Sky to cut hundreds of UK jobs as broadcaster shifts focus
Sky, the Comcast-owned broadcaster, is set to cut around 900 jobs in the UK as it shifts its focus from new product launches to enhancing existing services and competing with US streaming giants.
Around 600 roles are expected to go in the group’s operations, the FT first reported, with the remaining staff potentially redeployed, depending on the outcome of a consultation beginning this week.
Workers were informed on Tuesday, with tech-focused teams expected to bear the brunt of the reductions.
Sky employs approximately 23,000 people in the UK and has already cut around 3,000 roles since 2023, mainly in traditional positions such as satellite dish installers, as the company has shifted from TV via satellite to broadband-based services.
“As we look ahead, we are shifting our approach to bring customers the next generation of experience by investing in digital-first service, unbeatable content, and even better performance from our products, powered by the best of global innovation”, said a Sky spokesperson.
Sky’s content focus
The broadcaster has recently launched products like Sky Glass smart TVs and Sky Stream set-top boxes, which now account for more than 90 per cent of new TV subscriptions.
“The product development phase was complete and Sky’s focus was now more about improving what we already have”, a source close to the group told the FT.
Sky plans to invest more in its own content, including production at its new Sky Studios complex in Elstree, to bolster its offering against large US competitors.
This comes as Sky loses the exclusive right to broadcast HBO shows, such as Game of Thrones and The White Lotus, at the end of 2025.
However, it has secured a long-term agreement to offer HBO content via Warner Bros Discovery’s HBO Max streaming service.
The job cuts also coincide with broader strategic changes, including the scrapping of Sky’s flagship business show, Business Live, just months after long-time presenter Ian King left the programme.
Sky said business and economics coverage will continue across its TV programming, with existing anchors redeployed.
The latest restructuring highlights Sky’s ongoing transformation under Comcast ownership, shifting from traditional satellite delivery to a digital-first streaming model while streamlining operations to focus on growth in subscription services and content production.