Sky Q's Future Just Got a Major Boost—Here's Why

Michael Bennett · 2026-10-04

I've had Sky Q since day one and still use it happily, even with Sky Glass and Sky Stream in the picture. But I'll be honest: I've worried that Sky Q would get mothballed in favor of newer streaming services. Turns out, that worry might be misplaced. Sky just signed a new deal with SES to use its satellite capacity to deliver broadcast TV into the next decade. That's a big vote of confidence for satellite—and for Sky Q. ### Satellite Is Still Popular The new agreement extends a previous deal that would have lasted until 2029. While a new end date hasn't been confirmed, we'll likely see satellite TV until at least 2030 and probably beyond. In a streaming-dominated world, that might seem odd, but satellite still has a strong following—and I'm definitely one of them. "As we give customers more choice in how they access Sky, satellite continues to play an important role in how we deliver our services to customers across the UK and Ireland," said Nick Herm, Group Chief Operating Officer at Sky. "This agreement with SES provides the reliability, reach and service quality we need to continue delivering the viewing experience our satellite customers expect." For me, satellite is a rock-solid way to distribute content that exists completely outside broadband and Wi-Fi speeds. Turn on the Sky Q box, select a channel or recording, and it's instant TV. No buffering, no changes in broadcast quality as speeds fluctuate, no drop-out. And what I record is mine for as long as I want it, stored on my box until I delete it. ### More Reliable and Less Lag Broadcast TV—including Sky Q, Freesat, and Freeview—is also better than streaming for live events like football. During the recent Euros, I noticed that watching via iPlayer put my TV up to 30 or 40 seconds behind the pub. I'd hear the cheers (or boos) from the crowd long before my TV caught up. Broadcast TV is as close to live as you can get. And when it comes to 4K, you still keep that advantage without putting pressure on your broadband. Sky's Ultra HD Premier League broadcasts over satellite are brilliant: maximum quality and sharpness, delivered without delay and with no pressure on my broadband. In comparison, watching matches on HBO Max via TNT Sports, the difference is stark. The stream always takes a while to shift through the quality gears, moving from sub-SD quality up to 4K. Even at 4K, the stream is far behind the satellite one. While broadband speeds have improved across the country, there are still plenty of areas with slow speeds and poor mobile connections. With Sky Q, as long as you've got somewhere the dish can go and be pointed in the right direction, high-quality TV is yours. ### It's Not Perfect Sky Q isn't perfect. The hardware is getting a little outdated—no Dolby Vision support, for example, and the Mini boxes only support HD. But it does the majority of what most people need. Besides, the high cost of 4K packages for streaming services makes me think that most people are watching in HD at best anyway. But despite this, Sky Q still delivers a different experience to streaming, and I'm pleased that it looks set to be around into the 2030s. > "Satellite is a rock-solid way to distribute content that exists completely outside broadband and Wi-Fi speeds." So if you're a Sky Q user, you can breathe a little easier. The future of satellite TV—and your trusty box—looks more secure than ever.