Sky will soon ditch one of the streaming services it added in 2021.
Peacock will no longer be available on Sky Q, Sky Glass and Sky Stream from 9 January 2024, with the app removed and many of its shows made unavailable.
That means shows like Bell Air, Saved by the Bell and Rutherford Falls will either be taken down completely or moved into Sky's own on demand library. Some might end up in the Hayu app instead.
This will also affect Peacock content that's currently available through Now.
To be honest, if you go into the Peacock app through a Sky device today, such as the Sky Stream we use, you'll see a feeble collection of shows anyway. The trimming and transition has clearly already started.
But if you want to ensure you keep up to date on a show such as Below Deck, you'd best do so now as there's no guarantee it'll be available as part of your Sky subscription in future.
Peacock launched on Sky TV (and Now) in late 2021 as a completely free offering for Sky subscribers. That's because it's owned by NBCUniversal, which itself is owned by Comcast. And Comcast owns Sky in the UK and other regions in which it operates.
It's always been a very different offering in the UK to the US, where the streaming service is much larger. As well as NBCUniversal shows and movies, it incorporates other programming in the States, such as content from the WWE Network, including live premium events, such as Wrestlemania.
The lack of the wider range of material meant it never really gained a reputation in the UK, and it is therefore understandable that Comcast has simply decided to integrate any NBCUniversal shows into the general Sky experience going forward.
Sky TV subscribers might be dismayed over the loss of one of the main free benefits they've enjoyed over the last couple of years, but the broadcaster still offers a six-month free trial of Apple TV+, free access to Discovery+, and plenty of other bonuses through its Sky VIP programme.
