The complete Sky Essential TV channel guide (updated 2025)

by | 6 Jan 2025 | TV

What is Sky Essential TV?

Sky’s Essential TV package is a competitively priced digital TV package focusing on the most popular channels and streaming services that Sky offers.

 

What’s included with a Sky Essential TV plan?

A Sky Essential TV plan includes the following equipment, channels and services:

  • A Sky stream box, including voice controlled remote
  • Sky Atlantic, showing top UK and US shows
  • Freeview channels, with the ability to pause and rewind live TV
  • Netflix Standard (with ads)
  • Discovery+
  • Plus, add to your plan by subscribing to premium TV packages like Sky Sports and Sky Cinema

 

Sky TV Essential packages include a Sky Stream puck and voice controlled remote.

 

How much does Sky Essential cost?

Sky Essential TV is available for new customers for £15 a month (24-month contract), or £18 a month (31-day rolling contract).

 

What’s the difference between Essential and Ultimate TV?

Sky Ultimate TV is Sky’s most well-known TV package. As well as everything included in Sky Essential TV, subscribers get more channels including Sky Max, Sky Comedy, Sky Documentaries, Sky Crime, Sky Showcase, alibi, Comedy Central, GOLD and National Geographic.

Sky Ultimate TV costs £7 a month more at £22 a month in an 18-month contract.

 

What streaming services are part of Sky Essential?

The Sky Essential subscription includes access to Discovery+ (normally £3.99 a month) and Netflix standard with ads (normally £4.99 a month).

You can also access popular free streaming services through the Sky Stream box such as BBC iPlayer, an watch Sky content on demand through Sky Go.

 

What channels are included with Sky TV Essentials?

Sky TV Essential includes a curated selection of Sky’s most popular channels, including Sky Atlantic.

Here’s a full Sky Essential TV channel guide:

These channel details are correct at the time of writing for customers with a Sky Stream box or Sky Glass TV. Channel numbers through Sky Q boxes may be different. 

 

Channel Name

Channel Number

Category

Notes

BBC One

101

BBC Channels

 

BBC Two

102

BBC Channels

 

ITV1/STV/UTV

103

ITV Channels

 

Channel 4/S4C

104

Channel 4

Channel 108 in Wales

Channel 5

105

Channel 5

 

Sky Atlantic

108

Sky Channels

Channel 109 in Wales

Sky Arts

114

Sky Channels

Channel 115 in Wales

BBC Three

118

BBC Channels

 

BBC Four

119

BBC Channels

 

ITV2

122

ITV Channels

 

ITV3

123

ITV Channels

 

ITV4

124

ITV Channels

 

ITVBe

125

ITV Channels

 

E4

126

Channel 4

 

More4

127

Channel 4

 

5STAR

128

Channel 5

 

5 USA

129

Channel 5

 

Dave

132

Entertainment

 

W

133

Entertainment

 

Drama

134

Entertainment

 

Discovery

138

Entertainment

 

TLC

139

Entertainment

 

Animal Planet

140

Entertainment

 

ID

141

Entertainment

 

Discovery Turbo

146

Entertainment

 

Discovery History

147

Entertainment

 

Discovery Science

148

Entertainment

 

Quest

149

Entertainment

 

Really

150

Entertainment

 

Quest Red

151

Entertainment

 

DMAX

152

Entertainment

 

HGTV

153

Entertainment

 

Food Network

154

Entertainment

 

TRUE CRIME

155

Entertainment

 

LEGEND

156

Entertainment

 

TRUE CRIME XTRA

157

Entertainment

 

Sky Mix

158

Sky Channels

 

Challenge

159

Entertainment

 

Yesterday

161

Entertainment

 

Eden

162

Entertainment

 

4seven

163

Channel 4

 

E4 Extra

164

Channel 4

 

5ACTION

165

Channel 5

 

5SELECT

166

Channel 5

 

GREAT! tv

167

Entertainment

 

BLAZE

169

Entertainment

 

PBS America

170

Entertainment

 

Together TV

171

Entertainment

 

RTE One

172

Entertainment

Northern Ireland only

S4/C

172

Entertainment

Channel 104 in Wales or 175 in Northern Ireland

BBC Scotland

173

BBC Channels

Channel 120 in Scotland or 176 in Northern Ireland

RTE Two

173

Entertainment

Northern Ireland only

BBC ALBA

174

BBC Channels

Channel 121 in Scotland or 177 in Northern Ireland

CBBC

201

Kids/BBC Channels

 

CBeebies

202

Kids/BBC Channels

 

RTÉ Junior

212

Kids

Northern Ireland only

POP

213

Kids

Channel 214 in Northern Ireland

Tiny Pop

214

Kids

Channel 215 in Northern Ireland

POP Max

215

Kids

Channel 216 in Northern Ireland

Film4

312

Movies/Channel 4

 

LEGEND XTRA

316

Entertainment

 

GREAT! romance

317

Entertainment

 

GREAT! movies

318

Movies/Entertainment

 

GREAT! action

319

Entertainment

 

Clubland TV

345

Music

 

NOW 70s

355

Music

 

NOW 80s

356

Music

 

NOW 90s

357

Music

 

NOW ROCK

358

Music

 

Sky Sports News

409

Sports/Sky Channels

 

Sky Sports Racing

411

Sports/Sky Channels

 

Sky Sports Mix

412

Sports/Sky Channels

 

Sky News UK

501

News

 

BBC News

502

News/BBC Channels

 

BBC Parliament

503

News/BBC Channels

 

CNBC

504

News

 

Bloomberg

505

News

 

CNN International

506

News

 

GB News

509

News

 

Euronews

510

News

 

NDTV World

511

News

 

France 24

512

News

 

QVC

601

Shopping

 

QVC Style

602

Shopping

 

QVC Beauty

603

Shopping

 

QVC Extra

604

Shopping

 

Music India

715

International

Previously Dangal

Aaj Tak

716

News

 

HUM Masala

720

International

 

HUM Europe

721

International

 

Geo News

722

News/International

 

Geo TV

723

International

 

PTC Punjabi

740

International

 

Sky News Arabia

750

News/Sky Channels

 

BBC One London

951

BBC Channels

 

BBC One North East & Cumbria

952

BBC Channels

 

BBC One North West

953

BBC Channels

 

BBC One Yorkshire

954

BBC Channels

 

BBC One East Yorks & Lincs

955

BBC Channels

 

BBC One West Midlands

956

BBC Channels

 

BBC One East Midlands

957

BBC Channels

 

BBC One East

958

BBC Channels

 

BBC One South East

959

BBC Channels

 

BBC One West

960

BBC Channels

 

BBC One South

961

BBC Channels

 

BBC One South West

962

BBC Channels

 

BBC One Channel Islands

963

BBC Channels

 

BBC One Scotland

964

BBC Channels

 

BBC One Wales

965

BBC Channels

 

BBC One Northern Ireland

966

BBC Channels

 

BBC Two England

967

BBC Channels

 

BBC Two Wales

968

BBC Channels

 

BBC Two Northern Ireland

969

BBC Channels

 

 

How can I order Sky Essential TV?

To get the best deals on TV, broadband, mobile and more, book a free call with one of our Connections Experts. Our team can help you build your perfect plan, whether that’s just Essential TV or a full entertainment package. Plus, we partner with Sky to offer limited-time discounts and promotions to our customers.

If you’d prefer to order direct, you can sign up through the Sky website. 

 

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