skysports.com
Sky Sports is the most popular sports channel in the UK and Ireland. It is the go-to channel for fans who follow cricket, football, rugby, golf, and any other sport. This network has been around for 30 years and has transformed the way people consume sports content. From cable TV network to satellite channels to its own streaming network, Sky Sports has come a long way.
Overall, the network offers ten channels which includes the dedicated Sky Sports News channel as well as Sports F1 channel. Apart from these two crucial offerings, there is exclusive Premier League coverage along with rugby and cricket.
What does Sky Sports offer?
Sky Sports offers a variety of premium sports channels, which provide exclusive broadcasts of sporting events across the UK. The channels are available as subscription services on either the Sky TV network or BT TV, TalkTalk TV or Virgin media. To access Sky Sports without subscribing to one of these services, you can do so via the NOW TV mobile app.
History
Sky Sports was instrumental in the commercialization of British sport when it first broadcast competitions such as the Premier League, which broke away from the Football League in 1992. The channel has retained rights to broadcast some of the country's most popular sports events ever since.
For three decades, Sky Sports has been the most beloved league in England. Its success attracted interest from over the globe as a result, Comcast acquired the network a few years ago.
The impressive Sky Sports portfolio offers a variety of sports packages, including Cricket, Golf, Action and Arena, F1, and Premium League. These packages come as part of the basic Sky package, which also includes access to Sky Sports Racing, Sky Sports News and Sky Sports Mix.
Design
Sky Sports website is part of the Sky Network and uses the same color palette as the main network. The red and purple colors are present throughout the website and are visible on banners on the homepage as well as on the inner categories.
Hero Section
On the homepage banner, you can see the prices and other features of the network clearly. This makes it easy to find more information on the network without having to visit other pages.
Body
If you scroll down, you will find seven vertical thumbnails highlighting different channels which include Sky Sports, Sky Sports Football, Sky Sports Cricket, Sky Sports F1, Sky Sports Action and Sky Sports Golf. If you scroll further, you will find the same banners with pricing on the right with the CTA suggesting "Add Complete Sports" in the button.
As you scroll further down, you will find upcoming sports events with schedules below which is further supplemented by an immersive banner which highlights the USPs.
Content
In this section, I would like to discuss the seven major reasons why sports lovers tuning into Sky Sports. The emergence of BT Sport has enabled Sky Sports to dig deeper in terms of their broadcasting prowess and catch up fast with BT Network. Sky is looking to expand its content portfolio every year, and in this section, I would like to discuss the following:
1) The large variety of sports that are aired on Sky Sports;
2) The high quality of the broadcasts;
3) The renowned commentators that are used;
4) The range of events that are covered;
5) The £10 million per year investment made by Sky in content production;
6) How streaming services such as BT Sport and Netflix are impacting the industry; and
7) What strategies Sky Sports is employing to stay ahead of its competitors.
Main Event
The Sky Sports Main Event channel provides highlights and showcases the best events happening on the network. If you want to watch highlights and other pieces, this channel is the best place to go.
Premier League
The Premier League is the star attraction on the network. Thus, there is a dedicated channel which broadcasts Premier League matches live. As for the current season, Sky has the rights to telecast 128 matches with 124 of them being available in 4K quality.
Football
Unlike the Premier League, which only covers 138 EFL games, football channel covers 15 EFL play-off matches as well. Additionally, this channel has content from the second division - compared to the first division - including EFL Trophy, the EFL Cup, UEFA Nations League, International friendlies and MLS games. Thus, it has a wider variety of Football content than Premier League.
Cricket
Sky Sports has a dedicated cricket channel that broadcasts exclusive matches happening in the country. This channel covers ODIs, Tests, T20s, County Championship, One-Day Cup, T20 Blast, Women's Super League, Caribbean Premier League and ICC Cricket World Cup. As such, the cricket channel is comprehensive in its coverage.
F1
The BBC and Channel 4 broadcast Formula 1 races under free-to-air coverage, while now Sky has become the exclusive channel for the sport's coverage in the UK. All races are available in 4k and Sky also offers race highlights, pre and post-race analysis as well as other featured documentaries.
Golf
Sky Sports Golf provides live coverage of golf events, including the popular Ryder Cup, PGA, European Tours, The Open and the US Open. This means that it offers coverage of all the major golf tournaments happening across the globe.
Action and Arena
This channel has a host of sports, including wrestling, rugby league, rugby union, basketball, tennis, darts, swimming, boxing and even motorsports.
Apart from these major channels, there are other supporting channels such as Sky Sports Mix, Sky Sports News, and Sky Sports Racing which have dedicated programs and highlights from other channels throughout the day. This includes programming for horse racing, motor sports, tennis, and other events.
Desktop/Mobile experience
All of the Sky Sports channels are available in high definition. High definition is the standard quality, but most of the major coverage offers you to watch content in 4K if your device is compatible. If you want a middle ground between high definition and 4K, you can even opt for ultra high definition given you have suitable equipment. For pure 4K experience, you need a 4K TV along with the Sky Sports package and Sky Q box as that's the standard box through which 4K viewing is possible.
Mobile Experience
Sky Sports is an out of the box sports experience that can be accessed through the Sky GO app. The user interface is fascinating and streams are of great quality. I use Sky GO to stream Premier League games on my Pixel 3a and have no complaints about the quality. It's simply top-notch.
Many people have asked if there are inexpensive ways to watch Sky Sports. I understand your question and can relate to your feeling. Sky Sports is a network that is quite expensive compared to BT Sport. Thus, there is nothing wrong with you wanting to find alternative ways. Below are certain ways in which you can access Sky Sports:
I really enjoy the NOW TV network, which offers the Sky Sports Pass so that you can access all of the Sky Sports channels without any contract. It operates on a monthly pass which renews automatically if you forget to cancel the service. You can choose how long the pass will be for, either for a month or even for a single day - perfect for a one-day event.
Compatibility
Sky Sports is available on a wide range of platforms including iPhones, Amazon Fire tablets, and Android phones through the app. I would recommend you go for Mini Q boxes if you don't have a 4K TV as they are a great way to tie down all TVs in your home with one main connection and tiny supporting connections.
Plans & Pricing
As mentioned earlier, Sky Sports is expensive and much of this is due to billions of dollars that the network spends on broadcasting rights. You can start your Sky Sports journey with an 18-month contract or you can pay £30/month for no contract. Apart from this, if you want to pay less, you can pay for a single channel dedicated to a certain sport. So, if you want to customize as per your needs, you will need to do that. However, I don't feel that individual channels will offer better value in the long run.
Suggestions I have for Sky Sports
I do not believe that the network has specific plans for me. However, based on what I have seen, they seem to be doing well in most areas. The only aspect with which some users may disagree is the pricing of their broadcasting rights, but given the amount they pay, this must translate into high subscription rates.
Conclusion
If you're looking for a one-stop-shop that fulfills your sports content needs, Sky Sports is the ideal option. However, BT Sport has become a tough competitor in recent times and is fostering a deeper connection with its audience thanks to better quality coverage. So, if you want to watch wrestling or UFC, you should really think twice before making a decision.
Popular search queries
