Sky has quietly rolled out a new feature to millions of Sky Glass and Stream devices designed to make it easier to find something to watch. The designers at Sky have dramatically extended the main menu with 30 brand-new carousels of shows, documentaries, sports, and films.
SkyOS — the clever operating system that powers both Sky Glass TVs and Sky Stream boxes — uses your viewing history to tailor its suggestions to your tastes. It can pull recommendations from across every service compatible with SkyOS, including Netflix, Prime Video, Apple TV+, Paramount+, discovery+, and Disney+, to name just a few.
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Other factors, like the streaming services you subscribe to, will influence the suggestions. SkyOS, which was rebranded from EntertainmentOS earlier this year, supports multiple profiles, so you can separate your viewing habits from those of other family members, like younger children, to make sure the recommendations remain as relevant as possible.
Sky Stream has never been this affordable. The broadcaster has just launched an affordable new bundle of channels and on-demand services, dubbed TV Essentials. It includes its plug-and-play Sky Stream box, over 100 live channels including Sky Atlantic — the exclusive home of shows like Game of Thrones, And Just Like That, and The White Lotus. You’ll also find a subscription to Netflix and Discovery+ included too and can upgrade to Sky Cinema and Sky Sports at an extra cost.
With the latest version of SkyOS running on your device, there will be a swathe of new rails bringing together suggestions of what to watch across Sky content, apps, and channels based on the genres that you’ve been watching on Sky Glass and Sky Stream. The 30 extra carousels of content can be found below the shortcuts for Settings, Search, MySky, and Help.
These used to denote the end of the main menu on SkyOS. But with the latest upgrade, this is barely the halfway point.
Since everything suggested by SkyOS beyond that point is based on the shows, films, and documentaries that you like… everyone will see something different. Speaking to GB News, Sky revealed some examples of the types of rails that you’ll find on the improved main menu.
Collections can include titles like Hilarious sitcoms, Thrilling action movies, and Engaging drama series. Other rails include Epic fantasy movies, Suspenseful crime drama, Pet shows, and Competition reality shows.
Struggling to find a show or movies that really catches your eye? Just keep scrolling… SkyOS will keep surfacing dozens of recommendations around the genres that you’ve already enjoyed across Sky TV channels and any streaming services you’ve signed into.
Of course, this isn’t the only way that SkyOS tries to help with the paralysis of choice. Clicking on a film or TV show will load-up a page with details like the runtime, rating on Rotten Tomatoes, and other options. Scroll down, and you’ll find a rail with the Cast and Crew. Use the remote to tap on any of these individuals and SkyOS will summon a comprehensive list of everything they’ve ever been in and brings up new suggestions for you to watch.
SkyOS is only available on Sky Glass, all-new Sky Glass Gen 2, Sky Stream, and the forthcoming Sky Glass Air.
Sky Q — the only hardware sold by Sky that still requires a satellite dish — runs on a separate operating system. While it has offered personalised recommendations since it launched in 2016, including a feature that lets you ask “What Should I Watch?” into your Sky Q voice remote to summon a page of TV recommendations based on what you’ve watched as well as popular shows from Sky, Netflix and Prime Video, these 30 additional rails of personalised suggestions will not be making an appearance on this older set-top box.
Sky Glass and Sky Stream update SkyOS (née EntertainmentOS) automatically when the device is not in-use — usually overnight — so you’ll wake up to the latest features. To confirm your current build: press Home on your Sky remote, scroll to Settings > System Management > System Info, and note the EntertainmentOS version and build code.
If you’re still waiting for the newest software, you can force an update:
Switch your device to standby, then turn it off and unplug at the mains.Re-plug and power on, leaving it on for 30 minutes.Put it on standby again, power-cycle at the plug without unplugging, then press Home on the remote.When the Sky logo reappears, your Glass or Stream puck will be running the latest SkyOS release.
The latest SkyOS software update arrives a few months after Sky confirmed that subscribers to its service will not miss out on the latest shows from HBO — despite the US broadcaster confirming plans to launch its own streaming service in the UK in early 2026.
For those who don’t know, HBO is behind many of the biggest breakout hits on Sky Atlantic over the years, including Game of Thrones, House of the Dragon, The Last of Us, Euphoria, The White Lotus, Succession, And Just Like That, Big Little Lies, The Flight Attendant, The Penguin, and more.
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Not only that, but its back catalogue is brimming with critically-adored favourites, like The White, The Sopranos, Band of Brothers, Curb Your Enthusiasm, Sex and the City, True Detective, the list goes on. On the horizon, HBO Max will be the only place to watch the upcoming reimaging of the Harry Potter series, which will begin filming its first season — tipped to eight hours long — next summer.
While Sky TV has expanded its own catalogue of original shows and movies, with hits like comedy-drama Brassic and Sweetpea, resurrected panel show Nevermind The Buzzcocks, and Golden Globe nominated blockbuster The Day Of The Jackal. It’s also collaborated with HBO on co-productions, like the award-winning series Chernobyl.
Many had feared that Sky TV subscribers would only be left with these in-house productions when HBO Max — the Netflix rival from parent company Warner Bros. Discovery, which has the exclusive rights to HBO shows in many other countries worldwide — made its debut in the UK.
Amongst those who had worried this would be the case when the current agreement between the two companies expired in 2025 were many executives at Sky. That’s why the firm filed a lawsuit against Warner Bros. Discovery over rights to co-produce shows, including the upcoming Harry Potter series, which will film in Leavesden in the UK.
However, Sky TV confirmed this month that its viewers will be able to enjoy HBO shows for years to come. Following the announcement of this reinforced partnership, Sky TV dropped legal action.
Under the new deal, not only will existing HBO shows remain on Sky Atlantic, but the entire catalogue from Warner Bros. Discovery’s Max streaming service will be available to Sky Glass and Sky Stream viewers. NOW, formerly NOW TV, which is owned and operated by Sky TV, will also keep HBO Max shows like House of the Dragon and The Gilded Age.
The renewed agreement also ensures Warner Bros. movies will still be available to watch on Sky TV, since these have been a core part of the Sky Cinema catalogue for some time.
Discussing the monumental deal, Sky Group CEO Dana Strong said: “This deal builds on our remarkable achievements this year. We have secured most major sports rights through to the end of the decade, extended our content partnerships, and progressed our transition from satellite to IP, with 9 out 10 new customers choosing Sky Glass or Sky Stream.
“This partnership solidifies Sky as the ultimate TV destination and the preferred partner of choice for streamers, rights holders and content creators alike.”
From early 2026, Sky customers will receive the ad-supported version of HBO Max bundled with their existing subscriptions at no additional cost.
Since 2018, the entry-level Netflix subscription plan has been bundled with Sky TV packages, so this isn’t the first time the UK broadcaster has struck a deal like this. Like Netflix, you’ll also be able to login to dedicated HBO Max apps across other devices, like iPhone, iPad, Android phones and tablets, and laptops — handy when travelling.
It’s good news for those tempted to sign-up to the newest bundle of channels launched by Sky for its Glass TVs and Sky Stream boxes.
Sky’s most affordable TV package yet, called TV Essentials, costs just £15 per month. For that, you’ll be able to watch everything on Netflix and Sky Atlantic, so will presumably enjoy the perks of the HBO Max ad-supported subscription at no additional cost when that launches early next year.
To put that in perspective, until recently the most affordable package for Sky TV was £26 per month.
Available on a 24-month contract at £15 monthly, or £18 for those who prefer a NOW TV-style contract-free 31-day subscription, the package provides access to over 100 live television channels.
TV Essentials customers can enjoy exclusive HBO shows and Sky Originals like The Penguin, Succession, Chernoyl, and Euphoria. The package can be customised with additional options like Sky Sports and Sky Cinema on a flexible monthly basis.
Sky Stream has never been this affordable. The broadcaster has just launched an affordable new bundle of channels and on-demand services, dubbed TV Essentials. It includes its plug-and-play Sky Stream box, over 100 live channels including Sky Atlantic — the exclusive home of shows like Game of Thrones, And Just Like That, and The White Lotus. You’ll also find a subscription to Netflix and Discovery+ included too and can upgrade to Sky Cinema and Sky Sports at an extra cost.
