Good news for Freesat viewers: Sky’s new premium channel, Sky Mix, is coming to Freesat this week, alongside its debut on Freeview, bringing with it a free taste of Sky’s premium TV shows and films.
Furthermore, on Freesat (unlike Freeview), Sky Mix will air in High Definition (HD) – something viewers can’t normally get from Sky on free-to-air channels.
Sky Mix is set to launch on October 18 across various platforms including Freesat, Freeview, and Sky, as we previously reported. While its launch on Freeview and Sky was already confirmed, the availability on Freesat remained uncertain until now.
Today, Sky confirmed to us that Sky Mix HD is indeed launching on Freesat, providing audiences with high-definition viewing on the satellite-based platform.
The Sky Mix channel will replace Sky Pick, offering a broad variety of content including Sky originals, films, and themed weeknight schedules covering genres like drama and true crime.
While the channel is basically a rebrand of the existing Sky Pick channel, Sky Mix aims to provide a richer blend of content, showcasing themed weeknight schedules that delve into a variety of genres from drama to true crime.
The upgrade to HD quality on Freesat is a significant improvement, especially since its predecessor, Sky Pick, was only available in SD on this platform.
However, on Freeview, Sky Mix will continue to be available in SD only.
The introduction of Sky Mix is a significant move as it marks Sky’s first venture into free-to-air broadcasting since the launch of the Sky Arts free channel in 2020 – and the HD version on Freesat enriches Sky’s free-to-air portfolio even further.
Sky Mix is envisioned as a gateway for viewers to explore a broader spectrum of Sky’s content, and give them a taste of Sky’s programmes and films.
Sky originals making their Season 1 Freesat/Freeview debuts in 2023 will include Cobra, Rob & Romesh Vs, A Discovery of Witches, and A League of Their Own: Road Trip.
The channel will also feature original factual specials, such as Liverpool Narcos and Shark with Steve Backshall.
In addition to TV shows, Sky Mix will be the only place to find Sky Original films on Freesat (and Freeview), with classic titles like SAS: Red Notice among those making their free-to-air premiere along with other favourites from the extensive Sky Cinema library.
The channel will also host acquired titles from Sky Atlantic and Sky Witness, including early seasons of popular shows like HBO’s True Detective and The Equalizer.
However, viewers should not expect brand-new seasons of shows, as most of the content will be a few years old (at the very least).
Sky Mix also plans to simulcast new commissions from Sky Arts as they air, maintaining the visibility and relevance of Sky Arts, another free-to-air premium channel from Sky.
Pick, the channel that Sky Mix is replacing, was initially launched as Sky Three in 2005. Over the years, it underwent several rebrands and content shifts.
In recent years, Sky has increased its focus on the channel, airing Sky Showcase and Sky Witness programmes a few years after their original broadcasts.
A peek into Pick’s current schedule reveals a range of drama and factual titles, with most of the titles being quite old – Merlin, Star Trek: Voyager, Magnum P.I. and plenty of Highway Cops and Highway Partrol.
With Sky Mix, there’s the anticipation of a refreshed lineup that leans towards more recent titles (up to a point) and acquisitions from Sky’s repertoire – but we expect many of the older shows from Pick to remain on Mix as well.
Zai Bennett, Managing Director of Content, Sky UK and Ireland, mentioned, “Sky Mix is the perfect free-to-air home for us to showcase some of our favourite Sky shows that have already been a hit with our customers on Sky and NOW platforms.”
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Why? The clue is in the name “Free-sat”. I just moved from Virgin TV because basically I was paying £40/month for free-to-air channels. It should be renamed FreePaySat.
Very Good news for freesat users.