A new Sky Kids channel being is launched and it's hailed a 'money saver' by parents

A new Sky Kids channel is being launched by Sky and parent's have actually hailed it a 'money-saver' for one reason.

The broadcaster which launched Sky Glass, already runs a Sky Kids package for customers, delivering 10,000 episodes of award-winning kids' content on demand, is launching a new Sky Kids linear channel which will be added to the package from February 2023 - at no extra cost for existing Sky Kids customers. 

It comes after ITV launched its new ITVX channel and Sky Customers saved money on their Sky TV bill.

Not only is the channel bringing a wave of new shows but it will also deliver some of the kids favourites (age 1-7) - from Nick Jr, Cartoon Network and Nickelodeon with no advertisements.

And some parents are hailing the 'no-ad' channel a money-saver as it means children won't be influenced by the toys, games or products that are normally advertised between regular kids TV shows.

Goodto.com family editor Stephanie Lowe, says, "This is ingenious. The ad jingles are the part my child knows off by heart, plus he knows just how many toys are out there with all the ads. I reckon it will be a nice money saver on the long run, as pester power can be strong!"

And the channel's scheduled programming has been built around blocks of the busy day to help parents juggle their children’s routines.

Another mum commented, "This is brilliant."

While a third aded, "Absolutely thrilled."

Lucy Murphy, Director of Kids Content at Sky said, “We’re so excited to announce the launch of our brand-new linear channel. 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.

“The new channel will have a whole breadth of brand new and much-loved shows for kids and families to enjoy and we can’t wait to reveal the full fantastic line-up of shows.”

The channel will help parents juggle their daily routines, with programming built to complement different blocks of their busy day. Content will span themes of learning and doing, arts and crafts, music, dance and fitness, and much more, with a raft of brand-new Sky Originals set to air.

Is Sky Kids free?

Sky Kids is not free - it costs £6 a month for Sky customers with Sky's signature pack but the new Sky Kids linear channel will be added to the package from February 2023, available at no extra cost for existing Sky Kids customers, offering a raft of new Sky original content and franchise favourites to inspire and entertain kids (age 1-7). Members of streaming service NOW can also enjoy Sky Kids with its £9.99 Entertainment Membership. 

All Sky Kids content is available to watch in safe, child-friendly environments. Through the Sky Kids app which offers content on demand, available to all Sky customers with the Sky Kids package, parents can create personalised age profiles for their children, alongside a ‘sleep mode’ to moderate screen time, while they watch content on the go.

What channels are with Sky Kids?

The new Sky Kids linear channel will join the the eight existing child-specific channels already on the Sky Kids package; Nickelodeon, Nick Jr., Nick Jr. Too, Nicktoons, Cartoon Network, Cartooonito, Boomerang, Baby TV.

• Nickelodeon - Famous for shows such as Spongebob Squarepants, iCarly, Horrid Henry, and The Thundermans to name but a few. Along with the cartoons and kids dramas however, there is also the odd educational show, such as Extraordinary Me, which looks into the lives of extraordinary children around the world.
• Nick Jr. - Aimed at a younger audience, it shows including Ben and Holly’s Little Kingdom and Paw Patrol. Relative newcomers such as Blaze and the Monster Machines and Santiago of the Seas sit alongside educational programmes such as Bubble Guppies and Blue’s Clues and You!. In addition, Baby Shark’s Big Show explores social and emotional learning.
• Nick Jr. Too - Focuses solely on showing hours and hours of Peppa Pig, Ben and Holly’s Little Kingdom, Paw Patrol and little else. If you have some young fans of George Pig or Nanny Plum, this will be most welcome news.
• Nicktoons - shows mostly cartoons and animated TV shows, many of them reruns of original broadcasts on Nickelodeon. From Alvin and The Chipmunks and Horrid Henry to Takeshi’s Castle and The Loud House, Nicktoons offers plenty of fun for ages 7-11.
• Cartoon Network - is aimed at children, especially boys, between the ages of six and 14 and is jam-packed with animated entertainment, largely of the edgy and surreal variety. Popular shows include The Amazing World of Gumball, Teen Titans Go, Unikitty and Ben 10. Jellystone! is a recent spin-off of the classic Top Cat series and Ninjago: Masters of Spinjitsu is a hit with Lego fans.
• Cartoonito is Cartoon Network’s little sibling, aimed at the younger age group, with gentle shows such as Fireman Sam, Masha and The Bear and Thomas and Friends. A bit of educational viewing is included in the form of Cocomelon. Young aviation fans will love Super Wings, with its cast of aeroplanes that transform into robots and save the day.
• Boomerang - Aimed at children aged between four and seven, Boomerang offers lots of lighthearted animation, from ever-popular classics such as Tom and Jerry and What’s New Scooby Doo? As well as more modern, crazy fun with Taffy the raccoon. The sweet mushrooms in Mush-Mush and the Mushables are very appealing to little ones whereas the surreal antics of Lamput will likely appeal to slightly older children.
• Baby TV - gentle entertainment and education for age four and under. Charlie and The Numbers provides an introduction to numeracy and Little Lola takes youngsters on a journey of discovery into different environments from the town to the farm. Beep Beep and Billy and Bam Bam both cover the topic of building friendships.

This new linear channel will include Fearne Cotton executive producing My Friend Misty (age 5-7), which sees animated character Misty set out to build kids emotional resilience. Misty surprises a group of children in the show with magical visits, helping them to deal with their feelings both good and bad by providing a series of tips and practical exercises to support them in difficult situations.

Fearne Cotton, Executive Producer, said, “I'm very excited for you all to meet My Friend Misty. This show will introduce us to a host of characters and situations where differing emotions crop up. Misty is always on hand to help the children in the show through their emotion, whilst causing a little mischief along the way. It's a fun, colourful and explorative show for both kids and parents. It's a very exciting first Happy Place co-production".

Also launching next year as a new Sky Original is Ready, Eddie, Go! (age 3+), based on the loveable character Eddie who is autistic. We see him taken step by step through new experiences and situations such as a trip to the barbers, so when he encounters this in real life, he’s ready to go! The animated series is based on books (Eddie’s Stories) written by award-winning author, Nikki Saunders, also well known in the SEN (special educational needs) community and whose eldest son is autistic.

And Dino Club (age 4+), giving viewers the chance to discover the strangest and most surprising truths about dinosaurs, as they journey through a fantastically fun virtual land of these pre-historic giants. Our young intrepid hosts, Ayo and Harriet, time travel into the past to reveal facts along the way and have an amazing adventure.

The fun doesn’t stop there, as children and families will also be treated to franchise favourites such as Trolls: TrollsTopia (5+), Where’s Wally (5+), Madagascar a Little Wild (5+), LEGO (1+) and Clifford The Big Red Dog (3+), new learning shows such as 123 Number Squad! (3+), as well as seeing some of the existing most-loved Sky Kids Originals; MC Grammar: Wonder Raps (5+), Pip and Posy (2+), The Brilliant World of Tom Gates (6+), Morph (3+), The Very Small Creatures (2+) and more, scheduled on the channel.

Related film features:

• Paddington 3
• Hocus Pocus 2
• Matilda the Musical
• Pinocchio movie 2022
• Disney Strange World

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