topic Re: Issues With ad skipping in Sky Stream

Issues With ad skipping

Tommy2 — Wed, 03 Jun 2026 12:35:21 GMT

I have added on ad skipping to my Sky account and was advised that thsi would work with channel 4 and ITV, Unfortunetly it is not removing the ads from Channel 4 nor letting me skip adverts. I have started a trial for Channel 4 + and that works letting me skip the adverts howver, my underatnding is that this was included in Sky by deafult and taht I wouldnt ahve to pay extra to skip adverts on Channel 4 and ITV. Any help or advice would be mcuh appreciated.

Re: Issues With ad skipping

Stephen+Mourton — Wed, 03 Jun 2026 12:50:16 GMT

Hi @Tommy2 I sympathise with you. I have found on Sky channels the add skipping is very elegant and works well. Likewise iPlayer which is BBC's system works very, however the ITV system is not as good and the Channel 4 and Channel 5 are very poor.

One thing I have found is if you wait for the adverts to actually start and then press the skip app it works better. That being said watching Countdown on Channel 4 on catchup it was a nightmare. I would stop it at the end of the adverts watch for a few minutes then it would cut out and return me to the adverts I thought I had just skipped.

Re: Issues With ad skipping

Tommy2 — Wed, 03 Jun 2026 13:20:54 GMT

Thank you @Stephen+Mourton that is most helpful, I ahve been able to skip the ads on ITV shows by doing what you suggested, howevr on Channel 4 it only lets me skip them when I started a trial for Channel 4 + which has removed all ads, hwoevr there is clearly no point paying for Channel 4+ when Sky ad skipping is meant to work with Channel 4. Whilst I do really like Sky stream and being able to watch Sky TV all through the internet there are some things that could be improved. I certainly do miss being able to fast forawrd ads as I was able to on Sky +.

Re: Issues With ad skipping

Hunter2660 — Wed, 03 Jun 2026 13:57:31 GMT

The ad skip works differently on each app. On the ch4 app, if I remember, you need click f/f and hold, then it starts working through the ads. Can't remember how the ch5 app behaved. You'll need to experiment with each app to find a solution that works for you.

Re: Issues With ad skipping

MarkGoldsmith — Wed, 03 Jun 2026 17:53:58 GMT

@Hunter2660 wrote:
The ad skip works differently on each app. On the ch4 app, if I remember, you need click f/f and hold, then it starts working through the ads. Can't remember how the ch5 app behaved. You'll need to experiment with each app to find a solution that works for you.

Yeah exactly this, the method of skipping or fast forwarding the ads will vary app by app.

Re: Issues With ad skipping

Tommy2 — Wed, 03 Jun 2026 18:35:36 GMT

Thank you, I'm aware it works differently on each app @MarkGoldsmith however, as mentioned on Channel 4 app it didn't work when Sky ad skipping was added, it only worked when I signed up to a trial of Channel 4 +, which as mentioned I shouldn't have to pay for seeing as Sky ad skipping is already meant to work with Channel 4 app.

Re: Issues With ad skipping

MarkGoldsmith — Thu, 04 Jun 2026 07:45:41 GMT

@Tommy2 wrote:
Thank you, I'm aware it works differently on each app @MarkGoldsmith however, as mentioned on Channel 4 app it didn't work when Sky ad skipping was added, it only worked when I signed up to a trial of Channel 4 +, which as mentioned I shouldn't have to pay for seeing as Sky ad skipping is already meant to work with Channel 4 app.

What was happening when you tried to fast forward to the ads on the C4 app, was it just not responding to you press the FF button on the remote?

Did you try a reboot of the puck or an App Refresh to see if that resolved the issue?

Re: Issues With ad skipping

Angel_Aka — Thu, 04 Jun 2026 08:42:46 GMT

@Tommy2 wrote:
Thank you, I'm aware it works differently on each app @MarkGoldsmith however, as mentioned on Channel 4 app it didn't work when Sky ad skipping was added, it only worked when I signed up to a trial of Channel 4 +, which as mentioned I shouldn't have to pay for seeing as Sky ad skipping is already meant to work with Channel 4 app.

A Channel4+ subscription removes all ads from on demand content so there is no need to attempt to fast forward with the Sky Stream remote.

It's worth pointing out that I subscribed to Channel 4+ for a couple of months then cancelled it. It then offered me 3 further months for just £1.99pm which I have taken. I abhor ads of any kind so am much happier paying for ad-free than the glitchy ad-skipping Sky offer.

Re: Issues With ad skipping

Tommy2 — Thu, 04 Jun 2026 10:10:30 GMT

thank you @Angel_Aka I am fully aware of that but I meant before I joined Channel 4 + as a trial it wouldnt let me skip ads.

Re: Issues With ad skipping

lettice — Thu, 04 Jun 2026 14:50:07 GMT

@Tommy2

I think I'm understanding what you are saying.

I do not often use the C4 app, maybe a few times a week.

I have ad skipping and just given it a good test ( whilst moved to watching the test cricket on Sky Go), with some films, a few new progs and some of my current playlist episodes I have.

Its running fine.
As above its a shame all these many apps in their approach for such things along with ff/rew timelines are slightly different, but it becomes second nature after some weeks/months or three years or so in my case of using Sky Stream.

With the C4 app, let the ad start, then click the outer right part of the select button and hold it down. Once it starts moving through the advert timeline, click once and/or twice on the middle part of the select button and let go after each of those clicks and it will move through the ad timeline faster.

Re: Issues With ad skipping

Hunter2660 — Thu, 04 Jun 2026 14:51:51 GMT

As above what happens when you press and hold to f/f? Doesn't it eventually slide through the ads? If you expect it to skip in the same way as the Sky on demand stuff it simply won't. It isn't designed to do that.

Re: Issues With ad skipping

Tommy2 — Thu, 04 Jun 2026 23:27:39 GMT

No it doesn't skip neither does ITV however as mentioned on channel 4 + it does. I think Sky do need to coordinate with channel 4 better to make this happen.

Re: Issues With ad skipping

Hunter2660 — Fri, 05 Jun 2026 14:54:50 GMT

Ah! I think I see what you're getting at now. Unless you subscribe to the apps in question, then the ads will always be there. What the ad skip on Sky enables you to do is fast forward through the ads, similar to a PVR recording. This is something that can't be done using the ITV or Ch4 apps on any other device.

Re: Issues With ad skipping

Tommy2 — Sat, 06 Jun 2026 00:15:05 GMT

@Hunter2660 yeah thats it but unfortuantely even that is not working all the time.

Re: Issues With ad skipping

Hunter2660 — Sat, 06 Jun 2026 13:42:10 GMT

I can see you have some annoying issues with Stream. If it's any help I have a Now subscription, the savings in making the switch allows me to sub to ITVX and Ch4 for ad free content. At the end of the day it's whatever works for you. If you can go without Sky's OS, and free Netflix etc. then maybe have a rethink and try somewhere else for Sky's content. Don't stick with something if it's really not working for you.

Re: Issues With ad skipping

Tommy2 — Wed, 10 Jun 2026 13:51:32 GMT

thank you @Hunter2660 for explaining this, it appears that there was a glicth with ITV, I can however now skip trhough ads quickly on iTV as you mentioned but it is annoying that adverts mid show arent removed on Channel 4 when you have Sky ad skipping, as they are on Channel 4 +, dont get me weong I do really like Sky and the ocntent but sometiems there could be less adverts on Sky's content,whcih again is another thing I miss about Sky+ beinga ble to fast forward through adverts without having to pay extra.

Re: Issues With ad skipping

Hunter2660 — Wed, 10 Jun 2026 14:53:42 GMT

Glad you got it sorted. The reason I suggested Now is that with Boost added there are no ads at all on Sky's content. Overall it's cheaper, if you get the right deal, which would leave the option open to add an ITVX and Ch4 sub. Again it's whether you 're comfortable losing Sky's OS and the free Netflix, Disney etc.

Re: Issues With ad skipping

MarkGoldsmith — Wed, 10 Jun 2026 15:10:45 GMT

@Tommy2 wrote:
thank you @Hunter2660 for explaining this, it appears that there was a glicth with ITV, I can however now skip trhough ads quickly on iTV as you mentioned but it is annoying that adverts mid show arent removed on Channel 4 when you have Sky ad skipping, as they are on Channel 4 +, dont get me weong I do really like Sky and the ocntent but sometiems there could be less adverts on Sky's content,whcih again is another thing I miss about Sky+ beinga ble to fast forward through adverts without having to pay extra.

One of the reasons I hope that Comcast do end up purchasing the non-studios part of ITV, is that then they would quite easily be able to just upgrade ad-skipping customers to ITV X Premium to completely remove the ads.

Re: Issues With ad skipping

Tommy2 — Wed, 10 Jun 2026 23:07:30 GMT

@MarkGoldsmith do you think thats likely to happen ?

Re: Issues With ad skipping

MarkGoldsmith — Thu, 11 Jun 2026 06:57:59 GMT

@Tommy2 wrote:
@MarkGoldsmith do you think thats likely to happen ?

Well its been a while since the media first reported that Comcast and ITV were in talks. The last i saw reported was only a few weeks ago, which said both parties were still talking. I guess because any takeover move is only for half the company and ignores ITV Studios, it makes any potential deal a lot more complicated.

It has been widely reported for some time that ITV were interested in selling the non-studio part of their business.