Sky Kids

About Sky Kids

Sky Kids is a British and Irish children's pay television channel owned and operated by Sky Group, broadcasting an ad-free, 24-hour schedule of programming for children aged one to seven and their families. Launched on 13 February 2023, it was the first in-house Sky-branded linear children's network, consolidating Sky's existing on-demand children's offering into a dedicated channel available at no extra cost to eligible subscribers. Broadcasting from Sky's London operations, the channel combines original commissions produced in the UK with acquired series from international studios, spanning learning, arts and crafts, music, dance and storytelling. Its launch marked Sky's return to children's linear television after the sale of its stake in Nickelodeon UK, and positioned the broadcaster as a major commissioner of British children's content.

Background and the road to launch

Sky's history in children's television stretches back decades. The company launched Fox Kids in the UK in 1996, later rebranded as Jetix and eventually Disney XD, and for many years held a 40 per cent stake in the British venture of Nickelodeon, alongside Paramount's 60 per cent. A Sky Kids app offering on-demand children's content was launched on 30 March 2016, and proved popular with families. On 31 October 2022, Sky sold its full stake in Nickelodeon UK to Paramount, a transaction whose non-compete provisions had previously restricted Sky from launching its own children's network. Freed from that constraint, Sky announced in November 2022 that it would launch an ad-free linear Sky Kids channel in February 2023, aimed at the under-seven audience, with Lucy Murphy, Sky's director of kids content, leading the venture.

Launch

Sky Kids launched on 13 February 2023, taking over channel 609 on the Sky electronic programme guide, the slot previously occupied by Baby TV, which moved to channel 626. The launch was timed to coincide with the February half-term school holidays, giving families an immediate opportunity to discover the new service. Announcing the channel, Lucy Murphy explained that families with younger children had told Sky that linear viewing remained an important part of their day, and that the new channel would expand the Sky Kids offering at no extra cost to customers. The channel launched with a mix of Sky originals, new commissions and acquired favourites, and was made available to all subscribers of the Sky Kids pack on Sky Q, Sky Glass and Sky Stream, as well as to NOW Entertainment members.

Ownership and strategy

Sky Kids is owned by Sky Group, a subsidiary of Comcast, and operates within Sky's entertainment portfolio alongside channels such as Sky Atlantic, Sky Comedy and Sky Documentaries. The channel's strategy rests on three pillars: safety, with an entirely ad-free schedule giving parents confidence about what their children are watching; British original production, with a commitment to commissioning UK-made content; and curation, with programming organised into dayparted blocks suited to the routines of young children and their families. The channel complements rather than replaces Sky's on-demand children's library, which offers thousands of episodes from providers including Nickelodeon, Cartoon Network and others, giving families the choice between scheduled and on-demand viewing.

Original commissions

Sky Kids has invested significantly in original British children's programming. Among its launch commissions were Dino Club, a live-action series for children aged four and over in which two young hosts travel back in time to discover facts about dinosaurs; My Friend Misty, a live-action drama for five to seven year olds in which an animated character helps children build emotional resilience, executive produced by television presenter Fearne Cotton; and 123 Number Squad, an animated numeracy series. Ready, Eddie, Go!, based on the character Eddie, who is autistic, was developed for children aged three and over. The channel also commissioned a new series of Morph, bringing back the much-loved plasticine figure created in the 1970s for the BBC's Take Hart, alongside his sidekick Chas. Other originals include Pip and Posy, based on the picture books, and The Brilliant World of Tom Gates.

Acquired programming

Alongside its originals, Sky Kids airs acquired series from leading international studios. At launch the schedule included Clifford the Big Red Dog from Scholastic, Trolls: TrollsTopia and Madagascar: A Little Wild from DreamWorks Animation. These globally recognised franchises sit alongside the channel's British commissions, giving young viewers a mix of familiar characters and new discoveries. Acquisitions are selected to fit the channel's under-seven remit and its themes of learning, creativity and play, and the channel's buyers continue to add new series to refresh the schedule. The combination of original and acquired content allows Sky Kids to offer a breadth of programming comparable to longer-established children's channels while maintaining its distinctive ad-free, curated identity.

Programming philosophy and dayparting

Sky Kids organises its 24-hour schedule around the daily rhythms of its young audience. Mornings feature gentle, wake-up programming; daytime blocks focus on learning, doing, arts and crafts, music, dance and fitness; and evenings wind down with calmer storytelling content suitable for bedtime routines. This dayparted approach was a deliberate response to parental feedback that linear channels help structure children's days. The channel emphasises positive values, creativity and emotional development, with shows designed to be co-viewed by children and their parents or carers. Accessibility is also a priority, with audio description and subtitles available on programming, reflecting Sky's broader commitment to inclusive broadcasting.

Availability and how to watch

Sky Kids is available at no extra cost to Sky TV customers who take the Sky Kids pack, broadcasting on channel 609 in high definition on Sky Q, Sky Glass and Sky Stream. NOW Entertainment members can also watch the channel through the NOW apps. The Sky Kids app, launched in 2016 and continually developed since, offers thousands of episodes on demand alongside the linear channel, with robust parental controls including PIN-protected profiles and content filters. The channel broadcasts to both the United Kingdom and Ireland in English. As a pay television service it is not available on free-to-air platforms, but its ad-free proposition and inclusion in existing bundles have made it one of the most widely available children's channels in British pay television homes.

Audience and reception

Sky Kids launched into a children's television market undergoing significant change, with long-established competitors such as CITV moving to online-only models and viewing habits shifting towards on-demand. The channel's ad-free, linear offer was welcomed by parents' groups and children's media observers as a safe, curated alternative in an era of algorithm-driven viewing. Industry commentators noted that Sky's commissioning power and its willingness to invest in British originals gave the channel a distinctive position, supporting the UK's independent children's production sector at a time when investment elsewhere was under pressure. The channel's originals have gone on to win recognition within the children's media industry, and its focus on under-sevens fills a gap left by channels aimed at older children.

Outlook

Since launch, Sky Kids has continued to expand its slate of original commissions and acquisitions, deepening its library of British-made children's content. The channel's future is tied to Sky's broader entertainment strategy and to the evolving habits of young families, balancing linear broadcasting with on-demand and app-based viewing. With its ad-free promise, its investment in original UK production and its integration across Sky's platforms, Sky Kids is established as a permanent part of the British children's television landscape, offering young viewers a safe and imaginative place to watch, learn and play.