NBCUniversal is closing its E! channel in the UK and Ireland over the holidays, meaning one fewer channel on Sky and Virgin Media in 2024.
- The home of US reality shows has gradually been wound down over the last few years, missing out on many new shows.
- Streaming service Hayu is NBCUniversal’s replacement, but isn’t automatically available on all platforms where E! was available.
As the UK and Ireland moves into 2024, E! will be shutting up shop on both Sky and Virgin Media. The home of what might be described as ‘guilty pleasure’ reality TV, the channel goes off air with a a marathon of episodes of reality show Keeping Up with the Kardashians.
In 2024, viewers seeking this and many other reality shows will need to switch to NBCUniversal’s streaming service Hayu.
The Hayu app was rolled out on Sky Stream and Sky Glass in November. But for E! viewers on Sky Q and Virgin Media, the transition is more complicated.
Hayu is due to launch on Sky Q shortly – the latest update was ‘early in 2024’, which will result in a gap between E! closing and Hayu launching. Virgin Media used to offer Hayu on some devices, but the service came off in 2020.
However, Hayu is available on most streaming devices. And instead of accessing Hayu through your Sky satellite or Virgin Media cable TV receiver, you might even have access to its via your smart TV.
▶ Availability E! versus Hayu
| Platform | E! | Hayu |
|---|---|---|
| Sky Stream/Sky Glass | ✅^ | ✅ |
| Sky Q | ✅^ | ❌ coming soon |
| Virgin Media | ✅^ | ❌ |
| Amazon Channels | ❌ | ✅* |
| Amazon Fire TV | ❌ | ✅ |
| Android & Android TV | ❌ | ✅ |
| Apple iOS and Apple TV | ❌ | ✅ |
| Chromecast | ❌ | ✅ |
| Hisense | ❌ | ✅ |
| LG | ❌ | ✅ |
| NOW | ❌ | ✅ |
| ROKU | ❌ | ✅ |
| Samsung | ❌ | ✅ |
| Vestel | ❌ | ✅ |
| Xbox | ❌ | ✅ |
| YouTube Primetime Channels | ❌ | ✅* |
How much does Hayu cost?
Unlike E!, Hayu isn’t part of your current TV subscription.
Hayu’s standard pricing is £4.99 a month (€5.99 in Ireland). You’ll benefit from a discount if you subscribe for a longer period of time.
But for the extra cost, subscribers will get access to much bigger library of on-demand content than E!
That’s because many new reality shows, including new episodes of the Real Housewives franchise have gone straight to Hayu, while E! has been gradually wound down, only showing a small selection of older shows.