Sky2 - The broken relation in the Sky channel family

A subject that I have been thinking of for quite some time - the diminished presence of what was once a prominent part of Sky's basic channels - Sky2.

Over the years, Sky2 has diminished completely to the point where it has become nothing more than a lost cause for Sky as a whole. The rebranding of Living and the launch of Atlantic pushed Sky2 down the EPG (currently LCN 129), and it lacks any self promotion whatsoever as a result. It only serves as a repeats channel for much of Sky1's content - but at what cost?

Diluted completely by Sky Boxsets and Catch Up TV, I believe that alone has little justification to run Sky2 as a channel. However, some Sky viewers still rely on a SD box to watch programmes, so a linear channel may well be the only option. Secondly, it's easy to relatively make money on whatever archive content is being broadcast.

Sky, though, have been running secretive surveys on new channel names, and it's been suggested (pure speculation) that Sky2 could be pulled as a result. Would it continue to exist in its current form, or have Sky planned to restructure it as a new service, as rumours show?

I think the listings magazines ignore it as well. First time I knew it existed was reading The Mirror's listings.

Perhaps it's just there as a cheap placeholder for something else?

Sky have been busy with the rebranding of Sky1, Sky Cinema, the creation of the international brand for Sky Atlantic, and the creation of Sky Sports Mix of late.

You can hardly call them idle when it comes to channel development within their portfolio.

I believe that only TV and Satellite Week and RadioTimes list Sky2, but in less prominent positions on the listings.

There were rumours that Sky Bravo was listed in the confidential surveys earlier this year. Sky have missed a beat in regards to the male channel demographic. Sky have been busy though (currently they are prepping for Sky1's launch in Germany) but I'd expect that Sky2 will be replaced in the future.

I think you missed the concept of 'confidential surveys'.

When first launched twenty years ago next week it was hailed as a flagship sister channel to Sky One. I recall it was to smart cable providers, a la Sky Atlantic now. I've no idea why it was rested after a year to make way for National Geographic Channel.

Since Sky 3 rebrand as Pick, 2 has just been a forgotten channel mainly used as a catch up service for those with non-connected boxes, similar to the few remaining linear Sky Box Office channels. It's most likely on borrowed time.

The problem I think with Sky2 has is that there's no HD channel, no promotions for the channel and especially, not a single original programme.
If Sky want to use the station, i'd probably recommend renaming the channel to Sky Mix (again) or just shut the station down and replace it with something else, like I dunno, a free Sky channel showing the best of Sky, cause Pick isn't doing the Sky service justice (that rhymed, i don't know why)

How come? I think my wording must have been incorrect.

The clues in the word 'confidential'.

It says it all when Sky haven't even bothered to launch it in HD, despite there being a Sky2 HD logo printed doing the rounds some time ago.

Next week is not a Sky 2 anniversary. It is actually in December. What is now Sky 2 is not the original Sky Two, which launched alongside a couple of other channels but only lasted a year or so. What is now Sky 2 was originally Sky One Mix, which eventually morphed into Sky Mix and later became Sky 2.



Sky 2 was never intended to have original programming. Sky 1 has had the lion's share of BSkyB's original programming budget across all the channels. I doubt adding a HD version will improve things.