Do you need a satellite dish for Sky TV?
With its mix of sport, movies and exclusive TV shows, Sky TV remains one of the UK’s most popular pay-TV services. Importantly, you no longer need a satellite dish to get Sky TV at home. In fact, you couldn’t get one now, even if you tried.
For many people, installing a satellite dish used to be the biggest barrier to signing up. But Sky has since moved towards internet-based TV services, stopping the sale of its satellite-based Sky Q TV box altogether.
Instead, you can access all of Sky’s channels with its Wi-Fi-based TV box, Sky Stream, and its smart TV, Sky Glass. And all you need is a half-decent broadband connection for it to work.
Sky now only offers TV through Wi-Fi
Sky first removed the need for a satellite dish with the launch of Sky Glass in October 2021. It’s a Sky-branded smart TV with Sky TV fully built in, allowing you to stream Sky channels and on-demand content directly over Wi-Fi.
Sky later introduced Sky Stream – its true replacement for the satellite-based Sky Q. It’s a small streaming device that connects to your Wi-Fi, that you can plug into your TV and get access to the same Sky TV interface without the need for a dish.
The provider completely stopped selling satellite TV in 2025.
Sky Stream TV subscriptions
The easiest way to get Sky TV is with the new Sky Stream product. You can choose to sign up for a flexible 31-day rolling contract or save a little each month by going for a 24-month contract.
Sky occasionally charges a £20 upfront cost for signing up and receiving your first puck. But it’ll sometimes waive this fee as part of any promotions it runs. If you'd like Sky TV in multiple rooms, you can get Whole Home for roughly £15 a month, which lets you use up to five additional Sky Stream devices.
Sky Glass TV subscriptions
Sky Glass is available as part of a monthly subscription that combines the cost of the TV with Sky content in a single payment, similar to how mobile phone contracts bundle handsets and airtime.
Sky Glass TVs are available in different screen sizes, with pricing depending on the TV size and the TV package you choose. Monthly prices and availability can change, so it’s worth checking the latest Sky deals before signing up. Installation also incurs an upfront fee of £20.
Keep in mind that for both services, you’ll have to pay additional monthly amounts for premium channels, such as Sky Sports, Sky Cinema and TNT Sports.
Our best Sky TV deals
Want a bigger and better TV package? Check out the latest Sky TV deals on Uswitch.
Other ways to watch Sky content
If you don’t want a Sky Glass TV or Sky Stream device, there are a few other ways to watch Sky content without a satellite dish.
Watch Sky Sports
Sky Sports can be watched without a Sky TV subscription through NOW, Sky’s contract-free streaming service. Its TV membership subscriptions offer a wide variety of Sky content. You can get a daily or monthly Sky Sports TV membership through NOW, which allows you to watch live and on-demand content on compatible devices like smartphones, tablets, and streaming devices.
If you already have a TV package through another provider, chances are very high that you can get a Sky Sports add-on. Virgin Media offers TV bundles with Sky Sports channels so that you won’t miss anything from Sky Sports. For example, if you’re a BT subscriber, you might also get all the Sky Sports channels through the BT Big Sport TV package, depending on your package.
Watch Sky Cinema
Sky also makes it easy to get Sky Cinema channels without a Sky subscription. The NOW Cinema TV membership provides access to all Sky Cinema channels and on-demand movies.
If you already have a TV subscription, you can likely add a Sky Cinema bundle for a monthly fee. TalkTalk, BT, and Virgin Media all offer Sky Cinema add-ons. BT and Virgin Media offer combined Sky passes that bundle Sky Cinema and Sky Sports for a discounted monthly fee.
Watch Sky Atlantic
Sky knows its Sky Atlantic content is top-notch and highly sought after, so it’s exclusive to Sky.
The only way to watch Sky Atlantic without a Sky TV subscription is through a NOW Entertainment membership. The Entertainment membership gives you access to Sky Atlantic and selected other entertainment channels on a flexible monthly basis.
NOW TV deals
Compare our latest NOW TV deals.
Watch Sky on the go
If you already have a Sky TV subscription but want to watch TV while travelling, you can do so on the Sky Go app. All you need to do is sign in to your Sky account and find either the live TV broadcast you want to watch, or browse through all of the on-demand content you can usually watch at home.
Just keep in mind that Sky Go has a two-device limit for watching content at the same time, and usually limits to several linked devices overall.
Sky in a block of flats
Finally, if you live in a block of flats, you can still get full access to Sky TV without installing a new satellite dish. With Sky’s move to internet-based services such as Sky Glass and Sky Stream, a suitable broadband connection is now enough for most households, regardless of your property type.
You can learn more about getting Sky in a block of flats in our guide.
Our best Sky TV deals
Want a bigger and better TV package? Check out the latest Sky TV deals on Uswitch.