Sky to launch linear kids channel, announces originals

Trolls TrollsTopia

European pay-TV giant Sky is launching a 24-hour ad-free Sky Kids channel in February 2023, which it says will be “packed with a standout slate of Sky Originals and franchise favourites”.

The UK service, which will put the pay-TV provider in competition with BBC channel CBeebies, is aimed at 1-7 year-olds, andwill be available at no extra cost for Sky TV customers with Sky Kids and NOW Entertainment Members.

Original shows launching on the new channel include My Friend Misty, executive produced by Fearne Cotton, which sees animated character Misty set out to build kids emotional resilience, and Ready, Eddie, Go!, an animated series based on the Eddie’s Stories books written by Nikki Saunders.

Franchise favourites on offer mwanwhie include Trolls: TrollsTopia, Clifford The Big Red Dog and Morph.

Lucy Murphy, director of kids content at Sky, said: “Millions of our customers already love watching our huge range of original shows on-demand but families with younger kids have told us that watching on linear channels is an important part of their day; so, we’ve listened and expanded our Sky Kids offering at no extra cost.”

Content will span themes of learning and doing, arts and crafts, music, dance and fitness, and more. In addition to My Friend Misty and Ready, Eddie, Go!, the platform will launch Dino Club (age 4+), a series about dinosaurs.

Sky already has a Sky Kids package which offers 10,000 episodes of kids’ content on demand. The new channel will be included at no extra cost. The move is another example of the resilience of linear channels in the face of on-demand.