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Sky Q fans may never see a successor to their satellite dish-powered boxes, according to an expert. While Sky recently signed an agreement to secure the future of its Sky Q and Sky+ HD boxes until 2029, that doesn't mean you should expect to see a new set-top box that relies on this ageing technology.
Analyst Paolo Pescatore of PP Foresight, who has over 25 years of experience working in the telecom and technology industry, spoke to The Sun about the prospect of new hardware from Sky that relies on a satellite dish instead of its new streaming technology, powered by a new operating system called SkyOS.
Sky Stream has never been this affordable. The broadcaster has just launched an affordable new bundle of channels and on-demand services, dubbed TV Essentials. It includes its plug-and-play Sky Stream box, over 100 live channels including Sky Atlantic — the exclusive home of shows like Game of Thrones, And Just Like That, and The White Lotus. You'll also find a subscription to Netflix and Discovery+ included too and can upgrade to Sky Cinema and Sky Sports at an extra cost.
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"Ultimately Sky would prefer to migrate all users onto its IP-based products, which in turn will lead to the end of Sky Q," Pescatore explained to The Sun.
He described chances as "highly unlikely" Sky will ever release a new satellite box due to "the investment and timescales with the TV switch off that’s around the corner".
He added that while Sky Q remains "reliable, robust, and serves customers needs," the British company's strategy is clearly focused on streaming. One simple illustration of this is the sheer number of software updates, bringing new features and design tweaks, rolled-out to Sky Glass and Sky Stream in recent months.
Sky Q was first announced back in 2015, but remains on-sale as the last set-top box from the UK broadcaster with a physical hard-drive and that relies on a satellite dish to beam live telly SKY TV PRESS OFFICE These devices, both powered by SkyOS, enjoyed 300 software updates in the last year alone with a slew of new features, while Sky Q owners haven't enjoyed anywhere close to the same treatment. The latest major shake-up for Sky Q was the introduction of Channel 4... some seven years after the launch of the box.
But it's not just the slower cadence of software updates that seems to corroborate what Paolo Pescatore told The Sun. While Sky Q remains on-sale — unlike its predecessor, Sky+ HD, which is still supported by the brand — it's becoming tougher to even find on the broadcaster's online store.
Like its predecessor, Sky Glass Gen 2 is available in three sizes — Small (43"), Medium (55"), Large (65")SKY TV PRESS OFFICE During the recent launch of the Sky Glass Gen 2 all-in-one telly, the brand confirmed that 90% of all new customers signing up with Sky TV were taking out a broadbrand-powered product, which offer streaming in HD quality at no extra cost.
The shift makes business sense for Sky, since these streaming devices don't require dish installation by engineers — enabling it to cut back on certain jobs within the company. Viewers are able to set-up these SkyOS devices themselves, so there's no need to wait to start streaming. The experience of watching on Sky Glass and Sky Stream is much closer to what you'd expect from other streaming set-top boxes, like Apple TV 4K, Fire TV Stick, Google TV Streamer, and the latest lineup from Roku.
The latest deal between Sky and signal provider SES will guarantee Sky TV channels can continue to be beamed into homes via satellite until 2029 at the earliest. What happens after that remains unclear, with Pescatore suggesting the next steps will depend on how successfully Sky transitions its existing customers to streaming.
"It all depends on the success of migrating customers onto Sky OS and how quickly," he explained to The Sun. "For now it looks it will have to renew, but expect to see a plethora of punchy deals seeking to sway customers."
The four-year timeframe allows plenty of time for Sky TV to continue pushing its streaming-first strategy before making final decisions about satellite services. In the coming months, Sky will release a brand-new, lower cost version of Sky Glass to appeal to even more people across the UK.
While Sky Glass and Sky Stream allows those in rented accommodation and those whose address only enjoys questionable signal strength to enjoy exclusive sports fixtures, Hollywood blockbusters, and award-winning series on Sky TV without the need for a satellite dish — it doesn't offer quite the same experience as Sky Q.
That's because these SkyOS devices don't offer the ability to record directly to a physical hard-drive.
Playlist brings together TV shows, documentaries, and films from the TV Guide, on-demand catalogue included with the Sky Entertainment bundle, and titles from Netflix, Prime Video, Apple TV+, and others into a single list — that's automatically sorted into categories SKY TV PRESS OFFICE That means you'll never have to worry about running out of storage ...but it means you're at the mercy of a decent Wi-Fi connection and the on-demand content you want to watch being available on catch-up services.
Yes, Sky Stream and Sky Glass are at the mercy of on-demand services like BBC iPlayer, ITVX, Channel 4, Netflix, and others, so programmes with complicated rights agreements might vanish sooner than you'd like. For example, Match of the Day doesn't appear immediately on BBC iPlayer — usually appearing from midnight the day after it has been broadcast as part of the agreement between the BBC and the Premier League. It will also vanish next episode is broadcast or after a seven-day window, whichever comes first.
Since everything is recorded directly onto the spinning drive inside the Sky Q box, this isn't an issue. It also means Sky Q owners will always have something to watch during internet outages.
The latest agreement between Sky TV and Luxembourg satellite firm SES extends its satellite service nationwide until 2029 at the very earliest
GETTY IMAGESThe shift from Sky isn't an outlier in the industry, with most traditional TV providers changing approach to adapt to a streaming-dominated landscape. The team behind Freeview and Freesat launched a new free-to-air option — dubbed Freely — last spring, which offers access to live and on-demand content from BBC, ITV, Channel 4, not to mention yours truly, and dozens more over a Wi-Fi connection.
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For now, Sky Q users can expect continued support and the tried-and-tested satellite dish remains a familiar sight on the outside of British homes, but its days appear increasingly numbered as the future clearly lies elsewhere.
Pescatore predicts we'll see some "punchy deals" from Sky to aggressively incentivise customers to switch from satellite to streaming in the coming years before it has to decide whether to renew its signal contract in 2029.
If you're looking for the best Sky Stream deals or best Sky Glass deals, this shift will be music to your ears.
However, if you were holding out for a successor to Sky Q, the latest comments from analyst Paolo Pescatore will be very disappointing. Sky has publicly stated it remains committed to Sky Q, with company representatives reassuring that they'll "continue to support and upgrade it" during the Sky Glass Gen 2 launch earlier this year.
