Jitna Baghani | August 1st, 2022
Sky Max is an exciting new addition to Sky’s TV service in the UK and Ireland. The channel launched in 2021, alongside Sky Comedy. Sky Max and Comedy were both launched as a replacement to their popular predecessor Sky One, which was on air for over 40 years. Sky One split into Sky Max for drama and entertainment content, while comedy content moved to Sky Comedy.
Sky Max is the new home of Sky's blockbuster entertainment. Launched in 2021, Sky Max comes standard in Sky TV’s basic line-up, giving you access to top-notch entertainment, including exclusive content, at no extra cost. We’ve put together this handy guide to break down everything included in Sky Max, the most cost-effective ways to get it, and how to subscribe now.
Sky Max isn’t available on its own, though you can get it directly if you sign up for any of Sky’s TV deals, including their basic TV package. You can also get access to Sky Max through a handful of other TV providers, though the cost, channel offering and viewing quality may vary depending which provider you sign up with. Read on to find out more.
It’s best to narrow down what you want to watch, and then compare the bundles that include all your favourites before comparing prices. If you only want access to Sky Max and nothing more, a subscription to NOW directly or via BT TV is your best bet, though the viewing quality will likely not be as good as with Sky or Virgin Media.
Catch up on your favourite Sky Max shows on your smart TV, or stream content directly to your laptop or desktop computer. You can also watch Sky Max on the Sky Go mobile app using your smartphone, tablet, laptop or video games console. Sky Go is available as a desktop app for Mac and Windows, and if that’s not enough, Sky Mobile lets you watch your favourite shows on the go without using your data. All of this is available at no extra cost with a Sky TV subscription.
Sky Max is packed to the brim with epic Sky content you know and love, including exclusive content that isn’t available on other channels. Sky Max offers blockbuster US dramas, Sky Originals like A Discovery of Witches and COBRA, the best of British and American comedy-dramas, HBO Max favourites and more. Though most comedy content has found a new home on Sky Comedy, you’ll still get your laughs from popular panel shows like A League of Their Own and Never Mind The Buzzcocks.
Not interested in a lengthy TV service contract? Don’t want to splash out for a TV bundle with loads of channels you’ll never watch? Not to worry, because there are alternatives to the content you get on Sky Max. If you’re lucky, you might find some of the same content elsewhere, but that won’t include any Sky Originals or content with rights exclusive to Sky.
If you like the idea of watching blockbuster films, top TV entertainment, or family favourites but not particularly fussed about which specific shows you want to watch, a streaming service like Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, Apple TV, NOW TV or Disney+ could be a good fit. All these options offer affordable monthly subscription services, and you can often avoid being tied into a contract. Streaming platforms often have huge catalogues of new and old content, with frequent content updates for your enjoyment. There’s also an increasing trend to host exclusive and original content, similar to the big TV players like Sky. Your best bet is to browse the catalogues of any streaming services to find the content that suits your taste, and you’ll find hours of content to keep you busy, no matter what you prefer to watch.
They say there’s no such thing as a free lunch, but Freeview’s entertainment offering comes awfully close. Freeview is the UK’s biggest TV platform, offering hundreds of channels to UK households free of charge. Freeview is free to use, offering over 40,000 hours of on-demand TV, and more than 700 boxsets across 70 channels, including 15 additional channels in HD. Freeview offers something for everyone, whether you want to catch up on current events, watch live sporting events, entertain the kids, or have a movie night at home. Free entertainment shouldn’t be underestimated, but if that’s not enough, you have the option to top-up your free channels with streaming services via Freeview directly. They’ve got a mobile app available for streaming content on the go too.
Yes, you can subscribe to a NOW TV Entertainment membership with NOW TV, which includes Sky Max and lots of additional content without a contract.
Yes. If you sign up to Sky TV with Sky directly or through another provider such as Virgin Media, you can watch it on your smartphone using Sky’s free SkyGo app.
Yes, but you will have to add-on HD+ and HD if you sign up with Sky directly. Sky Max comes in HD on Virgin Media’s bigger and biggest bundles, and you have the option to bolt-on HD viewing with a NOW membership for an additional monthly fee.