The era of streaming has caused many much-loved channels to go dark. In the last 12 months, long-running music channels The Box, 4 Music, Kiss, Kerrang, and Magic were slashed – leaving nostalgic music-lovers saddened.
A few weeks ago, Eurosport confirmed it will stop airing in the UK soon, too, while experts warn more channels will fade into obscurity as Netflix, YouTube, Spotify, and other streaming giants continue their media takeover.
Now, Sky has revealed the fate of four popular TV channels, but it is not all bad news. The broadcaster has confirmed that Sky History, Sky History 2, Blaze and Crime+Investigation will remain on all existing platforms.
The channels will continue entertaining audiences after signing a new agreement with a key broadcasting partner, Hearts Networks UK, which owns the brands alongside Sky.
Sky History, previously known as the History Channel, has been available in the UK since 1995.
The channel is home to a number of hit shows, including Royal Bastards: Rise of the Tudors, The Royal Kill List, and Gunpowder Siege, as well as local commissions Ross Kemp: Mafia and Britain and Royal Autopsy.
Meanwhile, Crime+Investigation, which has been going for nearly two decades, is known for The Prison Confessions of Gypsy Rose Blanchard, Body In The Suitcase, Murders at Little Bridge Farm, and Crimes That Shook Britain.
As well as keeping the channels on-air, the new deal will continue to offer content on-demand via Sky boxes, too.
“We’re thrilled to strengthen our long-standing partnership with Hearst Networks, continuing to sell their advertising and deliver their distinctive content to our customers,” Jon Simkin, MD Content Partnerships at Sky.
“Their market-leading history and true-crime shows perfectly complement our unrivalled entertainment portfolio including Sky Originals like Day of the Jackal, the best of the US on Sky Atlantic, Netflix, and Discovery+.”
Elsewhere, viewers are just discovering a simple Sky TV hack which viewers that means you never need a subscription and won’t need to pay the broadcaster’s recent price hikes.
Many are just now realising that they can access Freesat for free as a number of smart TVs come equipped with both a Freesat and Freeview tuner, eliminating the need to purchase a separate box for Freesat.
The Freestat website states: “To use Freesat you need a satellite dish, but it doesn’t need to be new!
“Even if it’s a Sky satellite dish or an older model, all you need to do is plug the satellite cables into the back of your Freesat 4K TV Box [or some smart TVs] and you’re good to go.”