The number of linear channels on what was once the biggest platform for TV channels in the UK continues to decline, as more broadcasters launch or switch to streaming-only services or exit the market altogether.
⬇️Main Points
Over 20 channels drop off Sky satellite, with more to come this week.
Some HD channels have closed, incentivising viewers to move to Sky Stream for better picture quality
Decline in services covered by Sky subscription, without reduction in cost
On Sky Stream, traditional channels losses are offset by growth of streaming-only linear channels.
A smaller number of linear channels have closed or are set to close on Sky satellite in 2025, with under 30 closing this year, compared to over 70 in 2024.
But Sky’s streaming customers have benefitted from a new trend, which may prove linear TV isn’t dead yet.
What’s behind the closures?
Most of this year’s losses stem from broadcasters shifting to streaming‑only distribution or consolidating their channel portfolios. That reflects the well-known shift to streaming and broadcasters seeking to cut costs.
The year began with BritAsia moving exclusively online. Then in February, Eurosport closed down in the UK and Ireland. Although some of its programming transferred to TNT Sports, the number of TNT channels did not increase. That meant that some content is exclusive to Discovery+. In October, India‑based news channel WION also withdrew from Sky to focus on streaming.
Sky made its own cuts, closing Sky Replay in October. More controversially, 2025 marked the first signs of HD channels being withdrawn from satellite—despite the industry’s long‑running push towards high‑definition broadcasting. While most closures in 2024 involved standard‑definition services, this year’s changes leave some satellite viewers with SD‑only versions of affected channels. All HD variants remain available on Sky Glass and Sky Stream.
Similar moves have already taken place on other European pay‑TV platforms. With operators under pressure to reduce satellite transmission costs, removing HD channels is increasingly being used as a lever to encourage customers to migrate to streaming. That offers little reassurance to households in areas where broadband speeds or latency remain inadequate.
Subscribers hoping that a shrinking channel line‑up might lead to lower bills will be disappointed: Sky prices are set to rise again in the new year.
Still to come: more closures…
As the year draws to a close, MTV’s remaining music channels are shutting down across the UK and Europe as Paramount scales back its linear footprint. Traditional music TV has been hit hard by the rise of personalised streaming services, though new linear music channels continue to emerge on streaming platforms like Samsung TV Plus.
The closures continue into the early hours of 1 January, when Narrative Entertainment will end the satellite copy of Pop and Tiny Pop. For context: In the last few years, the company has operated dual versions of both channels – one for traditional broadcast platforms and another for streaming‑only services. The streaming versions will continue into 2026, though not on Sky Stream; instead, they remain available on connected Freeview TVs via channels 205 and 206, as well as on Pluto TV, Rakuten TV and Samsung TV Plus.
Streaming-only channels on the rise
Despite the disruption, Sky Stream’s overall channel count has grown during 2025. Several previously satellite‑only services, including ARY Digital and New Vision, have joined the platform. In July, Sky added a batch of streaming‑only channels (known in the industry as FAST or free, ad-supported streaming TV channels), further expanding the line‑up.
Among the joiners: NBC News Now, previously listed on the platform when it was also carried on satellite and cable.
Streaming-only linear channels start from channel 1001 on Sky Stream and Sky Glass.
Away from streaming-only services, there was one surprise U-turn in 2025, when Disney Jr returned to Sky. Disney had previously closed down all of its linear TV channels.
More upheaval to come…
By Easter, subscribers face more upheaval as HBO Max launches, stripping away a lot of new content from Sky’s existing channels. Sky is expected to refresh its own portfolio in response to the change. Before then, TLC switches from pay to free TV, but will continue to feature on Sky’s channel list.
The outcome of the wrangle over Warner Bros Discovery may yet change things again for subscribers. Depending on who wins, Netflix or Paramount could gain greater dominance over Sky and its owner Comcast.
Overview: What’s left Sky satellite in 2025?
- Brit Asia
- Club MTV (closing 06:00 31/12/2025)
- Eurosport 1 HD
- Eurosport 1 SD
- Eurosport 2 HD
- Eurosport 2 SD
- Gems TV (Gemporia) SD
- India Today
- MTV 80s (closing 06:00 31/12/2025)
- MTV 90s (closing 06:00 31/12/2025)
- MTV Music (closing 06:00 31/12/2025)
- Music India
- Pop Max
- Pop Max+1
- Ramazan TV HD
- Sky History 2 HD
- Sky Replay SD
- Sky Replay HD
- Sky Sports Racing SD
- U&W HD
- U&Yesterday HD
- WION HD
In addition, the following channels are leaving Sky during the early hours of 1st January 2026…
- Pop
- Pop+1
- Tiny Pop
- Tiny Pop+1
Notes on methodology:
Closures on Sky Satellite (Sky Q or legacy Sky+HD boxes). RXTV excludes channels that have rebranded/substituted*, and channels that have dropped separate regionalised feeds (e.g. ROI opt-outs), but have continued to broadcast on Sky. This is because a channel still continues to broadcast on any given channel number, albeit either with a different name or content.
Services suspended from the channel list on a temporary basis, e.g. due to technical issues, red button service closures and removal of channels from commercial premises (e.g. pubs) are also not included**. HD or SD closures are however included, as the removal of one or the other reduces the overall channel count.
For consistency with previous comparisons, radio stations are not included in the above list.
Where a channel stopped broadcasting at the end of one year, but isn’t removed from the EPG until the start of the next year, RXTV now adopts the policy of listing the closure in the year the service ended. For example, a channel due to end on 31/12/2025, but not removed from the EPG until early 2026 will still count as a 2025 closure. If a channel closes at the stroke of midnight of the new year or before 06:00 on 1 January***, it will count in the following year’s list. This ensures consistency of logging and reporting changes across platforms, especially when some platform operators are slower at removing services than others.
Footnotes
*This includes services like London Live, which changed to London TV in January 2025. Technically not a rebrand but a substitution of a service running under the London Local TV licence issued by Ofcom.
**As of 26/12/2025, two channels – Arise News and Dunamis TV – are currently removed from the Sky satellite EPG in what appears to be a temporary delisting. If any became permanent removals, the above list will be updated accordingly.
*** In broadcasting, a day runs from 06:00 to 05:59 (see also TV listings guides). Services that close between midnight and 05:59:59 on 1 January may as a result be considered by some sources as having closed on 31 December. RXTV follows the calendar day, starting at 00:00, when logging retrospective changes. This may vary from articles published on the site which may quote sources using the ‘broadcasting day’ definition.
By: Marc Thornham