Pay television , also known as subscription television , premium television or, when referring to an individual service, a premium channel , refers to subscription -based television services, usually provided by multichannel television providers, but also increasingly via digital terrestrial and streaming television . In the United States, subscription television began in the late 1970s and early 1980s in the form of encrypted analog over-the-air broadcast television which could be decrypted with special equipment. The concept rapidly expanded through the multi-channel transition and into the post-network era . Other parts of the world beyond the United States, such as France and Latin America have also offered encrypted analog terrestrial signals available for subscription.
85-514: Sky One was a British pay television channel operated and owned by Sky Group (a division of Comcast ). Originally launched on 26 April 1982 as Satellite Television , it was Europe's first satellite and non- terrestrial channel. From 31 July 1989, it became Sky One and broadcast exclusively in the United Kingdom and Ireland as British Sky Broadcasting 's flagship channel. It existed until 1 September 2021, when it closed down as part of
170-469: A trial period , often one to three months, though there have been rare instances of free trials for pay services that last up to one year for newer subscribers to that provider's television service. Pay television has become popular with cable and satellite television . Pay television services often, at least two to three times per year, provide free previews of their services, in order to court potential subscribers by allowing this wider audience to sample
255-594: A Boy , The Middle , Manifest , You, Me and the Apocalypse and The Blacklist . Other American imports included CBS military/action dramas, science-fiction and Arrowverse superhero shows and The Blacklist (seasons 4–8). Sky One started on 26 April 1982 as Satellite Television Limited , and was Europe's first ever cable and satellite channel, originally broadcasting from the Orbital Test Satellite aimed at cable operators all over
340-571: A carriage deal between BSkyB and Virgin Media was reached and BSkyB's channels were available on Virgin's cable service from 13 November of that year. The Sky basic channels were spread across each tier of Virgin's cable television service: Sky Three and Sky News were made available in the lowest M tier; Sky Sports News joined the M+ tier; Sky One and Sky Two were made available in the L tier; and Sky Arts 1 , Sky Arts 2, Sky Real Lives and Sky Real Lives 2 joined
425-406: A crude decrypting of the over-the-air television signal and a decoding box, but never caught on for use at that time. It took another four decades when cable broadcasters started using pay-per-view on a widespread basis. "Free" variants are free-to-air (FTA) and free-to-view (FTV); however, FTV services are normally encrypted and decryption cards either come as part of an initial subscription to
510-632: A focus on their parent companies' libraries, with HBO Now replaced by HBO Max (now Max) in 2020 (which adds content from other Warner Bros. properties and third-parties, and would also be included with existing HBO subscriptions via television providers), and Showtime formally merging with Paramount+ in 2023. Canadian premium service The Movie Network similarly merged with the CraveTV service owned by parent company Bell Media in 2018. Pay-per-view (PPV) services are similar to subscription-based pay television services in that customers must pay to have
595-512: A joint venture between Sky and the European Broadcasting Union aimed at a pan-European audience (like Sky Channel had been up to that point for a time afterwards, some of Sky's previous pan-European programming continued to be broadcast before Eurosport's start-up, under the branding of Sky Europe ). A new raft of shows were created for the channel, including the daily talent show Sky Star Search ; game shows ( Sale of
680-513: A lower subscription fee. These are called "mini-pay" channels (a term also used for smaller scale commercial-free pay television services) and are often sold as a part of a package with numerous similarly priced channels. Usually, however, the regular pricing for premium channels ranges from just under $ 10 to near $ 25 per month per suite, with lower prices available via bundling options with cable or satellite providers, or special limited offers which are available during free preview periods or before
765-417: A main flagship channel is accompanied by secondary services with distinct schedules focusing on specific genres and audiences (such as multiplexes focusing more on "classic" films, or family-oriented programming), time shifting , or brand licensing deals (such as channels focusing specifically on Disney films , or content from U.S. pay television brands if they do not specifically run their own network in
850-535: A mix of original series, films, and specials. The shift towards SVOD has resulted in increasing competition within the sector, with media conglomerates having launched their own services (such as Disney+ , Paramount+ , Peacock , and Disney's acquisition of the majority of Hulu ) to compete, and existing premium networks such as HBO ( HBO Now ) and Showtime launching direct-to-consumer versions of their existing services to appeal to cord cutters . HBO and Showtime later absorbed their DTC offerings into wider services with
935-577: A new animated series Teenage Mutant Hero Turtles was added to children's programmes, and daily dating game show Love at First Sight was presented by Helen Brumby and Bruno Brookes . Following the daily repeats of Star Trek and Lost in Space , Sky One picked up a number of science-fiction shows which became a crucial part of its evening line-up such as the UK premiere of Alien Nation , also added reruns of V ( 1983 miniseries , The Final Battle and
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#17327732477631020-491: A number of home grown programmes (for example, dramas such as The Wanderer , Springhill , Dream Team and Space Island One ) while expanding its small number of Australian television series, notably include: Sky One focused in science-fiction and other series in the 2000s which did not have a lot of successes, including: Sky One also screened reality television shows such as: The channel received relative success with scientific shows such as: Sky One commissioned
1105-435: A pay television bouquet – in other words, an offer of pay-TV channels – or can be purchased for a one-time cost. FTA and FTV systems may still have selective access. ABC Australia is one example, as much of its programming content is free-to-air except for National Rugby League (NRL) games, which are encrypted. Linda de Mol Linda Margaretha de Mol (born 8 July 1964) is a Dutch television presenter and actress in
1190-693: A restriction as a few providers optionally sell that service without requiring a Showtime subscription. Unlike other cable networks, premium services are almost always subscribed to a la carte , meaning that one can, for example, subscribe to HBO without subscribing to Showtime (in Canada, there are slight modifications, as most providers include U.S. superstations – such as WAPA-TV – with their main premium package by default). However, subscribing to an "individual" service automatically includes access to all of that service's available multiplex channels and, in some cases, access to content via video-on-demand (in
1275-797: A restructuring with its EPG position taken by Sky Showcase and much of its content library moved to Sky Max . Sky One included some very popular original programmes —such as An Idiot Abroad , Brainiac: Science Abuse , The Russell Howard Hour , Battlestar Galactica —and many imported from North America, including 24 (seasons 3–9, and its spinoff Live Another Day ), The X-Files , Star Trek: The Next Generation , Star Trek: Deep Space Nine , Star Trek: Voyager , Bones (seasons 1–6, first half), Caprica , Fringe , Modern Family , Glee (seasons 3–6), House (seasons 5–8), Lie to Me , Lost (seasons 3–6), Prison Break (seasons 3–4), The Simpsons , Stargate ( SG-1 , Atlantis and Universe ), Touch , About
1360-425: A seasonal package. They are typically the most expensive type of pay services, generally running in the range of $ 35 to $ 50 per month. Some pay services also offer pornographic films ; Cinemax was well known for carrying a late-night block of softcore films and series known as "Max After Dark"—a reputation that led to the network often being nicknamed "Skinemax" by viewers. Cinemax phased out this programming in
1445-540: A short time during the 1980s, and unlike other general-interest pay services accepted outside advertising for broadcast during its sports telecasts), Preview , SelecTV and ON TV in the late 1970s, but those services disappeared as competition from cable television expanded during the 1980s. In Australia , Foxtel , Optus Television and TransACT are the major pay television distributors, all of which provide cable services in some metropolitan areas , with Foxtel providing satellite service for all other areas where cable
1530-401: A specific market). Typically, these services are bundled together with the main channel at no additional charge, and cannot be purchased separately. Depending on local regulations, pay television services generally have more lenient content standards because of their relatively narrower distribution, and not being subject to pressure from sponsors to tone down content. As a result, programming
1615-496: A two-part Terry Pratchett's Hogfather series for Christmas 2006, this proved to be successful and so in 2008, Sky brought out an adaptation of The Colour of Magic and its second half The Light Fantastic . On 30 May 2010, Sky One also released Terry Pratchett's Going Postal , the 33rd book in the Discworld series. Sky One had also re-commissioned a number of earlier game shows including Blockbusters , which brought
1700-420: A while since its original launch and first went in the clear in around 1987). The start of 1995 saw Sky One begin 24-hour broadcasting and initially the overnight hours were filled by music videos. However by the end of the decade, overnight programming consisted of the same range of programmes broadcast at all other times of the day. On 1 October 1998, Sky One's digital feed launched with Sky Digital. Sky One
1785-485: Is Canal+ and its scrambled services, which operated in France from 1984 to the 2011 closedown of analogue television, Spain from 1990 to 2005 and Poland from 1995 to 2001. Some U.S. television stations launched pay services (known simply as "subscription television" services) such as SuperTV , Wometco Home Theater , PRISM (which principally operated as a cable service, only being simultaneously carried over-the-air for
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#17327732477631870-707: Is not available. Austar formerly operated as a satellite pay service, until it merged with Foxtel and SelecTV . The major distributors of pay television in New Zealand are Sky Network Television on satellite and Vodafone on cable. In the 2010s, over-the-top subscription video on demand (SVOD) services distributed via internet video emerged as a major competitor to traditional pay television, with services such as Amazon Video , Hulu , and Netflix gaining prominence. Similarly to pay television services, their libraries include acquired content (which can not only include films, but acquired television series as well), and
1955-717: Is typically aired with limited to no edits for time or, where applicable, mature content such as graphic violence , profanity , nudity , and sexual activity . As premium television services are commonly devoid of traditional commercial advertising, breaks between programming typically include promotions for upcoming programs , and interstitial segments (such as behind-the-scenes content, interviews, and other feature segments). Some sports-based pay services, however, may feature some commercial advertising, particularly if they simulcast sporting events that are broadcast by advertiser-supported television networks. In addition, most general interest or movie-based pay services do not adhere to
2040-471: The CSI franchise, which was at the peak of its popularity during this period. Other competitors in the pay TV field also latched on to this, with LivingTV nabbing the likes of Will & Grace , Ally McBeal , Joan of Arcadia , Charmed , and later the likes of Boston Legal and Grey's Anatomy , and Hallmark Channel , which acquired Law & Order: Special Victims Unit (whilst Sky One held
2125-452: The 2019 Netball World Cup . Sky One's programme lineup was relaunched at the start of 2004, with Sky television head Dawn Airey stating the channel had become too associated with The Simpsons , science fiction shows such as Star Trek: Enterprise , Andromeda and Stargate SG-1 (the latter of which continues to be shown extensively on Sky Max , Sky Mix and Sky Sci-Fi to this day) and raunchy factual entertainment shows such as
2210-547: The Nescafé UK Top 50 chart show, Sunday morning religious programme Hour of Power , hour-long weekend edition of celebrity news magazine Entertainment Tonight and telecasts of World Wrestling Federation rounded out Sky Channel's weekend schedule. Special event programming included late night live telecasts of boxing matches and various music concerts (such as Bon Jovi and Bros in August 1989). On 31 July 1989,
2295-610: The Wimbledon tennis tournament. Specialty pay sports channels also exist—often focusing on international sports considered niche to domestic audiences (such as, in the United States, cricket ), and are typically sold at a higher expense than traditional premium services. Out-of-market sports packages in North America are multi-channel pay services carrying professional or collegiate sporting events which are sold in
2380-563: The business cycle , some broadcasters try to balance them with more stable income from subscriptions. Some providers offer services owned by the same company in a single package. For example, American satellite provider DirecTV offers the Encore channels along with the Starz multiplex (both owned by Lionsgate 's Starz Inc. ) in its "Starz Super Pack"; and The Movie Channel , Flix and SundanceTV (the latter of which continues to be sold in
2465-594: The television series ) and Battlestar Galactica in 1991. After the 1992 airing of The Flash , Sky One also picked up Star Trek: The Next Generation which had previously aired on BBC2 began a long twice per day run of the franchise in a late afternoon and a late evening timeslot on Mondays to Fridays. A staple of Sky One prime time schedule in its early years were glossy American miniseries such as Roots , Shōgun , Masada , The Thorn Birds , North and South and Lonesome Dove , which aired mostly in two-hour installments each week Sundays to Tuesdays. As
2550-586: The 2010s, citing that it did not align with its current focus on action programming, and that internet porn and the amount of sexual content in other mainstream premium series (such as Game of Thrones ) made a specific block for such content redundant. Specialized channels dedicated to pornographic films also exist, that carry either softcore adult programs (such as Playboy TV ), or more hardcore content (such as The Erotic Network and Hustler TV ). Pay television channels come in different price ranges. Many channels carrying advertising combine this income with
2635-697: The British 1990s combat-based game show Gladiators , which was subsequently cancelled on 12 April 2009. They also showed the sketch show Harry Enfield's Brand Spanking New Show . In 2010, Sky One focused on commissioning several quite long-running or well known comedy infused shows, starting with A League of Their Own , An Idiot Abroad and Little Crackers . In 2011, Sky One premiered supermarket sitcom Trollied , which had broadcast six series and over 50 episodes, becoming Sky One's longest running comedy series. Not all shows were well received, at least by its home country audience, including Parents which
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2720-496: The Century , based on the 1980s American version, and The Price Is Right ); weekly documentary series Frank Bough's World ; daily late night talk show Jameson Tonight ; agony aunt advice show A Problem Shared ; and Sky by Day , Sky TV's variation on ITV's more popular This Morning , hosted by former BBC Radio 1 DJ Tony Blackburn (who by then had moved to commercial radio) and former Magpie presenter Jenny Hanley , as
2805-472: The DirecTV package despite Showtime Networks no longer owning Sundance, that channel is now owned by AMC Networks ) along with Showtime in its "Showtime Unlimited" package; Cinemax and its multiplex networks, in turn, are almost always packaged with HBO (both owned by Warner Bros. Discovery ). Though selling premium services that are related by ownership as a package is common, that may not always be
2890-541: The Dutch (some of Endemol's first productions). From 1986 onwards, De Mol announced cartoons on The DJ Kat Show named after her feline sidekick played by US-exile puppeteer Robbie Hahn. In 1990, some of the scripts for Billy Hot Dog were re-written and shown on TROS' Wednesday evening slot. De Mol went on to present shows and quizzes, such as Miljoenenjacht (the original version of Deal or No Deal ), De Slimste , and M/V . From 2005 until 2009, De Mol starred in
2975-505: The LWT-produced Ibiza Uncovered . The channel was also struggling to acquire new American series, as FTA broadcasters had become familiar with Sky's tricks to buy the majority of US programming, with Channel 4 picking up the likes of The Sopranos and Without a Trace on an exclusive basis (although both programmes have since aired on Sky Atlantic ) and Five picking up the likes of The Shield and
3060-485: The Middle . Another early and long-running fixture was Married... with Children ran all through the 1990s, but in the early 2000s as the show suddenly disappeared from its regular schedule and has not been screened on any Sky channel since. Sky One was also the original home to the UK's first-run showings of ER and Friends for series 4–6 of both shows (Channel 4 had shown series 1–3 first), giving Sky One some of
3145-634: The Molinare facilities by then), but also included programmes produced in the Netherlands by John de Mol 's production company . On 8 June 1988, Murdoch announced his plans to expand Sky's four channels, thus creating the Sky Television Network . On 5 February 1989, the service (Sky Channel, Sky News , Sky Movies and Eurosport ) was launched as prime-time broadcasts to European cable operators ended and were replaced by Eurosport,
3230-669: The Netherlands and Germany. She is the sister of TV-producer and Endemol co-founder John de Mol , and has frequently appeared in productions of his. She also runs her own monthly glossy magazine , named by the mononym LINDA . Linda de Mol made her television debut at age 12 in Wat je zegt ben je zelf , a programme largely made by children for the Dutch AVRO public (non-profit) broadcasting organization. In 1984, she resurfaced on Sky Channel , hosting English language music programmes such as Coca-Cola Eurochart Top 50 and In touch with
3315-612: The UK to Swindon Cable 's 10,000 subscribers. It began incorporating a large number of American imports in its schedules and also increased the quantity of home-grown productions, including a number of new music shows with Gary Davies , Tony Blackburn , Linda de Mol , Pat Sharp , David "Kid" Jensen , and Anthea Turner presenting programmes such as Euro Top 40 , and UK Top 50 Chart . New children's programmes like Fun Factory and The DJ Kat Show , many of which came not only from Sky's own studios in London (Sky having already abandoned
3400-563: The Vampire Slayer and South Park , as well as some older programmes included Hill Street Blues , M*A*S*H , Quantum Leap and Lucille Ball 's various comedy series. It relies heavily on screenings for this network as they coming from Rupert Murdoch 's Fox Broadcasting Company with other shows like The X-Files , In Living Color , Cops , Millennium , King of the Hill , Futurama , Family Guy and Malcolm in
3485-595: The Wind , Boney , A Town Like Alice and Barrier Reef ), as well as the soap operas ( Return to Eden , Chances , E Street and Paradise Beach ) were aired. Some Australian children's programmes, such as Skippy the Bush Kangaroo and Zoo Family also aired on Sky One. In 1990 and early 1991 (prior to the launch of Sky Sports ), Sky One broadcast numerous live cricket telecasts during which it pre-empted its regularly scheduled programming. Following
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3570-466: The XL tier. It was announced on 27 July 2021 that Sky One would be retired and that a new channel, Sky Showcase would replace its EPG slot on Sky. Another channel, Sky Max would launch on the same day. Most of Sky's original content and the drama output would move there, while most of the comedy output would move to Sky Comedy . Prodigal Son was the channel's last programme. At the time of closure, it
3655-737: The aforementioned leniency in content standards, they too can contain content that is more mature than those of other cable channels or television networks . These series also tend to be high-budget and aim for critical success in order to attract subscribers: notable premium series, such as HBO 's Curb Your Enthusiasm , Game of Thrones , Sex and the City , and The Sopranos , and Showtime 's Dexter , Homeland , and Weeds , have achieved critical acclaim and have won various television awards. Some premium channels also broadcast television specials , which most commonly consist of concerts and concert films , documentaries , stand-up comedy , and in
3740-457: The amount of HD content they show, and hoped that by the end of 2008, two-thirds of all prime time shows, and 90% of their own original commissions, would be in HD. A new logo was introduced along with the rebrand on 31 August 2008. On 1 October 2010, Sky1 HD launched on Virgin Media channel 122, with Sky2 moving to channel 123 and Sky3 moving to channel 180 on 22 September 2010, to make way for
3825-419: The broadcast decrypted for viewing, but usually only entail a one-time payment for a single or time-limited viewing. Programs offered via pay-per-view are most often movies or sporting events, but may also include other events, such as concerts and even softcore adult programs. In the U.S., the initial concept and technology for pay-per-view for broadcast television was first developed in the early 1950s, including
3910-478: The channel became a subscription service. From 1995, subscribers to the Sky Sports channel would see not only a taped delay showing of these pay-per-view events, but Sky also offered a live showing starting a midnight UK time on the evening the event took place. Sky One continued to air WWF/WWE shows on Friday night and Saturday/Sunday morning that were produced for syndicated television in the United States from
3995-715: The channel was renamed Sky One and closed in most European countries, broadcasting only to the British Isles. During September of that year, Sky One began to air more recent programming as an early success being Moonlighting (which the BBC had previously screened but not repeated), ALF and Wiseguy , also aired the British television premiere of a new drama series 21 Jump Street . Back-to-back soaps ( Rich Man, Poor Man and Falcon Crest ) as well as action shows ( Riptide and Hunter ) were also added to its prime time schedule. A number of Australian dramas ( Against
4080-428: The common top and bottom of the hour scheduling of other cable channels and terrestrial broadcasters. As such, programs often air using either conventional scheduling or have airtimes in five-minute increments (for example, 7:05 a.m. or 4:40 p.m.); since such channels broadcast content without in-program break interruptions, this sometimes leads to extended or abbreviated breaks between programs, depending on when
4165-485: The continent. At first, the station struggled financially due to disappointing ratings in the countries in which it was officially available, which in turn led to insufficient advertising revenue and increasing difficulty in covering the high transmission costs. Initially, the channel's own programming and continuity was played out from the Molinare studios at Fouberts Place in the West End of London . On 27 June 1983,
4250-573: The dispute in April 2007. At the beginning of March 2008, the two companies were reported to have resumed discussions over the dispute. Virgin chief executive Neil Berkett was reported as saying they had "continued interest in securing Sky basics back on our platform". The resumed talks had followed shortly after both Virgin and BSkyB had launched appeals against a recent Competition Appeal Tribunal ruling on BSkyB's 17.9% stake in ITV plc . On 4 November 2008,
4335-744: The early 1990s until the late 2010s. Sky Sports aired Monday Night Raw and later SmackDown alongside all pay-per-view events and required an additional subscription to be able to view the Sports package, this led to the WWF/WWE content on Sky One being available to more viewers in the UK than the shows that aired only on Sky Sports. While WWF/WWE pay-per-view events aired on Sky Sports, other shows include Superstars , Wrestling Challenge , All American Wrestling , Action Zone , Mania , LiveWire , Shotgun and Metal which aired on Saturday or Sunday exclusively on Sky One with repeats throughout
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#17327732477634420-647: The form of a conventional VOD television service, and in some cases, a companion on-demand streaming service as well). Most pay television providers also offer a selection of premium services (for example, the HBO, Showtime and Starz packages) in one bundle at a greatly reduced price than it would cost to purchase each service separately, as an inducement for subscribers to remain with their service provider or for others to induce subscribers into using their service. Similarly, many television providers offer general interest or movie-based premium channels at no additional charge for
4505-540: The format was beginning to fade in the United States, the miniseries were reduced to two nights in late 1992 and then rescheduled to Tuesdays and Wednesdays in early 1994 under its new title called Midweek Drama , before being dropped altogether shortly after that and reappearing only as special event programming. In 1993, Sky One finally replaced its long-running Sunday night drama 21 Jump Street with exclusive premiere of The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles and later Star Trek: Deep Space Nine . The Sunday night timeslot
4590-486: The highest ratings for any satellite channel. In 2000, 2.8 million viewers watched an episode of Friends , the highest-rated show on this network. However, when Channel 4 launched their own digital sister service E4 they outbid Sky One for exclusive first-run rights to both shows. However, Sky One still held the repeat rights for the early series of both shows for several years. Since 2011, Friends has been shown on Comedy Central . From 1989, Sky Channel (later Sky One)
4675-454: The launch of a network's prestige series. However, some other channels, such as sports and adult networks may ask for monthly pricing that may go as high as near $ 50 a month. There are also premium television services which are priced significantly higher than the mini-pay channels, but they compensate for their higher price by carrying little or no advertising and also providing a higher quality program output. As advertising sales are sensitive to
4760-467: The majority of pay television services rely almost solely on monthly subscription fees paid by individual customers. As a result, pay television outlets are most concerned with offering content that can justify the cost of the service, which helps to attract new subscribers, and retain existing subscribers. Many pay television services consist of multiple individual channels, referred to as " multiplex " services (in reference to multiplex cinemas ), where
4845-556: The merger with British Satellite Broadcasting 's Galaxy on 2 November 1990, Sky One also picked up new sitcoms ( Parker Lewis Can't Lose , Growing Pains , Murphy Brown , In Living Color , Wings and Designing Women ), dramas ( China Beach , Hill Street Blues and the soap operas, The Young and the Restless and The Bold and the Beautiful ), reruns of classic sitcoms ( Bewitched and The Addams Family ),
4930-503: The new service. On 1 March 2007 at midnight, Sky's basic channels – which included Sky One, Sky Two , Sky Three , Sky News , Sky Sports News , Sky Travel and Sky Travel Extra – were removed from the Virgin Media cable television services after a dispute from BSkyB . This was due to the expiry of their previous carriage agreement and the companies' inability to reach a new deal. Virgin issued legal proceedings against Sky over
5015-494: The original term of license agreements with a distributor may also be broadcast as "sub-runs", in which a service holds rights to film long after the conclusion of a distribution agreement (under this arrangement, the pay service that originally licensed the rights to a particular film title, or one other than that which had held rights, may hold the broadcast rights through a library content deal). Many general interest premium channels also produce original television series . Due to
5100-597: The past, theatrical plays . Sports programming is also featured on some premium services; HBO was historically known for its broadcasts of boxing , while Showtime and Epix also carry mixed martial arts events. Some general interest premium channels have aired other professional sporting events in the past: HBO for example, carried games from the National Hockey League (NHL), National Basketball Association (NBA) and American Basketball Association (ABA) in its early years, and from 1975 to 1999 aired
5185-493: The popular espionage drama 24 after finding success on BBC Two for its first two seasons. Other new shows acquired by Sky One for 2004 included Las Vegas and as part of the WB deal, Tarzan and Jane , the unproduced Fearless and Skin . The success of the channel led to the launch of a sister service Sky 2 on 1 September 1996, broadcasts more first-run programmes between 7:00 pm and 6:00 am only. The spin-off channel
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#17327732477635270-448: The previous announcers. In 2011, two new part-time announcers were hired. During the day, pre-recorded announcements air, promoting shows from all the different Sky channels. Sky commissioned many homegrown programmes since it first started broadcasting back in 1984, but it was not until 1989 when content went beyond music and children's shows. During the early years in commissioned some new game shows including: The channel commissioned
5355-521: The previous program concludes and when the start time of the next program is. The only universal variation to this is prime time , where the main channel in each pay service's suite usually schedules films to start on the hour. Films comprise much of the content seen on most pay television services, particularly those with a general entertainment format and those that focus exclusively on films . Services often obtain rights to films through exclusive agreements with film distributors . Films acquired during
5440-518: The rights to the original Law & Order ). Newly appointed controller of Sky One, Sara Ramsden, struck a deal with Warner Bros. International Television Distribution to acquire five new US dramas: mainly the medical drama Nip/Tuck (which Sky acquired the first-run pay TV rights to after Channel 4 had already bought the FTA rights) and the CBS police procedural drama Cold Case . The channel also poached
5525-457: The same servers for all Sky channels, many of which were not broadcast in widescreen. On 25 August 2012, Stuart Murphy , director of Sky entertainment channels, announced that a one-hour timeshift of Sky One and Sky Atlantic will due to start in the autumn, with the former launching on 12 November of that year. For New Year's Day 2014 (1 January), Sky One was temporarily renamed Sky Onesie aiming "to encourage viewers to snuggle up in front of
5610-446: The schedule along with dramas ( The Streets of San Francisco , Trapper John, M.D. , Emergency! , The Love Boat , Fantasy Island , Voyagers! and Eight Is Enough ) were included. Sky Channel also aired classic movies, made-for-TV movies and miniseries (beginning with Spearfield's Daughter on its first night). Dolly Parton 's recent variety show Dolly , popular Australian science and technology show Beyond 2000 ,
5695-705: The scheduled programming had finished. This became a popular part of the brand and would often have exclusive first play on new releases that week. A later expansion of the music brand would be Sky One's Morning Glory show which would feature music videos in the early morning before the scheduled programming would start, which also featured various themes as well as caller requests. Sky One occasionally screened feature films which were shown with advertisement breaks , as well as several premium movie channels including Sky Cinema and its sister services. The channel became known for its first-run American imports such as: Seinfeld , Rescue 911 , Unsolved Mysteries , Buffy
5780-466: The series back once again between 30 October 2000 and 23 March 2001 was produced by Grundy (now owns the format) and presented by Liza Tarbuck , but did not capture the same degree of popularity as the Holness incarnation. The most recent game show was from Mark Burnett 's Are You Smarter than a 10 Year Old? , based on a United States format. On 30 January 2008, Sky One announced plans to bring back
5865-582: The service for a period of days or weeks; these are typically scheduled to showcase major special event programming, such as the pay cable premiere of a blockbuster feature film, the premiere (either a series or season premiere ) of a widely anticipated or critically acclaimed original series or occasionally, a high-profile special (such as a concert). Subscription services transmitted via analogue terrestrial television have also existed, to varying degrees of success. The most known example of such service in Europe
5950-518: The shareholders of Satellite Television agreed a £5 million offer to give News International 65% of the company. With the successful launch of the Intelsat V satellite in October 1983 Rupert Murdoch was able to extend the broadcast hours and the number of countries able to receive the signal. On 16 January 1984, Satellite Television Limited was renamed Sky Channel and finally became available in
6035-722: The show aired a mix of entertainment, gossip and fashion. The "New Sky Channel", as it was dubbed in on-air promotion prior to its 5 February 1989 launch, continued to broadcast its signature children's programmes ( The DJ Kat Show and Fun Factory ), and also expanded its daytime programming with six back-to-back soaps ( The Sullivans , Another World , General Hospital , As the World Turns , Loving and The Young Doctors ) while reducing music programming to only one or two hours per day. Classic sitcoms ( The Lucy Show and Family Affair ) and more recent comedies ( Three's Company and Family Ties ) as well as put on
6120-465: The situation: for example, in the United States, Cinemax and Encore are optionally sold separately from or in a single package with their respective parent networks HBO and Starz, depending on the service provider. The Movie Channel and Flix meanwhile, are usually sold together with Showtime (all three channels are owned by Paramount Global ); though subscribers are required to purchase Showtime in order to receive Flix, The Movie Channel does not have such
6205-408: The television show Malcolm in the Middle , unlike most American broadcasts, since the film was originally filmed on Panavision widescreen film but cropped to full-screen by most broadcasters. This airing of the show preserves the film's appearance without stretching or upscaling, although some scenes were compromised for widescreen and had to be upscaled). Sky stated that they intended to increase
6290-448: The television wearing onesies , in a bid to recover from the previous night's celebrations ". In 2017, Sky One began broadcasting some sports coverage. This included a partial simulcast of Soccer Saturday , highlights of, and occasional live coverage of, Formula One motor racing and the occasional live football match. The summer of 2019 saw Sky One show highlights of the 2019 Cricket World Cup and live coverage of England's matches in
6375-405: The time. The show featured regular competitions, phone-ins with guests and other features. This later evolved into a late night broadcast called Hit Mix Long Play which would broadcast simultaneously on both Sky One and Sky Two playing music videos from various genres; the show also featured themed topics such as "Step by Step" which would feature music videos with stairs in the song or video when
6460-737: The week on the channel. These were often shows edited for younger viewers to fit the timeslot (especially during the riskier content of the Attitude era) and had dubbed commentary especially for the UK audience. Pay television The term is most synonymous with premium entertainment services focused on films or general entertainment programming such as, in the United States, Cinemax , HBO , MGM+ , Showtime , and Starz , but such services can also include those devoted to sports , as well as adult entertainment . In contrast to most other multichannel television broadcasters, which depend on advertising and carriage fees as their sources of revenue,
6545-596: The weekly drama series Gooische Vrouwen on RTL4 (originally on Tien ). In 1991 De Mol released a Dutch-language album written by Henk Westbroek of the former band Het Goede Doel . Six years later Dino released De Mol's holiday CD single "Perfect Harmony", a duet with The Bold and the Beautiful star Jeff Trachta and featuring backing vocals by American singer Wendy Alane Wright. De Mol married her childhood sweetheart, jeweler Fred Reuter, on 23 August 1991. In September 1995 they divorced. Soon after, De Mol started dating director Sander Vahle. They moved in together
6630-531: Was available via digital satellite on Sky , digital cable on Virgin Media , IPTV on TalkTalk TV and online via Sky Go and Now . In the Republic of Ireland, the channel was available via Sky Ireland , Virgin Media Ireland and Eir Vision . Bruce Hammal was the station's continuity announcer from 1984 to 1997. Absolute Radio DJ Claire Sturgess has been a "voice" of Sky One since 1998, and
6715-581: Was broadcast in 2012 and was not popular, leading Sky not to commission it for a second series. Moone Boy , a series written by and starring Chris O'Dowd , first screened in 2012, became an instant hit internationally. It lasted three series, and ended in 2015. In 2017, Sky One stopped showing factual content and moved to showing more comedy and drama programmes as well as selected sports coverage. In 1994, Sky One started their own music show called The Coca Cola Hit Mix (also known as The Hit Mix ) hosted by Terry Christian , featuring music news and guests at
6800-422: Was not a success as it was closed on 31 August 1997, which was replaced by the UK's version of National Geographic from the following day, and Sky One reverts back to its original name. On 9 December 2002, the channel was relaunched as Sky One Mix. On 21 September 2004, the channel was renamed Sky Mix. On 31 October 2005, Sky Mix was renamed Sky Two with the launch of a second sister channel Sky Three . Sky Two
6885-530: Was one of the four last remaining channels on the analogue platform when it was switched off at midnight on 27 September 2001. In 2000, a dedicated feed of Sky One for Ireland was launched for most of this Irish feed's existence, the only difference between it and the United Kingdom feed has been differing commercials and programme promotions. In June 2003, the channel started broadcasting in 16:9 widescreen . However, all television commercials were broadcast in 4:3 until 21 November 2005, because they were played off
6970-662: Was renamed Sky Replay on 27 August 2020, and Sky Three was renamed Pick on 28 February 2011. On 3 October 2023, it was announced that Pick will rebrand as Sky Mix on 18 October of that year. To coincide with the launch of Sky HD , Sky One HD began broadcasting on 22 May 2006. The channel is a simulcast of Sky One and screens high-definition versions of some of the channel's programming, which include Lost , Bones , 24 , WWE SmackDown , Fringe , Prison Break , House , and most recently new episodes of The Simpsons . Programmes that are not available in HD are "upscaled" (although Sky One showed its widescreen version of
7055-529: Was the home of World Wrestling Federation in the UK. Certain special events such as Royal Rumble , UK Rampage and This Tuesday in Texas aired on Sky One, whilst a live broadcast of WrestleMania VI and others include SummerSlam and Survivor Series , shown on taped delay a number of days after the events were recorded, aired on Sky Movies . Sky moved all the special events to Sky Movies in 1991, before they transferred to Sky Sports on 1 September 1992 when
7140-415: Was the sole announcer from 2001 until 2005. As one of Sky One's four announcers, her voice-overs are pre-recorded once a week and played out by an automated system. Live continuity announcements air each evening. In 2009, they were voiced by announcers Dave Kelly, Faye Bamford and Philippa Collins. In 2010, three new continuity announcers were hired, Katie Morton, Katie Hudson and Paul Daniels, replacing all
7225-442: Was ultimately given to new episodes of the hit teen soap Beverly Hills, 90210 which was later paired off with its spin-off Melrose Place . After many years in the clear on 1 September of that year, Sky One was encrypted as part of the new Sky Multichannels subscription package, and could no longer be viewed outside Britain and Ireland without exporting a box, or receiving it over cable (although it had already been encrypted for
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