topic Re: Trying to downgrade from Sky Variety package on Sky Q to Sky Essentials in Sky Q

Trying to downgrade from Sky Variety package on Sky Q to Sky Essentials

TDummy — Fri, 08 Aug 2025 15:40:39 GMT

I have Sky Q with the old Variety Package + Sky Sports, Sky Cinema and multiscreen. I value and use the Netflix inclusion. I am paying £109.50 per month and need to reduce this. I cannot enter into a long term contract because we may move at any time into another family member's house with an existing Sky service and do not want to be left paying off the contract.

I rang Sky to change to Sky Essentials with the intention of adding HD and Sky Sports and saving a lot, whilst still enjoying the Netflix inclusion. I couldn't get past the initial, very obstructive conversation in which the Sky person told me that Sky Essentials only gave me "4 or 5 Freeview channels and nothing else" and that what I could see on line did not apply to existing Sky Q customers! Surely this is not true, is it, or is what is available to me as a legacy Sky Q customer inferior to/more expensive than what is available to new Sky Glass/Stream customers?

My intention would be (using non-contract monthly figures) to move to Sky Essentials for £15, add HD for I think £12, add Sky Sports for I think £34 and keep multiscreen for £15 - all totalling £66 per month rather than £109.50.

Is my intention achievable? Would the inclusion of HD bring any extra channels? Would the package include Netflix? Is there an alternative low cost package that is available on Sky Q and gives more than Freesat or would it be better to cancel Sky Q and reapply as a Stream customer?

It would be great if one could get through to a helpful person at Sky to get these answers rather than getting aggressive, hard to understand reactions.

Sorry - lots of questions but I am finding this process pretty complicated/opaque/obstructive. Any answers or advice would be gratefully received.

Re: Trying to downgrade from Sky Variety package on Sky Q to Sky Essentials

MightyQuinn — Fri, 08 Aug 2025 15:48:26 GMT

Hi @TDummy You appear to be looking at the wrong Sky Essentials. The one that includes Netflix is only available on Stream/Glass. The Sky Q Essentials is free-to-air channels only and is not a base package to add other bundles apart from Multiscreen. You need the base package of Signature to add other subscriptions.

Re: Trying to downgrade from Sky Variety package on Sky Q to Sky Essentials

PandJ2020 — Fri, 08 Aug 2025 16:24:50 GMT

@MightyQuinn wrote:
You need the base package of Signature to add other subscriptions.

Indeed - and Variety is a legacy package. Any changes will require changing to Signature - and they will try and lock in a 24 month deal.

They may let you move to a monthly rolling contract but it may not be 'cheap'.

You can purchase NetFlix direct from NetFlix of course.

Re: Trying to downgrade from Sky Variety package on Sky Q to Sky Essentials

TDummy — Fri, 08 Aug 2025 16:44:51 GMT

Thank you both. Very helpful.

So I was correct in raising the question "is what is available to me as a legacy Sky Q customer inferior to/more expensive than what is available to new Sky Glass/Stream customers".

I cannot see anywhere, on the Sky site, a suggestion that Sky Q Essentials cannot be built upon and that one has to start with Signature. As far as I can now see, Signature without a 24 month contract is £45 per month (including a £4.50 charge for Netflix), essentially (ha, ha!) the same as I am paying for the legacy Variety package.

May I repeat my question: "would it be better to cancel Sky Q and reapply as a Stream customer?"

Re: Trying to downgrade from Sky Variety package on Sky Q to Sky Essentials

MightyQuinn — Fri, 08 Aug 2025 16:58:10 GMT

Hi @TDummy You will not be treated as a new customer by moving to Stream or Glass. Don't be surprised if Sky quote you the same price for your current package you have on Sky Q to move to Sky Stream. New customers, are completely new to Sky or moved away from Sky for at least 18 months.

Re: Trying to downgrade from Sky Variety package on Sky Q to Sky Essentials

BenJoBanjo — Fri, 08 Aug 2025 16:58:41 GMT

@TDummy wrote:
Thank you both. Very helpful.

So I was correct in raising the question "is what is available to me as a legacy Sky Q customer inferior to/more expensive than what is available to new Sky Glass/Stream customers".

I cannot see anywhere, on the Sky site, a suggestion that Sky Q Essentials cannot be built upon and that one has to start with Signature. As far as I can now see, Signature without a 24 month contract is £45 per month (including a £4.50 charge for Netflix), essentially (ha, ha!) the same as I am paying for the legacy Variety package.

May I repeat my question: "would it be better to cancel Sky Q and reapply as a Stream customer?"

It's absolutely possible to switch to Sky Q Essentials. You can also add HD, Sports and Multiscreen. I know of at least one person who has this exact package, downgraded from a previous Sky Signature package on Q - you just need to speak to an adviser who understands how to input the package details on their system.

The one thing you can't do is add Netflix to a Q Essentials package. Just subscribe to Netflix directly, or rather, let your billing revert back from Sky to Netflix direct and pay for it that way.

Re: Trying to downgrade from Sky Variety package on Sky Q to Sky Essentials

PandJ2020 — Fri, 08 Aug 2025 17:03:08 GMT

@BenJoBanjo wrote:
It's absolutely possible to switch to Sky Q Essentials. You can also add HD, Sports and Multiscreen. I know of at least one person who has this exact package, downgraded from a previous Sky Signature package on Q - you just need to speak to an adviser who understands how to input the package details on their system.

Yes - it seems Sky have relaxed what addon's you can have with Q Essentials. Previously it was rather restrictive....

Re: Trying to downgrade from Sky Variety package on Sky Q to Sky Essentials

MightyQuinn — Fri, 08 Aug 2025 17:06:07 GMT

@TDummy wrote:
Sky Q Essentials

Hi @TDummy Sky Q Essentials is only for people that want to continue with their Sky Q box and have free-to-air channels with recording facilities. Basically for people that can only afford £15 or don't have terrestrial TV coverage.

Edit: I concede to others more knowledgeable than myself.

Re: Trying to downgrade from Sky Variety package on Sky Q to Sky Essentials

TDummy — Fri, 08 Aug 2025 17:38:51 GMT

Thank you very much. This is particularly helpful and represents the very reason for using this forum.

Re: Trying to downgrade from Sky Variety package on Sky Q to Sky Essentials

TDummy — Fri, 08 Aug 2025 17:40:06 GMT

I meant that to specifically to BenJoBanjo. Sorry for fat finger.

Re: Trying to downgrade from Sky Variety package on Sky Q to Sky Essentials

Limbo1 — Wed, 31 Dec 2025 17:06:55 GMT

I'm try to go back to sky essentials from sky signature

Re: Trying to downgrade from Sky Variety package on Sky Q to Sky Essentials

PandJ2020 — Wed, 31 Dec 2025 17:33:20 GMT

@Limbo1 wrote:
I'm try to go back to sky essentials from sky signature

Essentials seems to have been discontinued. Signature is the minimum.

Re: Trying to downgrade from Sky Variety package on Sky Q to Sky Essentials

TimmyBGood — Wed, 31 Dec 2025 17:58:17 GMT

@PandJ2020 wrote:

@Limbo1 wrote:

I'm try to go back to sky essentials from sky signature

Essentials seems to have been discontinued. Signature is the minimum.

Or 'Essential TV' on Sky Stream.

It's unclear what happens if people can no longer get 'Television Essentials' on Sky Q but don't have the bandwidth or WiFi for Stream.

Re: Trying to downgrade from Sky Variety package on Sky Q to Sky Essentials

TimmyBGood — Wed, 31 Dec 2025 17:59:29 GMT

@Limbo1 wrote:

I'm try to go back to sky essentials from sky signature

If outside a minimum contract term, a Freesat 4K recording box gets almost identical facilities without a subscription.