Sky TV channels 2024: Best channels and shows

Dan Howdle • September 17th, 2024

In the increasingly crowded subscription TV market place, Sky is still the premier provider of quality channels and programming across all genres.

With the largest channel choice of all the subscription TV providers, and now with an included Netflix subscription, Sky TV is also great value for money. But what can you watch and what do you get? In this guide we'll take an easily digested glance at both channel and programming highlights to give you a flavour of what you can expect.

Sky TV channels overview

You'll get over 150 channels with even the most basic Sky TV subscription. And so has it always been, but things have in many ways changed dramatically over the past several years, not least of all because recently Sky has stopped offering satellite TV altogether (apart from continuing to serve existing customers).

Before we talk about the highlights of Sky TV in more detail, let's take a look first at the raw numbers in terms of what you get. Bear in mind that channel packs like Sports, Cinema and Kids you'll need to pay extra for. But, nevertheless, we think you'll agree even the most basic offering is substantial!

Channels	300+
Type	Streaming (via broadband)
Packages	TV only, TV and broadband
Box	Sky Stream or Sky Glass
Contract	24 months (up to 48 months for Sky Glass)
Prices from	£19 per month

Sky Entertainment channels

We won't be providing you with a full rundown of every channel in this guide. Instead, we'll be giving you a flavour of the best channels and shows you can watch on Sky TV right now. If you want a full rundown of channels on Sky TV, see our Sky Stream channels guide.

Best Sky Entertainment channels

• Sky Atlantic – Sky's flagship channel, famous for airing HBO's most-watched series in the UK, including Succession, House of the Dragon, and Euphoria. Its exclusive access to high-end US dramas makes it one of Sky's most in-demand channels on all of British TV
• Sky Max – Launched in 2021 and replacing Sky One, Sky Max is home to a wide variety of both UK and US shows like A Discovery of Witches, NCIS: Los Angeles, and Never Mind the Buzzcocks. The channel offers a mix of genres, including comedy, documentary, fantasy, and drama
• Sky Witness – Known for top American crime dramas, Sky Witness attracts fans of gripping procedural shows and true crime cramas. It airs popular series such as Law & Order, Blue Bloods, and FBI, making it a must-watch for crime genre enthusiasts

Best Sky Entertainment shows

Likewise, this is not a definitive list of what you can watch on Sky Entertainment channels (obviously), but rather a quick look at the top shows people tune in, or indeed subscribe to the service for. We've coupled that with information about whether the show is still airing, and whether you can watch previous seasons on Sky Box Sets to bring you up to date.

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Sky Music channels

Sky music, thankfully, is a collection of around 13 channels included with your basic Sky Entertainment subscription. It offers a good spread of genres and types of channel that offer back to back videos, or actual music shows and other programming.

Best Sky Music channels

Of those 13 channels, here are our picks of the absolute best. Of course, you'll find plenty of other channels showing back-to-back music, but these channels, in our opinion, are better because they offer quite a lot more.

• MTV Music – Offering a mix of chart-topping hits and iconic music videos, MTV Music is one of Sky's leading music channels, catering to fans of contemporary pop, rock, and hip-hop.
• NOW 80s – Specialising in 80s music, this channel provides nostalgia with classic hits from artists like Madonna, Duran Duran, and A-Ha, making it popular with retro music lovers.
• Kerrang! – The go-to channel for rock and alternative music, Kerrang! delivers a mix of heavy metal, punk, and indie classics, alongside modern rock favourites.

Best Sky Music shows

Our favourite regular music shows are generally the ones that do a little more than roll out back to back random music vids. Here's what we (and apparently you, according to the viewing figures) have been watching the most of recently.

Sky Documentary channels

As well as airing the best documentary exclusives from the likes of HBO and Showtime, Sky has built an enviable reputation for producing its own high-quality documentaries.

Best Sky Documentary channels

There's for sure an all-out winner here: Sky Documentaries (channel name as well as the genre). Because it puts out such a great mix of its own documentaries and documentary series, as well as those of its partners: HBO and showtime. It's not the only game in town, however. Here are our top three:

• Sky Documentaries – A flagship channel that showcases award-winning documentaries and exclusive content from HBO, Showtime, and Sky Originals, covering a wide range of genres from history to sports.
• Sky Crime – A must-watch for true crime enthusiasts, Sky Crime focuses on gripping real-life stories, investigative documentaries, and unsolved mysteries.
• Sky Nature – This channel offers stunning nature documentaries, featuring extraordinary footage of wildlife and natural phenomena from around the globe.

Best Sky Documentary shows

In our opinion the best documentaries Sky TV shows are these one-off gems. If you missed any of them, worry not – most of them are available on Sky Box Sets (Sky's catch-up library), and if they're not they will be at some point, since Sky rotates the content it keeps in the Sky Box Sets library, so that even when a show is gone, it'll be back around soon enough.

Sky Kids channels

Unlike previous groups of channels and shows we've discussed, 'Sky Kids' costs extra. To get the eight additional Sky Kids channels, you'll need to bolt it onto your Sky Entertainment package for an additional £7 per month.

Best Sky Kids channels

Before you ask, yes, Sky Kids is both the name of the Sky TV channel, and the name of the add-on pack you'll need to subscribe to to watch all the other kids channels. And yes, that's definitely more confusing than it needs to be.

• Sky Kids – The flagship Sky Kids channel offers over 10,000 episodes of kids' programming, including Sky Originals like Pip and Posy and Happy Town, which focus on education, adventure, and fun for young viewers
• Nick Jr. – Home to popular shows such as Peppa Pig and PAW Patrol, Nick Jr. is a favourite among younger children, offering educational and entertaining content
• Cartoon Network – Known for animated hits like Teen Titans Go! and The Amazing World of Gumball, Cartoon Network appeals to both younger audiences and older kids

Best Sky Kids shows

With us writers some considerable way over the age where we'd actually sit down and watch any of this stuff we're instead going to refer here to the literal top shows on Sky Kids (both the pack and the channel) right now.

Sky Sports channels

Sky Sports is such a monolith of sporting TV excellence, we're loathe to criticise it. If we did have a small complaint though, it'd have to be that you can't subscribe to individual channels. Maybe you like Premier League, but couldn't give a hoot about F1 or Golf? The result would have to be cheaper, and maybe that's the reason Sky won't do it.

Best Sky Sports channels

This is very much subjective, so we've drawn on Sky's own viewing figures to show you the most popular three channels here instead of whatever our own thoughts on the 'best' happen to be.

• Sky Sports Premier League – The home of English Premier League football, showing over 100 live matches each season, along with expert analysis, commentary, and all the action from one of the world's top football leagues
• Sky Sports F1 – Providing live coverage of all Formula 1 races, Sky Sports F1 is the go-to channel for motorsport enthusiasts, offering in-depth race analysis, driver interviews, and comprehensive event coverage
• Sky Sports Main Event – The channel that hosts the biggest sporting events of the year, including major football, boxing, rugby, and more. It’s where fans go for key matches and competitions from various sports

Best Sky Sports events

Again, it would be nice if we could dip in and only subscribe to Sky Sports F1 (for example), but other than that, there can be no doubting that Sky Sports has you completely covered.

Sky Cinema channels

Sky Cinema is pretty much all you need when it comes to movie streaming. Provided you're prepared to wait a little while, most movies end up there, and apart from exclusives on the part of Disney, Apple and Netflix, you'll get to watch them with a Sky Cinema subscription.

Sky Cinema highlights

Sky sensibly separates its movie channels into discrete categories, defined both by genre and, in the case of Sky Cinema Premiere, by how hot or new the film is. Here is our pick of the top three.

• Sky Cinema Premiere – The go-to channel for the latest blockbuster releases, offering new films shortly after their cinema debut and exclusive Sky Originals.
• Sky Cinema Action – Specialising in high-adrenaline films, from superhero flicks to action-packed thrillers.
• Sky Cinema Family – Perfect for family movie nights, featuring animated favourites and family-friendly hits.

Top Sky Cinema shows

There is a vast wealth of movies to watch on Sky Cinema right now. But at the time of writing, this is our top five.

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Sky Asian channels

Sky is the absolute king of Indian and Asian TV channels and programming. Unlike other subscription services, you get a comprehensive smorgasbord of content for free with your subscription, rather than having to add anything on at extra cost.

Best Sky TV Asian channels

Not all channels are created equal of course. And although Sky's broad offering of Indian and Asian channels is far and away the best of all the major providers, there remain those that sit head and shoulders above the rest. Here is our top picks.

• Zee TV – One of the most popular channels, offering a mix of Hindi dramas, reality shows, and movies. Top shows include Anupamaa and Kundali Bhagya, both of which are popular both in India and among fans worldwide
• Sony Entertainment Television – Known for a range of popular Hindi serials and reality shows, including Kaun Banega Crorepati (India's version of Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?) and Crime Patrol
• Star Plus – One of the largest Hindi entertainment channels, featuring drama series such as Yeh Rishta Kya Kehlata Hai and reality programming like India's Next Superstars

Best Sky TV Asian shows

And here's our pick of the most popular shows you can watch on Sky's Indian and Asian channels.

Sky HD and 4K channels

Since Sky is in the process of doing away with its satellite TV service (Sky Q) to make way for the excellent, internet-only Sky Stream, SD (standard definition) is pretty much a thing of the past. The channel count on Sky Stream is lower than Sky Q, but that's only because the unnecessary +1 and SD channels are no longer included. Everything is in at least HD (1080p) resolution.

Sky HD and 4K highlights

However, not every channel can or does show content in 4K – that ultra-high resolution is still reserved for a select few channels, and indeed requires an additional monthly subscription. But, at least Sky is still putting it where it matters, should you subscribe.

• Sky Sports – Sky Sports offers live coverage of Premier League football, Formula 1, and other major events in 4K Ultra HD, making it a top choice for sports fans who want to experience the action in the highest possible quality
• Sky Cinema – Offering a wide selection of films in 4K, including blockbusters, classics, and new releases, Sky Cinema 4K delivers incredible picture clarity and sound for movie enthusiasts
• Sky Nature – Perfect for nature documentaries, Sky Nature shows stunning wildlife programmes in 4K, with series like A Perfect Planet bringing the natural world to life in vivid detail

Best Sky HD and 4K shows

Here is our pic of the best stuff you can find on Sky in HD and 4K.

Sky TV now comes with a Netflix subscription

With any Sky TV package, you get a Netflix subscription included. This usually gives you access to the Netflix Basic plan (SD quality on 1 screen), but there are ways to upgrade for better quality and more screens. Here’s how it works.

How it works

Your Netflix subscription will be billed directly through Sky. If you already have a Netflix account, you can link it to your Sky plan, and Netflix will stop billing you directly. You can use your Netflix subscription on any compatible device, and you aren’t restricted to using it through your Sky box.

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