Broadcasters want viewers to switch to streaming services. Major events like the World Cup highlight a major flaw, which Sky is trying to resolve.
- Sky adds ‘low latency’ versions of all channels screening live World Cup games in the UK and Ireland.
- Available on Sky Stream and Glass where existing streams lag behind live satellite TV channels.
In time for the FIFA Men’s World Cup, Sky has launched low latency or “real-time” versions of all channels carrying live coverage of the event. The channels are available on Sky Glass and Sky Stream in the UK and Ireland, where viewers have previously been watching live sport several seconds behind viewers still using Sky’s satellite TV service.
To access low latency coverage of the World Cup, you’ll need to turn your Sky Stream puck or Sky Glass TV to one of the new low latency channels available from channel 926 on the TV guide.
This new listing in the guide includes copies of BBC One, BBC Two, ITV1 and ITV4. In central and northern Scotland, viewers will receive a low latency copy of STV instead of ITV1. In Northern Ireland, Sky is offering a low latency feed of UTV HD alongside low latency copies of RTÉ2, BBC One and BBC Two. Over in the Republic of Ireland, subscribers can access a low latency version of RTÉ2, plus BBC One and BBC Two Northern Ireland.
What do I need to watch low latency real time streams?
If you’re an existing Sky Glass or Sky Stream customer, a minimum broadband speed of 40Mbps is required. You won’t be able to pause or rewind a low latency “real time” stream.
This is technical workaround exclusively for streaming customers to narrow the gap between streaming and existing satellite, cable and terrestrial TV services. As a result, there’s no need for Sky to offer this to Sky Q users.
What’s the reason behind this?
Viewers watching live sport on streaming TV services can be up to 60 seconds behind those watching on digital satellite or digital terrestrial TV services.
Lags began to be an issue when the UK switched away from analogue TV between 2008 and 2012. The switch to digital terrestrial television (Freeview) and digital satellite (Sky/Freesat) added a couple of seconds of delay, depending on receiver.
The switch to streaming has increased this further. Originally live streams of major channels could be nearly two minutes behind traditional TV. That’s gradually been coming down over the past decade. However, there’s still a risk that neighbours watching on traditional TV services like Freeview could be cheering a goal long before you see it on Sky Stream.
Technical solutions
For the 2026 FIFA World Cup, Lenovo is deploying near real-time AI-powered infrastructure that aims to bring the lag down from 40 seconds at the last World Cup to under five seconds to over 1,000 screens through FIFA venues. Broadcasters globally are also implementing various ways of cutting the lag. Each broadcaster and platform operator will have their own solutions.
The exact lag is dependent on the journey between broadcaster and viewer. On the broadcaster’s side, use of new low-latency HLS (LL-HLS) technologies help close the gap. Meanwhile, on the viewer’s side, sturdy hardware and a quality internet connection is a must to avoid adding more delay. Technically, it’s also possible to delay broadcasts on traditional platforms by a couple of seconds to align e.g. satellite and streaming, although there’s no suggestion at this stage that this is planned by any of the official broadcasters in the UK and Ireland.
Sky has previously trialled low latency versions of its own sports channels.
Sky’s low latency channels – channel line-up
On Sky Glass and Sky Stream. Your line-up will depend on where you live. The channel names include the suffix RT for ‘real time’.
UK:
| Channel number | Channel name | |
|---|---|---|
| 926 | BBC One London RT HD | |
| 927 | BBC One North East RT HD | |
| 928 | BBC One North West RT HD | |
| 929 | BBC One Yorkshire RT HD | |
| 930 | BBC One E Yorks&Lincs RT HD | |
| 931 | BBC One West Midlands RT HD | |
| 932 | BBC One East Midlands RT HD | |
| 933 | BBC One East RT HD | |
| 934 | BBC One South East RT HD | |
| 935 | BBC One West RT HD | |
| 936 | BBC One South RT HD | |
| 937 | BBC One South West RT HD | |
| 938 | BBC One Channel Islands RT HD | |
| 939 | BBC One Scotland RT HD | |
| 940 | BBC One Wales RT HD | |
| 941 | BBC One Northern Ireland RT HD | |
| 942 | BBC Two RT HD | |
| 943 | BBC Two Wales RT HD | |
| 944 | BBC Two Northern Ireland RT HD | |
| 945 | ITV1/STV/UTV RT HD | Depending on your region |
| 946 | ITV4 RT HD | |
| 947 | RTÉ2 RT HD | Northern Ireland only |
For Sky Stream users in the Republic of Ireland, you’ll see a low latency version of RTÉ2 on channel 926 and BBC One/BBC Two Northern Ireland on 927/928.
By: Marc Thornham | Image: Sky