Good news for Freesat viewers: Sky’s new premium channel, Sky Mixis coming to Freesat this week, alongside its debut on Freeview, bringing with it a free taste of Sky’s premium TV shows and movies.
Furthermore, Sky Mix will be broadcast on Freesat (as opposed to Freeview). High Definition (HD) – something viewers can’t normally get from Sky on free-to-air channels.
Sky Mix is scheduled to launch in October 18 Across various platforms including Freesat, Freeview and Sky, As we reported previously. Although its release on Freeview and Sky has been confirmed, its availability on Freesat has so far remained unconfirmed.
Today, Sky confirmed to us that Sky Mix HD is indeed launching on Freesat, offering fans high-definition viewing on the satellite-based platform.
Sky Mix will replace Sky Pick, offering a diverse range of content including Sky originals, films and weekend schedules covering genres such as drama and true crime.
Although the channel is essentially a rebrand of the existing Sky Pick channel, Sky Mix aims to provide a richer mix of content, showcasing themed nightly schedules that delve into a variety of genres from drama to true crime.
Upgrading to HD quality on Freesat is a huge improvement, especially since its predecessor, Sky Pick, was only available in SD on that platform.
However, on Freeview, Sky Mix will still be available in SD format only.
The introduction of Sky Mix is an important step as it represents Sky’s first venture into free-to-air streaming since then Launching of the free Sky Arts channel in 2020 – And the HD version on Freesat enriches Sky’s free-to-air portfolio even further.
Sky Mix is seen as a gateway for viewers to explore a wider range of Sky content, giving them a glimpse into Sky shows and films.
It will include Sky originals debuting on Freesat/Freeview Season 1 in 2023 Cobra, Rob and Romesh Vs, Discovery of witchesAnd A League of Their Own: Road Trip.
The channel will also feature original reality specials, e.g Liverpool Narcos And Sharks with Steve Backshall.
As well as TV shows, Sky Mix will be the only place to find Sky Original films on Freesat (and Freeview), with classic titles such as SAS: Red Notice Among those offering the premiere for free alongside other favorites from Sky Cinema’s extensive library.
The channel will also host titles acquired from Sky Atlantic and Sky Witness, including the first seasons of popular shows like HBO. True Detective And Eq.
However, viewers shouldn’t expect new seasons of the shows, as most of the content will be a few years old (at least).
Sky Mix also plans to broadcast new commissions from Sky Arts during its broadcast, while maintaining the visibility and relevance of Sky Arts, another free-to-air premium channel from Sky.
The Pick channel, which Sky Mix is replacing, was initially launched as Sky Three in 2005. Over the years, it has undergone several rebranding and content changes.
In recent years, Sky has increased its focus on the channel, broadcasting Sky Showcase and Sky Witness a few years after their original broadcast.
A quick glance at Pick’s current timeline reveals a mix of drama and realistic titles, with most of the titles being quite old – Merlin, Star Trek: Voyager, Magnum P.I And a lot of Highway cops And Highway patrol.
With Sky Mix, there’s an expectation of a refreshed line-up leaning towards (somewhat) newer titles and acquisitions from Sky’s repertoire – but we expect many of Pick’s older offerings to remain on Mix as well.
Like BennettManaging Director of Content for Sky UK and Ireland said: “Sky Mix is the perfect live streaming venue for us to showcase some of our favorite Sky shows which are already a huge hit with our customers on the Sky and NOW platforms.”
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