Sky TV issues update on months-long glitch that blocks Netflix on Sky Q — 'doesn't mean the problem is fixed'

a person holds out their sky tv remote to select an episode of a netflix show on sky tv

Netflix has been offered at no extra cost with the basic bundle of channels on Sky Glass, Sky Stream, and Sky Q since the introduction of the Ultimate TV package introduced back in March 2020

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Aaron Brown

By Aaron Brown


Published: 13/10/2024

- 04:31

Posts from disgruntled Sky Q viewers first started to appear over a year ago

  • Sky Q viewers continue to experience issues with the Netflix app
  • The error still hasn't been resolved for satellite viewers
  • However, Sky TV engineers have made changes to the error code
  • It should make it much speedier to reset the broken streaming app
  • Sky is no longer asking Q users with the error to fill-out a form
  • It says that is has enough examples of the glitch for a permanent fix

Sky TV has provided an update on a known issue with the Netflix app. For months, some viewers with a Sky Q box have been unavailable to watch shows, documentaries, and films on the popular streaming service.

The "known issue" stops the application from loading correctly, leaving Sky Q subscribers faced with a spinning circle animation, or a blank screen. Others have complained about the Netflix logo being stuck on-screen.

Worse still, Sky has bundled a subscription to Netflix with all of its TV bundles since March 2020, so everyone with a paid plan for Sky Q will want access to the catalogue.

Frustrated Sky Q viewers have flooded forums and social networks with complaints about the issue, which some subscribers complain has been present for months. One thread on the Sky Community pages now runs to a jaw-dropping 168-pages since it was started by a disgruntled Sky TV subscriber back in September 2023.

Faced with such long read, a Sky TV employee has stepped-in to provide an update.

While it doesn't technically resolve the issue, it has been marked as the final answer to the issues with the Netflix app — saving anyone who has been recently hit with the error from pouring over 150-pages of posts on Sky Community.

"Hi Everyone," the new post from Sky TV starts. "We want to thank everyone for their contribution and understanding whilst we continue to work through this problem. You will find that the spinning circle will be replaced by the error message 'Netflix has encountered an error. Code: tvq-st-102.'

"You will be able to clear the fault much quicker and easier than before, by selecting 'more details'

"Followed by 'reset.' This will enable you to get back up and running much quicker.

"We appreciate the time everyone has taken to provide the examples and no longer need you to fill in the form.

"I'm marking this post as the answer, so that people can see this update without having to read the entire thread. This doesn't mean that the problem is fixed, however we've been able to implement the workaround into the message, to make things easier. When the problem is resolved, we will let everyone know."

While the latest change, Sky Q viewers suffering with the error won't need to wait until the spinning red circle vanishes from the screen before they can take action. The new error code screen and shortcut from the More Details button to hit Reset and reboot the streamer should get things back up-and-running much faster, even though it's not a definitive fix for the problem.

When GB News first highlighted the ongoing struggles for Sky Q viewers trying to access Netflix this summer, a spokesperson from Sky TV told us: "We understand that some Sky Q customers are experiencing issues with Netflix and we apologise to anyone who has been impacted.

"Our teams are working hard to resolve the issue as quickly as possible."

There is a temporary workaround that has helped some Sky Q viewers access Netflix, so they can watch some of the hit shows, films, and docu-series including in their telly bundle, like The Perfect Couple, Bridgerton, The Gentlemen, Harlan Coben's Fool Me Once, Stranger Things, Love Is Blind, Schitt's Creek, and more.

The problem seems limited to the Sky Q box, the last set-top box from the broadcaster that requires a satellite dish. Once the only way to watch content from Sky TV, this method is rapidly falling out of favour with new customers, with the majority of subscribers now choosing hardware that uses Wi-Fi to stream live channels.

The best Sky Stream deals and best Sky Glass deals offer affordable ways to access exclusive channels that you can't get on Freeview or its successor, Freely. Such is the shift to streaming-only television, whispers from inside Sky TV suggest that its satellite engineering teams have seen major job losses.

In the coming days, Sky Stream will be available as an optional add-on for EE broadband and phone customers.

If you have other streaming devices, like a Roku, Fire TV Stick, Xbox or PS5, it's true the Netflix login created during the Sky Q set-up process will work.

It's unclear exactly when the issues with Sky Q boxes started. Some viewers have suggested it's been a few weeks, while others claim to have experienced problems for over a year. Posts on the Sky Help Forum date as far back as September last year, although it's unclear whether this is the same glitch or a very similar bug with the version of Netflix created for Sky Q boxes.

While there's still no permanent bug fix, Sky Q viewers have suggested temporary workarounds in the Sky Help Forums that might solve the issue. According to some disgruntled Netflix fans, signing out of the app on your Sky Q box from another device — like a laptop or desktop PC — can resolve the glitch.

To do that, follow the below steps:

  1. Open your web browser, head to the Netflix website, and then log in using your account details
  2. Highlight your profile picture in the top-right corner of the screen
  3. Click on Account > Security and Privacy > Manage Access and Devices
  4. Find your Sky Q, which will usually be named "SkyQ" or "Sky UK Set-top box"
  5. Once you've found the right listing, select the Sign Out option
  6. Reboot your Sky Q box by switching it off at the plug, waiting a minute, then turning it on again
  7. Find Netflix in the My Apps menu on your Sky Q and try loading it again

Doing the same steps as above — but also taking the time to change your password, is also recommended by some Sky Q users.

Other workarounds from Sky Q viewers include opening up a succession of other streaming apps on the box, like Prime Video, Disney+, and Paramount+, for example. After these have all booted up correctly, watch something for a few minutes, then return and attempt to open Netflix again.

sky q set-top box pictured on a white background

Sky Q, released in the UK in March 2016, is the last flagship set-top box powered by a satellite dish

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Other frustrated Sky Q users claim that turning off "Test Participation" — a setting you'll find buried deep within the Account page on Netflix in your web browser, or via a smartphone can resolve the endless loading issue.

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At its peak, there were more than 3.6 million people watching on Sky Q. However, Sky has confirmed to GB News that 90% of new customers who take out a subscription with the broadcaster now opt for broadband-powered kit, like Sky Glass and the best Sky Stream deals.

As mentioned above, ditching the satellite dish has become so popular that Sky has started to wind down its satellite dish operations and cull channels from its oldest Sky+ boxes.

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