Sky Replay is a British pay television channel operated by Sky as a sister channel to Sky Max and Sky Witness. The current channel began broadcasting (as Sky One Mix) in December 2002. The 'Sky 2' name and format had earlier been used for a similar service which broadcast on analogue platforms for a year from 1996. On 27 August 2020, the service rebranded as Sky Replay. The channel broadcasts repeats of programmes from Sky Max and Sky Witness.
Sky 2 originally was launched on 1 September 1996 and served as a sister channel to Sky 1 in the evening, timesharing with Fox Kids. The channel was introduced to offer an expanded range of general entertainment programming, with Sky 2 airing a mixture of programmes already carried on Sky 1 along with programmes exclusive to the channel. Sky 2 however was not as successful as Sky had hoped, and would close nearly a year later without any notice on 31 August 1997. The channel was then replaced by the UK's version of National Geographic.
Sky One Mix/Sky Mix (2002–2005)
On 7 October 2002, Sky announced that they would launch their first digital channel in over a decade; Sky One Mix, functioning as Sky One's sister channel and catch-up service.[1] The channel's launch was announced for 9 December on 13 November 2002[2] and launched on Sky Digital that day.
The channel, initially broadcasting from noon to midnight, offered up the best of Sky One's programmes, as well as a dedicated children's block called "Animix", which broadcast from 3:30pm every weekday. [3] The channel used a logo and presentation design similar to that used by Sky One at the time, but with a yellow and black theme as opposed to the orange and white used by Sky One at the time.
Initially exclusive to Sky Digital, the channel was added to NTL at the end of July 2003 as part of a two-year contract extension between BSkyB and NTL.[4]
On 21 September 2004, to coincide with Sky One's new look, Sky One Mix was rebranded as simply Sky Mix, although it kept with Sky One's previous branding as before and kept the same idents without the mention of the word "One".
Sky Two (2005–2008)
Sky2 logo used from 2008 to 2011
On 18 July 2005, rumours circulated that Sky was planning to extend the Sky One brand by rebranding Sky Mix as Sky Two, and launching a Sky Three as well.[5] The channel rebranded effectively to Sky Two in November of that year and began using Kaktus Films' animated idents in line with those introduced on Sky One the prior year.
On Thursday 1 March 2007, Sky Two, alongside other non-premium Sky networks, were removed from Virgin Media following a contract dispute between Virgin Media and BSkyB caused by the expiry of their carriage agreement and their inability to reach a new deal.[6] When Sky Two was removed, Virgin Media renamed the slot on the EPG as "Old Sky Two Try Living", before it was removed completely.
In February 2008, Sky Two began utilising the same short-lived range of idents that its sister channels used, except using a "Green" range of graphics.
Sky2 (2008–2020)
On 31 August 2008, the channel adopted a revised branding of Sky2, when Sky's entertainment channels relaunched with numeric names and shared branding elements, utilising blue solids (Sky1), green liquids (Sky2) and pink particles (Sky3).[7]
On 13 November 2008, following the agreement of a new deal between BSkyB and Virgin Media, Sky2 along with Sky's other non-premium channels returned to Virgin Media's television service.
From 10 May to 9 August 2010, Sky conducted an experimental revision of service, under which Sky2 ceased to run its own full-time programme schedule, and instead predominantly operated a one-hour timeshift of programming on Sky1.[8] Sky2 would, however, retain standalone branding. A Sky spokesperson said: "We are experimenting with different channel schedules to bring maximum value to our customers." Some programmes were excluded from the timeshift device and replaced by alternate content on Sky2 during this period; shows which weren't shown on the time-delay included the premiere of Sky1's Terry Pratchett's Going Postal, the station's adaptation of the author's Discworld novel. Also not seen on a timeshift basis was the final ever episode of Lost, which was aired at 5am, as a simultaneous being broadcast with the US transmission. The last episodes of 24 (which Sky showed as a two-part finale) also weren't shown an hour later on Sky2. The non-timeshifted programming would often be found an alternative slot on Sky2 (Terry Pratchett's Going Postal would be shown later in the week), essentially making Sky2 a 4seven-style 'time shuffle' channel during these periods. The timeshift trial concluded on 9 August 2010, with Sky2 reverting to its previous scheduling pattern.
On 1 February 2011, Sky refreshed the presentation on many of its channels. Sky2's new idents would follow along the same themes as Sky One's, but the action is in close-up, featuring a small metal '2' icon (in contrast to Sky1's giant '1' symbol). Sky1 would later switch to programme-themed idents, whilst Sky2 largely continued to use the 2011 sequences; in April 2016, when Sky1 got new animated identity sequences, Sky2 received a revised version of its 2011 films, with a larger Sky2 logo caption appearing at the end of the sequence, and the backing music changed to that previously used by the Sky1 version of the films.
Whilst it initially enjoyed a prominent position on the Sky guide close to Sky1, Sky2 had since 2011 progressively been moved down the programme guide on the Sky satellite platform to make room for other services. In February 2011, to make way for the relaunched Sky Living, Sky2 moved to channel 129, previously home to Syfy. On 21 February 2012, it moved up to 121, previously owned by Sky Living +1. In 2015, with the re-combination of Sky Arts into a single channel and its move up the grid, Sky2 moved back to 129. And in summer 2017, the relaunch of Sky Sports into genre-based channels saw the move of Sky Sports Mix into the entertainment guide, resulting in the relocation of other services including Sky Two. On 1 May 2018, Sky Two moved up to channel 123 as part of another reshuffling by Sky. It replaced ITV Encore, which closed on the same day. On 22 October 2018, the channel moved down to 151, swapping places with E!. On 1 October 2019, the channel moved down to 170 following the closure of Real Lives and launch of Sky Crime, and moved again to 168 on 19 November 2019 following the closure of YourTV.
On 9 October 2017, the branding and presentation on Sky's entertainment channels was revised again; as part of this the names Sky One and Sky Two were reintroduced nine years after the switch to numerals. Sky Two dropped its previous filmed idents in favour of using an animated sting featuring the new channel logo.[9]
Whereas Sky One had been available in HD since the launch of Sky HD in 2006, Sky Two has always been exclusively available in standard definition.
Sky Replay (2020–present)
On 27 August 2020, Sky Two was rebranded as Sky Replay and moved to Sky channel 145 as a result, while its previous owner, Sky Sports Mix, moved to channel 416.[10]
On 8 November 2022, Sky Replay swapped channel numbers with Challenge.
Programming
Sky Replay is in many ways a catch-up service for Sky's main entertainment channels, Sky Witness and Sky Max (formerly the now defunct Sky One) broadcasting their popular shows. Doing so, Sky Two is described as a time shuffle channel, so called to distinguish it from timeshift channels, which rebroadcast their principal channel, delayed by one hour.
Following the closure of the original Sky Real Lives in 2010, some of its factual and reality programming was relocated to Sky Two. Following the closure of Bravo in 2011, Sky Two adopted some of its programming, particularly in the science-fiction, drama and documentary fields.
A version of Sky Replay for Germany launched on Sky Deutschland and Sky Ticket on 4 October 2021, replacing the previous local box-set channel Sky Serien & Shows.[12]
Related Research Articles
Sky One was a British pay television channel operated and owned by Sky Group. Originally launched on 26 April 1982 as Satellite Television, it was Europe's first satellite and non-terrestrial channel. From 31 July 1989, it became Sky One and broadcast exclusively in the United Kingdom and Ireland as British Sky Broadcasting's flagship channel. It existed until 1 September 2021, when it closed down as part of a restructuring with its EPG position taken by Sky Showcase and much of its content library moved to Sky Max.
ITV plc is a British media company that holds 13 of the 15 regional television licences that make up the ITV network, the oldest and largest commercial terrestrial television network in the United Kingdom.
UKTV Media Limited, trading as UKTV, is a British multi-channel broadcaster, which, since 2019, has been wholly owned by BBC Studios, a commercial subsidiary of the BBC. It was formed on 1 November 1992 through a joint venture between the BBC and Thames Television. It is one of the United Kingdom's largest television companies.
Living TV Group was a British television consortium originally called Flextech before becoming a subsidiary of British Sky Broadcasting, with Challenge still broadcasting.
Good Food was a subscription cookery channel broadcasting in the United Kingdom and Ireland, latterly as part of the Discovery, Inc. network of channels. The channel originally launched on 5 November 2001 and relaunched in its final format on 22 June 2009. Good Food was available on satellite through Sky, on cable through Virgin Media, and through IPTV with TalkTalk TV, BT TV. From 2015 to 2018, Good Food was temporarily rebranded as Christmas Food.
Dave is a British free-to-air television channel owned by UKTV, a subsidiary of BBC Studios. It broadcasts mainly comedy, with some factual programming. The channel took the name Dave on 15 October 2007, but it had been on air under various identities and formats since October 1998.
Challenge is a British free-to-air television channel owned by Sky, a division of Comcast. The channel mostly transmits game shows from the UK and around the world, with some original productions.
Sky Real Lives was an in-house channel from British Sky Broadcasting that showed extensive programmes about travel, adverts for travel agencies and documentaries. The channels closed on 19 August 2010.
Fox was a British pay television channel serving the United Kingdom and Ireland, owned by Fox Networks Group, a unit of Disney International Operations. It launched on 12 January 2004 as FX289, then changed its name to FX in April 2005, and rebranded to FOX in January 2013. Featuring a mix of comedies and drama series, the channel's programming targeted adults from 18 to 35 years old.
Nickelodeon is a British pay television network.
Real Lives was a British television channel owned by Sky, a division of Comcast. It used to be the sister channel of Sky Living. It was originally known as LIVINGtv2 from the channel's launch in 2004 till 2007, and then was known as Living2 from 2007 to 2009.
Disney Junior was a British and Irish pay television kids' TV channel that was owned by Disney–ABC Television Group that focused on preschool programming. It was launched on 29 September 2000 as Playhouse Disney. The channel was rebranded as Disney Junior on 7 May 2011, it later ceased broadcasting on 30 September 2020.
Channel One was a British free-to-air television channel owned and operated by Living TV Group. The channel was launched on 1 October 2007 at 21:00 on Freeview, Virgin Media and Sky as Virgin1, replacing Ftn. The channel broadcast 24 hours on cable, satellite and Freeview; a one-hour time-shift, Channel One +1, broadcast on cable and satellite.
Disney XD was a British and Irish pay television channel. First launching in October 1996, it originated from the United States block of the same name. and was operated under a joint-venture between Fox Television Entertainment and Saban Entertainment, before moving along to the Euronext-operating Fox Kids Europe. It rebranded itself to Jetix in January 2005 after The Walt Disney Company's prior-purchase of Fox Family Worldwide in October 2001, and then reached its final name in August 2009 after Disney acquired Jetix Europe.
This is a timeline of the history of Sky Television.
This is a timeline of UKTV, a television company that broadcasts seven television channels in the United Kingdom.
Sky Living was a British pay television channel owned and operated by Sky. The channel's programming was aimed mainly at women and young adults. It originally launched as UK Living.
HGTV is a British free-to-air television channel interior home and garden-orientated lifestyle television channel broadcasting in the United Kingdom and Ireland, currently owned by Warner Bros. Discovery. The channel originally launched on 1 November 1997 as UK Style and then was rebranded to Home on 30 April 2009 and was rebranded to its current form on 21 January 2020. HGTV is broadcast 24 hours a day on Sky and TVPlayer. UK Style was transmitted by terrestrial provider ITV Digital 24 hours a day until the company's collapse in 2002. After a slight rebrand to UKTV Style, the channel made a return to terrestrial screens for a time in the mid-2000s as part of the now-defunct Top Up TV system. Home became available as a free-to-air linear service on Freeview from 1 March 2016.
This is a timeline of the history of Sky One and its spin-off channels.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply. Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.
