Sky is the largest provider of pay-TV in the UK, but they also offer a subscription-free service. We look at this in more depth
Freesat from Sky
Over 240 channels with no subscription, installed for a one-off fee
Sky launched this service in 2004. For a one-off fee, Sky will install a satellite dish and a basic Sky digibox, and you’ll be able to watch around 240 channels without paying a subscription.
Channels available include the BBC and ITV channels, Channel 4, Channel 5, E4, Sky 3, BBC News, Sky News, Film 4, Film 24, Euronews, Zone Reality, Life, and Wedding TV. For a list of the free channels that can be viewed on a Sky dish and decoder without subscription, see Sky’s Free TV channel list.
A number of channels that are available on Freeview are not available on Sky Freesat, including Yesterday and Dave.
Freesat from Sky costs £175 to new customers, including box and installation. To get Freesat from Sky, call 08442 410 595, or go to www.sky.com/shop/freesat.
Answers to your Sky Freesat questions:
- The dish and box are yours to keep
- If you have an old Sky box and a satellite dish, you can get Freesat by buying a Freesat card from Sky. These cost £20. Call Sky on 08448 244 400, or go to Sky’s site.
- Existing Sky Digital users can switch to Sky Freesat over the phone for no charge.
- HD is not available on a Sky Freesat box. If you want HD, consider Sky+HD
- If you decide to sign up to a subscription pack from Sky, you’ll have all the kit you need, and a phone call will get you subscribed
| Can’t get ITV1, Channel 5, 5* or Five USA?
|
These channels are encrypted and need a Sky Viewing Card. These are free to subscribers, otherwise they cost £25. You can get a Sky Freesat viewing card by calling Sky on 08448 244 400, or go to
Sky Pay Once, Watch Forever
No longer offered by Sky
Pay Once, Watch Forever was launched by Sky in July 2007. It allowed you to get over 200 free-to-air TV channels without a subscription.
There was a one-off cost of £75 for the service, which included box and installation, and you got a few free months of viewing on Sky’s pay-service. Pay Once, Watch Forever was a cheap way to buy a Sky box and to get a dish without a subscription.
Pay Once-Watch Forever was available from Tescos online, but the last stocks disappeared from Tesco’s online store towards the end of July 2009.
As far as we know, the Pay Once, Watch Forever offering is no longer available. (Contact us if you know differently)
Alternatives: Sky’s Freesat service, discussed above, or the BBC/ITV service, also called Freesat.
On our other pages:
- Satellite TV in the UK – General information on services in the UK
- Free Satellite TV – A summary of what’s available for free
- Subscription-free TV – What can you get for free
- Sky Digital – Details on what Sky’s pay-TV service has to offer
- UK Satellite TV forum – Talk about satellite TV in the UK
i would like to know more about this one off fee that our offering,so does it mean then i pay a one off fee to you and i pay no more…if so what chanells
Is free Sat a one of payment of £25 I have a sky hd box thanks
Dear Sir/Ms, Is this freesat from sky service available in the republic of ireland.
Regards,
Michael
I have sky can i unlock all movies sky 1 all free
No freesat is only freeview channels and some sky ones
Freesat is 200 channels and freesat from sky is 240 channels services available dates question about which like better choose your box have Dish on LNB cable house wall up top.
my freesat card is not giving me itv tyne tees as it should and did until last week. my card number is 542 989 108. my address is 184 caoch road sleights north yorkshire yo22 5en
Can you record programs on Sky Freesat?
Thanks
I have been charged by Sky for a free sat card, while I already have a subscription with sky which I will be ending, I took out a sky freesat card and they have charged me 25.00, I thought this would be free. What freesat or freeview can I choose that will alow me to record and rewind programmes.
You cant record on a freesat box
My+freesat+card+is+not+working+all+channels+that+i+used+to+receive.+some+saying+wrong+card.my+number+is+505+908+707.++ive+had+this+card+for+some+years+now.+my+address+is+18+north+ave+leek+st13+8dp.+Do+i+need+a+new+card
I currently have a Sky+ HD box and subscribe to all packages available on Sky. I own the box and pay insurance on it.
I have just been made redundant and am looking to cut costs across my entire budget. I don’t want to pay for ANY TV if possible.
I am dropping the Cinema package, which only saves me £8.50 per month.
I am looking at dropping all of the other pay TV bundles.
I am told that I can continue to receive the free channels on my current Sky+ HD box.
What do I need to do?
What channels can I receive for free?
I enjoy sport. All the best sport has been lost by Sky and is now on BT Sports. Can I subscribe to BT Sports using my current box?
Wow… does it really need to be said that you shouldn’t give out personal info (like what was posted above) on a public forum on the internet? C’mon people this website obviously isn’t even affiliated with sky.
I know I’m being a bit rude here but you need to think carefully about everything involving personal information on the internet or you could end up seriously regretting your actions.
I have just cancelled my sky TV package (in 31 days time) I have a HD box which I’m told I can keep,but I’m still with sky with my broadband, can I get freesat without paying a subscription?
Am in kampala uganda (east Africa).
I need a remote for sky box model drx595l
It is NOT FREE is it as you have to pay for a viewing card.
Also the viewing card stops working after a time, I have used old Sky equipment from when I did have a subscription but it did stop working, I have paid for two, neither work now.
I now use a proper Freesat box, that has no viewing card and the Sky freesat channels are not available on it therefore it is not free at all is it, conditional on using shy equipment and paying for a not free viewing card.
The word free should not be misused so ‘freely’ as it corrupts its meaning and soon will be a useless word as it will not mean free at all.
Is it possible still to have sky freesat installed ?
I have an old freesat box that is plugged into my sky dish cable i had before and i get all the channels it says the freesat box
was one that the bbc gave to elegible residents when they changed to freevuew digital tv
At the momentbut as using virginmedia, but the price is going up to an unaffordable price.
We have a sky dish outside, and 2 bedrooms are wired up to sky, but not the lounge, if we wanted sky freesat, would sky connect the dish to our lounge for us, or could any tv engineer do this.
Also we have a HD tv, but sky freesat says you cannot get HD channels, but as we have an HD tv, would we still get the HD channels
If we can, then I will consider getting a sky box, and purchasing a freesat card
I have a sky dish and box , box not working instead message on screen saying not compatible with hdmi lead please remove lead why is this Elwyntranter
How much is free sat with a q box
Is free Sat a one of payment of £25 I have a sky hd box thanks