from screens. Much of Eurosport's content has been folded into TNT Sports, while Pop Max now lives online, and the closure of Sky History+1 is seen as a response to declining demand for time-shift channels thanks to on-demand viewing. So far, no new channel closures have been announced, but experts believe more are likely to come as streaming services continue to reshape traditional TV habits. With Sky regularly adjusting its line-up, customers are being encouraged to keep an eye on their guides for the latest updates. The channel changes taking place from 19 May are expected to last for several days or weeks, depending on the theme. Sky has not confirmed how long the temporary names will stick around, but viewers can usually expect them to run through short promotions, film seasons, or event tie-ins. Whether you're into action, nostalgia, or musical throwbacks, there's something for everyone in this latest update. But don't be surprised if your favourite Sky channel suddenly looks a little different next time you turn on the telly. This is just the start - more changes ahead Analysis by Jamie Harris, Assistant Technology and Science Editor at The Sun Broadcasting is going through an almighty shift at the moment with the push toward streaming at a key point. Eurosport and TNT Sports owner Warner Bros Discovery is making some big changes next year. And it's likely Discovery+ will disappear as a result. The UK is one of the few big markets where Max hasn't launched yet because of existing agreements with Sky, allowing Sky Atlantic to air big HBO-made hits like Game of Thrones and The White Lotus. But the pair recently announced a new deal that will pave the way for Max's launch in the UK early 2026 as a standalone app, while Sky customers will get access at no extra cost. So expect even bigger changes in the TV and streaming world next year. 2
The Sun
09-05-2025
- Entertainment
- The Sun
Sky and Virgin customers warned of three new channel changes coming in days following major closures
SKY and Virgin viewers may notice a flurry of channel changes next week in the latest TV guide shake-up. The move follows a number of big closures since the start of the year. 2 2 Big names including Eurosport, kids channel Pop Max and Sky History+1 have all disappeared from screens as traditional broadcasters feel the effects of streaming. Much of Eurosport's content has been merged with TNT Sports. Meanwhile Pop Max 's shows continue online. And Sky History+1's closure comes amid reduced demand for hour timeshift channels, with on-demand catch up filling its space. To the relief of viewers, there aren't currently any new channel closures lined up. Though experts have warned more are likely to follow. This week's latest changes for Sky and Virgin customers will only affect those who subscribe to Sky Cinema. The premium movie channels regularly have mini revamps to reflect special events or themes. Monday will see the first big change take place, with Sky Cinema Star Trek disappearing. It will switch over to being Sky Cinema Tom Cruise, showing many of the actor's greatest big screen hits. Sky expert reveals seven hidden tricks to boost your TV instantly Then, later in the week on Friday we say farewell to Sky Cinema Greats once again. It'll become Sky Cinema Cult Classics temporarily. Finally, on Saturday the Sky Cinema Tom Cruise channel will bow out. But what replaces it won't be too dissimilar with Sky Cinema M:I showing all the Mission: Impossible movies. Here's the full list of changes coming next week to be aware of: May 12: Sky Cinema Star Trek becomes Sky Cinema Tom Cruise - Sky channel 302 / Virgin channel 402. May 16: Sky Cinema Greats becomes Sky Cinema Cult Classics - Sky channel 304 / Virgin channel 404. May 17: Sky Cinema Tom Cruise becomes Sky Cinema M:I - Sky channel 302 / Virgin channel 402. This is just the start - more changes ahead Analysis by Jamie Harris, Assistant Technology and Science Editor at The Sun Broadcasting is going through an almighty shift at the moment with the push toward streaming at a key point. Eurosport and TNT Sports owner Warner Bros Discovery is making some big changes next year. And it's likely Discovery+ will disappear as a result. The streaming service has closed in several countries already to make way for a replacement, Max, bringing HBO and Discovery content under one roof. The UK is one of the few big markets where Max hasn't launched yet because of existing agreements with Sky, allowing Sky Atlantic to air big HBO-made hits like Game of Thrones and The White Lotus. But the pair recently announced a new deal that will pave the way for Max's launch in the UK early 2026 as a standalone app, while Sky customers will get access at no extra cost. So expect even bigger changes in the TV and streaming world next year.
The Sun
08-05-2025
- Entertainment
- The Sun
Freeview successor makes huge TV guide change for MILLIONS of Brits with premium perk – days after adding 16 channels
FREEVIEW'S fresh successor has unveiled a number of big changes coming to screens just weeks after announcing a bunch of new channels. Freely has not long added 16 bonus channels dedicated to Britain's favourite shows, including The Chase, 5 Dogs Behaving (Very) Badly and 4Homes. The platform is made by the same company as Freeview, Everyone TV, which is a joint project by the BBC, ITV, Channel 4 and 5. Freely beams channels into the living room via Wi-Fi instead of an aerial, opening up the possibility of more channels than Freeview could ever handle. For the moment, it uses hybrid tech, meaning viewers get channels via Wi-Fi first and can still plug in an aerial for any other Freeview channels not currently available to stream. The service is vying to be a free alternative to Sky Glass, the premium firm's own internet-streamed TV offering that's been around for a few years now. In the latest update to Freely, viewers will discover a number of handy new features to help them find their favourite shows even faster. The biggest of them all is the backwards TV guide. This allows people to scroll back on the TV guide screen and instantly see what's been on recently, with a quick link directly to a catch up stream if one is available. You can scroll back a full seven days. Additionally, the Never Miss feature will highlight what's coming up, on now, and what's just missed, alongside the biggest and best shows available on demand. And My List will let you save up to 50 of your favourite shows from the UK's biggest free-to-air broadcasters all in one place so you can keep track of them. "We know viewers love watching live TV and catching up with their favourite programmes soon after broadcast, so we've made it even easier," said Sarah Milton, Co-Chief Product Officer at Freely. 'Our new features—Backwards TV Guide, Never Miss, and My List—make finding, saving, and jumping back into great content effortless, whether live or on demand. "Freely keeps evolving, offering premium features for free that other streaming platforms don't have. "And now with Freely becoming available on a wider range of new smart TVs, even more households will be able to enjoy this enhanced free streaming experience." The announcement comes as Freely reveals that it's signed deals with more tech giants to make the service available on more TVs. Freely is currently only available on selected new TVs you buy. The platform will now made available on 2025 Philips TVs and JVC models that run the Titan OS.
