The channel was previously known as Sky Two from 2005 to 2020. The brand name and format had earlier been used for a similar service which broadcast on analogue platforms for a year from 1996.[citation needed] Whereas Sky One had been available in HD since 2006, Sky Two has always been exclusively available in standard definition.[citation needed]
On 27 August 2020, the service adopted its current branding. Sky Replay now serves as a sister channel to Sky Max and Sky Witness; broadcasting repeats of programmes aired on those channels.
History
The Sky 2 brand was originally launched on 1 September 1996, and served as a sister channel to Sky 1 in the evening (timesharing with Fox Kids).[citation needed] 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.[citation needed] 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.[citation needed] The channel was then replaced by the UK's version of National Geographic.
Launch as Sky One 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.[citation needed]
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 the launch of Sky One's new look, Sky One Mix was rebranded as simply Sky Mix. The channel would keep Sky One's previous branding as before, and kept the same idents without the mention of the word "One".[citation needed]
Sky Two (2005–2020)
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.[citation needed]
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.[citation needed]
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.[citation needed]
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.[citation needed]
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.[citation needed] 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.[citation needed] Also not seen on a timeshift basis was the final episode of Lost; which was aired at 5am, as a simultaneous broadcast with the United States.[citation needed] The last episodes of 24 (which Sky showed as a two-part finale[citation needed] ) also weren't shown an hour later on Sky2.[citation needed] 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[citation needed]). This period as a 'time shuffle' channel would draw comparisons between Sky2 and Channel Four's 4seven.[citation needed] The timeshift trial concluded on 9 August 2010, with Sky2 reverting to its previous scheduling pattern.[citation needed]
On 1 February 2011, Sky refreshed the presentation on many of its channels.[citation needed] 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).[citation needed] Sky1 would later switch to programme-themed idents, whilst Sky2 largely continued to use the 2011 sequences.[citation needed] 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.[citation needed]
Since 2011, Sky2 has been progressively moved down the programme guide on the Sky satellite platform to make room for other services.[citation needed] In February 2011, to make way for the relaunched Sky Living, Sky2 moved to channel 129, previously home to Syfy UK.[citation needed] On 21 February 2012, Sky2 moved up to 121; previously owned by Sky Living +1.[citation needed] In 2015, with the re-combination of Sky Arts into a single channel, and its move up the grid, Sky2 moved back to 129.[citation needed] 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 Sky2.[citation needed]
On 9 October 2017, as part of the re-branding and presentation on Sky's entertainment channels, the Sky Two branding was 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]
On 1 May 2018, Sky Two moved up to channel 123 as part of another reshuffling by Sky; replacing ITV Encore, which closed on the same day.[citation needed] On 22 October 2018, the channel moved down to 151, swapping places with E! Europe.[citation needed]
On 1 October 2019, the channel moved down to 170 following the closure of Real Lives and launch of Sky Crime.[citation needed] The following month, the channel was moved again to 168 following the closure of YourTV on 19 November 2019.[citation needed]
Sky Replay (2020–present)
On 27 August 2020, Sky Two was rebranded as Sky Replay and moved to Sky channel 145 as a result. The slot's previous occupant, Sky Sports Mix, moved to channel 416.[10]
On 8 November 2022, Sky Replay swapped channel numbers with sister channel Challenge.[citation needed]
Programming
Sky Replay is in many ways a catch-up service for Sky's main entertainment channels, Sky Witness and Sky Max, 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.
With the retooling of Sky Living into the crime and procedural focused Sky Witness, some former Sky Living programming (such as Four Weddings, My Kitchen Rules and Most Haunted) has transferred into the Sky Replay daytime schedule.[11] Sky Replay also broadcasts repeats of drama series that Sky no longer holds first run rights or rights that are soon to expire.
International
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]
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