"The TV channels that might be past their sell-by date…"

[ZyloKai]

RXTV Info recently posted some channels that they claim are beyond their sell-by date. Article is here: https://rxtvinfo.com/2025/the-tv-channels-that-might-be-past-their-sell-by-date/ 

These include:

U&Eden

Replaced UKTV Documentaries in 2009, initially focused on natural history but has since become a recycling hub for reality and factual programmes already aired across the UKTV network. Despite occasional nature-related content on Fridays and Saturdays, its schedule is largely filled with repeats, lacking the strong identity seen in other UKTV channels.

That’s TV 3

That’s TV, originally a local TV operator, has rapidly expanded, now running multiple entertainment and music channels, including the newly launched That’s TV 3. With 16 hours of its schedule dedicated to music, mostly That’s Oldies, it effectively operates as a music channel within the entertainment section, while the remaining hours recycle content from its sister channels, making it feel like an uninspired addition to the lineup.

Sky Replay
Sky Replay offers delayed broadcasts of Sky’s programmes and reruns on other Sky  channels, its purpose feels redundant. Unless you're particularly keen on extra showings of Border Patrol and Highway Patrol, there’s little reason to tune in.

4seven
Launched in 2012 as a linear catch-up channel, 4seven promised to showcase Channel 4’s most talked-about programmes based on viewer feedback. However, with schedules set weeks in advance and major dramas excluded, it largely served as a delayed repeat service, with no real evidence of its content being shaped by audience reactions.

Now resembling a More4 duplicate, 4seven offers yet more repeats of Four in a Bed, Come Dine with Me, and A Place in the Sun, but without any original content. With Channel 4 streaming rendering it increasingly redundant and the broadcaster planning further linear closures, 4seven seems the most likely candidate for the axe.

Some others I would like to add to this list are:

• That's TV  2
• All +1 channels - Om demand and streaming makes these obsolete
• All SD channels if HD version is available
• Challenge (maybe not obsolete, but need to reduce hours severly, combine with Sky Mix and Sky Reply)
• Discovery History (Rarely shows historic programmes)
• DMAX
• E4 Extra
• GREAT tv!
• Sky Showcase (the only original programming is The Simpsons, which could easily move to Sky Max)
• Sky Cinema (keep 3 max, Premiere, Select 1, Select 2, the rest is on-demand)
• Sky Sports (keep 5 max (excl News) - the rest can be shown on Sky Sports+ interactive)
• Box office channels - These don't need to be added to the EPG and should be accessed via the menu for the event. 
• Religious channel
• Shopping channels
• International - make them in an app instead
• Adult channels
• Regional channels - make them part of the BBC/ITVX apps.
• Radio channels - make them into an app instead.

[Timelord2018]

Sky Replay is very likely to close imo, the catch up of shows from Sky Max and Sky Witness a few hours later or next day was dropped a few months. Stargate SG1/Universe repeats have been removed aswell , it's only used for rights that are expiring in the coming months.

[japitts]

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@ZyloKai wrote:

4seven
.....With Channel 4 streaming rendering it increasingly redundant and the broadcaster planning further linear closures, 4seven seems the most likely candidate for the axe.

Some others I would like to add to this list are:

• All +1 channels - Om demand and streaming makes these obsolete
• Sky Showcase (the only original programming is The Simpsons, which could easily move to Sky Max)
• Sky Cinema (keep 3 max, Premiere, Select 1, Select 2, the rest is on-demand)
• Sky Sports (keep 5 max (excl News) - the rest can be shown on Sky Sports+ interactive)
• Shopping channels
• Radio channels - make them into an app instead.

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Disagree with some of your points...

You mention about streaming & OnDemand rendering 4-Seven, +1 & Sports channels irrelevant. To a point you're right, but relying on streaming has some issues...

1: It allows broadcasters to enforce non-skippable adverts, not an issue with linear broadcast channels.

2: It doesn't allow recording of live content, which for sports & other live events is an issue.

I don't know about Sky's commercials, but on Virgin's platform at least, shopping channels provide some income for the platform owner which can offset other costs and/or carriage agreements.

Putting radio channels into an app - as with streaming & OnDemand, this prevents recording of them. I'm sure it's more of a niche requirement, but some users still value this.

I seem to recall one of the reasons for Sky Showcase was to treat entertainment in the same vein as Sky Sports which has Main Event as a "shop window" easily used by pubs & other entertainment venues.

[ZyloKai]

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@japitts wrote:

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@ZyloKai wrote:

4seven
.....With Channel 4 streaming rendering it increasingly redundant and the broadcaster planning further linear closures, 4seven seems the most likely candidate for the axe.

Some others I would like to add to this list are:

• All +1 channels - Om demand and streaming makes these obsolete
• Sky Showcase (the only original programming is The Simpsons, which could easily move to Sky Max)
• Sky Cinema (keep 3 max, Premiere, Select 1, Select 2, the rest is on-demand)
• Sky Sports (keep 5 max (excl News) - the rest can be shown on Sky Sports+ interactive)
• Shopping channels
• Radio channels - make them into an app instead.

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Disagree with some of your points...

You mention about streaming & OnDemand rendering 4-Seven, +1 & Sports channels irrelevant. To a point you're right, but relying on streaming has some issues...

1: It allows broadcasters to enforce non-skippable adverts, not an issue with linear broadcast channels.

2: It doesn't allow recording of live content, which for sports & other live events is an issue.

I don't know about Sky's commercials, but on Virgin's platform at least, shopping channels provide some income for the platform owner which can offset other costs and/or carriage agreements.

Putting radio channels into an app - as with streaming & OnDemand, this prevents recording of them. I'm sure it's more of a niche requirement, but some users still value this.

I seem to recall one of the reasons for Sky Showcase was to treat entertainment in the same vein as Sky Sports which has Main Event as a "shop window" easily used by pubs & other entertainment venues.

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Just for clarification, everything under 4Seven is my own thoughts and ideas, the others are what were mentioned in the article.

We're moving within the next 10 years (I would assume) to Sky Stream and moving away from satellite TV. My point is that on the apps, they could be upgraded to allow recording. 

+1 channels are incredibly obsolete now. 
Sky Sports+ has up to 100 streaming channels. If there are added to the Sky Stream EPG, the current Sky Sports channels would not be needed. Same with Sky Cinema, they could keep one of two linear channels and have the others as streaming channels. The others are the same as could be added to the Sky Stream EPG but as an app on Sky Q. 

Also, on Sky Stream, one cannot fast forward the adverts on recordings without paying (I think) £10/€15 per month. My idea is just if Sky Stream and channels being provided via streaming, the cost should come down, especially if they are streaming channels only and  especially if Sky wants to keep customers when satellite TV in the UK & Ireland eventually becomes obsolete.  

[ZyloKai]

Here is my full list of channels I think should be removed from Sky: 

• Local TV
• That's TV (local)
  • Can be combined to one version of each to show news broadcasts all day. 
• 4Seven
• U&Eden
• Discovery History
• That's TV 2
• That's TV 3
• Rewind TV 
  • Create new channel "That's Rewind", more entertainement, less music throughout the day from That's TV and Rewind TV
• Sky Replay
• Sky Mix
• Challenge
  • These Sky channels can become one channel
• RTÉ One +1
• RTE2 +1
• Virgin Media One +1
• ITV1 +1
• Channel 4 +1
• Channel 5 +1
• Sky Showcase +1
• Sky Witness +1
• Sky Atlantic +1
• U&Alibi +1
• U&Gold +1
• U&Dave +1
• Comedy Central +1
• ITV2 +1
• ITV3 +1
• ITV4 +1
• Sky Crime +1
• Sky History +1
• Discovery +1
• 5STAR +1
• National Geographic +1
• U&W +1
• TLC +1
• E4 +1
• More4 +1
• Food Network +1
• 5USA +1
• U&Drama +1
• Quest +1
• True Crime +1
• Quest Red +1
• Investigation Discovery +1
• U&Yesterday +1
• Crime + Investigation +1
• GREAT! tv +1
• HGTV +1
• DMAX +1
• Discovery Turbo +1
• Animal Planet +1
• U&Eden +1
• Discovery Science +1
• Discovery Turbo +1
• Discovery History +1
• Film4 +1
• GREAT! romance +1
• GREAT! movies +1
• GREAT! action +1
• TNT Sports Box Office HD
• Sky Sports Box Office HD
• TNT Sports Box Office 2 HD 
  • Box office event channels can be accessed via the menu, don't need an EPG slot
• Cartoon Network +1
• Boomerang +1
• Nickelodeon +1
• Nick Jr. +1
• Pop +1
• Pop Max +1
• Tiny Pop +1
• High Street TV 2 (+½)
• High Street TV 3 (+1)
• Cartoon Network SD
• Boomerang SD
• Nickelodeon SD
• Nick Jr. SD
• STV SD
• S4C SD
• Channel 5 SD
• Sky Showcase SD
• Sky Witness SD
• Sky Atlantic SD
• U&Alibi SD
• U&Gold SD
• U&Dave SD
• Comedy Central SD
• Sky Max SD
• Sky Comedy SD
• Sky Documentaries SD
• Sky Crime SD
• Sky History SD
• Sky Nature SD
• Discovery Channel SD
• MTV SD
• National Geographic SD
• Sky Arts SD
• U&W SD
• TLC SD
• E4 SD
• More4 SD
• Quest SD
• Sky Sci-Fi SD
• Crime + Investigation SD
• Sky History2 SD
• National Geographic Wild SD
• U&Yesterday SD
• Film4 SD
• Sky Sports Premier League SD
• Sky Sports Football  SD
• Sky Sports Cricket SD
• Sky Sports Golf SD
• Sky Sports F1 SD
• Sky Sports Action SD
• Sky Sports News SD
• Sky Sports+ SD
• TNT Sports 1 SD
• TNT Sports 2 SD
• Sky Sports Racing SD
• Sky Sports Mix SD
• TNT Sports 3 SD
• TNT Sports 4 SD
• Racing TV SD
• Sky Sports Tennis SD
• Sky News SD
• TRT World SD
• Sony Entertainment TV SD
• Utsav Plus SD
• Colors SD
• Sony MAX SD
• Utsav Gold SD
• Zee TV SD
• Television X
• Adult Channel
• Xpanded TV
• Babes & Brazzers
• Babestation/Babenation
• TVX 40+
• XXX Girl Girl
• Climax
• BBC One (regional, 951-966)
• BBC Two (regional, 967-969)
• ITV1 +1 (973)
  • Regional channels can be put on BBC iPlayer, ITVX
• Sky Intro (899, 950)
• All radio channels
  • Can be moved to respective apps, e.g. RTÉ Player, BBC Sounds, Radioplayer, Global Player, etc.)

(I didn't add Eurosport 1 SD and Eurosport 2 SD, as they are closing 28 February)

[oj01]

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@ZyloKai wrote:

Here is my full list of channels I think should be removed from Sky: 

•  

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Presumably this is just a list of channels that you, personally, don't watch with no justification whatsoever for why they should be removed?

[ZyloKai]

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@oj01 wrote:

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@ZyloKai wrote:

Here is my full list of channels I think should be removed from Sky: 

•  

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Presumably this is just a list of channels that you, personally, don't watch with no justification whatsoever for why they should be removed?

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I'm the OP, look at my first comment under "Some others I would like to add to this list are:". 

But to please you:

Local channels on Freeview and Sky. Instead of simulcasting True Crime on the Local TV channels and the national version of That's TV on the local That's TV channels can combine into one Local TV and one That's TV channel showing their own content of local news from all regions throughout the day. Similar to how Local TV was when it was on Sky, before it was removed a few years ago .

• Local TV (incl. London TV)
• That's TV (local versions)

Entertainment channels below do not live up to their original purpose. These do not show any original content or show content that is not reflective of their name. U&Eden was a nature channel, it's now showing The Bill and Pointless with little nature shows. Discovery History too, with showing NASA, and alien shows. That's TV channels and Rewind TV could become one channel called That's Rewind with more content so That's TV doesn't show music during the day (They have separate music channels to do this). The Sky channels in this section could become one channel; Sky Replay seems to become a filler channel, and honestly Sky Mix is not worth watching. Challenge shows mostly one show during prime time, combine the 3 for a channel that would be worth watching.

• 4Seven
• U&Eden
• Discovery History
• That's TV 2
• That's TV 3
• Rewind TV 
• Sky Replay
• Sky Mix
• Challenge

Time shift channels have become obsolete due to the likes of streaming and on-demand content, so these can be removed. 

• RTÉ One +1
• RTE2 +1
• Virgin Media One +1
• ITV1 +1
• Channel 4 +1
• Channel 5 +1
• Sky Showcase +1
• Sky Witness +1
• Sky Atlantic +1
• U&Alibi +1
• U&Gold +1
• U&DaveJaVu
• Comedy Central +1
• ITV2 +1
• ITV3 +1
• ITV4 +1
• Sky Crime +1
• Sky History +1
• Discovery +1
• 5STAR +1
• National Geographic +1
• U&W +1
• TLC +1
• E4 +1
• More4 +1
• Food Network +1
• 5USA +1
• U&Drama +1
• Quest +1
• True Crime +1
• Quest Red +1
• Investigation Discovery +1
• U&Yesterday +1
• Crime + Investigation +1
• GREAT! tv +1
• HGTV +1
• DMAX +1
• Discovery Turbo +1
• Animal Planet +1
• U&Eden +1
• Discovery Science +1
• Discovery Turbo +1
• Discovery History +1
• Film4 +1
• GREAT! romance +1
• GREAT! movies +1
• GREAT! action +1
• Cartoon Network +1
• Boomerang +1
• Nickelodeon +1
• Nick Jr. +1
• Pop +1
• Pop Max +1
• Tiny Pop +1
• High Street TV 2 (+½)
• High Street TV 3 (+1)

Box office channels could only be on the EPG for the event previews and the event itself. Or an option could be to watch/record via the menu (Similar to Eurosport 4K, it's not on the EPG (on Sky Q), but can be accessed on the menu during and event)

• TNT Sports Box Office HD
• Sky Sports Box Office HD
• TNT Sports Box Office 2 HD 

SD channels that have a HD version should be removed. They're not needed. HD channels should come with the base packs. 

• Cartoon Network SD
• Boomerang SD
• Nickelodeon SD
• Nick Jr. SD
• STV SD
• S4C SD
• Channel 5 SD
• Sky Showcase SD
• Sky Witness SD
• Sky Atlantic SD
• U&Alibi SD
• U&Gold SD
• U&Dave SD
• Comedy Central SD
• Sky Max SD
• Sky Comedy SD
• Sky Documentaries SD
• Sky Crime SD
• Sky History SD
• Sky Nature SD
• Discovery Channel SD
• MTV SD
• National Geographic SD
• Sky Arts SD
• U&W SD
• TLC SD
• E4 SD
• More4 SD
• Quest SD
• Sky Sci-Fi SD
• Crime + Investigation SD
• Sky History2 SD
• National Geographic Wild SD
• U&Yesterday SD
• Film4 SD
• Sky Sports Premier League SD
• Sky Sports Football  SD
• Sky Sports Cricket SD
• Sky Sports Golf SD
• Sky Sports F1 SD
• Sky Sports Action SD
• Sky Sports News SD
• Sky Sports+ SD
• TNT Sports 1 SD
• TNT Sports 2 SD
• Sky Sports Racing SD
• Sky Sports Mix SD
• TNT Sports 3 SD
• TNT Sports 4 SD
• Racing TV SD
• Sky Sports Tennis SD
• Sky News SD
• TRT World SD
• Sony Entertainment TV SD
• Utsav Plus SD
• Colors SD
• Sony MAX SD
• Utsav Gold SD
• Zee TV SD

Adult channels. With the vast amount of adult content online, these are not needed.

• Television X
• Adult Channel
• Xpanded TV
• Babes & Brazzers
• Babestation/Babenation
• TVX 40+
• XXX Girl Girl
• Climax

Regional channels could be accessed via the BBC iPlayer or ITVX instead of taking up space on the EPG.

• BBC One (regional, 951-966)
• BBC Two (regional, 967-969)
• ITV1 +1 (973)
  

Adult channel buffers, as Sky Intro on channels 899 and 950 are channel buffers for the adult channels, if the adult channels were removed, these wouldn't be needed.

• Sky Intro (899, 950)

Radio channels - With BBC Sounds, Radioplayer UK, Radioplayer Ireland, Global Player, etc., radio channels are mostly duplicated in these apps and on the EPG.

• All radio channels

(I didn't add Eurosport 1 SD and Eurosport 2 SD, as they are closing 28 February)

[rscott]

+1 channels are used a lot still, especially by Sky+HD users who may not have access (or want to use) the streaming options.

Were Sky to scrap their SD channels and include HD by default, that would result in either a drop in average revenue per customer (no HD charge, good for customers, bad for shareholders) or an increase in the subscription cost (good for shareholders, bad for customers).

[ZyloKai]

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@rscott wrote:

+1 channels are used a lot still, especially by Sky+HD users who may not have access (or want to use) the streaming options.

Were Sky to scrap their SD channels and include HD by default, that would result in either a drop in average revenue per customer (no HD charge, good for customers, bad for shareholders) or an increase in the subscription cost (good for shareholders, bad for customers).

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But it's likely that with 10 years, Sky will end their satellite service entirely, and go with Sky Glass and Sky Stream and whatever comes after that.