Sky is retiring Sky One with new Showcase and Max channels on way

Sky is retiring Sky One as a channel in September with new Sky Showcase and Sky Max channels on the way to replace them. 

Sky One has run its course - the home of The Simpsons has its origins in 1982, years before Sky TV's main launch in 1989.

The channel will be replaced by Sky Showcase on the Sky guide - Sky says this is its new flagship channel.

As its name suggests, Showcase will be a compilation channel of what Sky has to offer meaning it'll be a best of from channels like Sky Chrime and Sky Nature but it'll also have selected stuff from Sky Sports and Sky Cinema too. 

Sky Max will be the "new home for Sky’s blockbuster entertainment", including Sky Originals like A Discovery of Witches and COBRA and entertainment including panel shows like A League of Their Own and the return of Never Mind The Buzzcocks. In a way, Max will be the natural successor to Sky One. 

Sky is also changing Sky Comedy so that it boasts more UK shows as well as the US series it has been known for so far. 

"Over the last 12 months we’ve been making it easier for people to find what they want to watch" says Sky's managing director of content Zai Bennett.

"From September those looking for the very best of Sky will find it at the top of their programme guide on Sky Showcase, while Sky Max will become the new home of blockbuster entertainment."

"If you’re not sure what to watch Sky Showcase will curate some of the highlights from our line-up."

As Variety points out, Sky is planning no overlap between Sky Max and Sky Atlantic with the latter still the home of HBO's shows in the UK until 2025. As we've pointed out before, that means that the UK won't get HBO Max before that date as Warner has confirmed it can't roll it out because of the deal. 

That almost certainly means that the Sky-Warner deal won't be renewed after that date although Sky's director of programs Jamie Morris told Variety that "Sky Atlantic is all about grown-up drama so we know there will always be a need for that and I think that will remain as such regardless of the future."

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