When I signed up to Sky Stream, I was already a paid member of the ITVX and Channel 4+ apps, which offer ad-free viewing of their shows. While Sky Stream viewers can pay to skip ads, this is a sensitive topic, especially for previous Sky Q subscribers who are accustomed to fast-forwarding ads. However, the Sky Stream product does clearly advertise that to ad-skip, this is a paid service. If you don’t pay for Sky ad skipping but subscribe to, for example, ITVX or Channel 4+, your experience will be limited to ad-free viewing within the apps you pay for.
I am always keen to remove ads and therefore opted to pay for Sky ad skipping. Is it worth it?
The Sky Ad Skipping pack for Sky Stream, priced at £6 per month currently, allows users to fast-forward through adverts on certain Sky channels and apps. It does not remove adverts entirely, but provides a way to skip them by fast-forwarding. The pack works with on-demand Sky content, and apps like ITVX and Channel 4. A new “Skip Ads” button has also been introduced to improve the ad-skipping experience.
I decided to pay for Sky ad skipping because the functionality would eventually help me to save money (with some compromises) as I would no longer need ITVX and Channel 4+ premium. While these apps completely removed the ads and are very good solutions, it was also very quick with Sky Stream to fast-forward the ads once the appeared again. There’s also a cost advantage: I will pay £6 a month to Sky ad skipping (currently £4 as discounted), but my previous subscriptions to ITV and Channel 4 cost £100 annually combined. That’s quite a saving as I am now just laying £48 a year currently (then £60 when the discount ends), and the ad-skipping function includes the Channel 5 app and Sky programmes. Ad skipping within the 5 app is very useful as this app does not offer an ad free version to separately subscribe to.
I should note that ad skipping by fast forwarding is not available on live broadcasts, unless you are watching on a delay after pausing; you can then fast forward when needed. For on-demand content from Sky, a skip ads button appears which is convenient, but you do need to remember to press it. The ideal would be that Sky completely removed ads for on-demand viewing, however Sky likely want you to see some ads. As discussed, ad skipping also enhances the five, ITVX and Channel 4+ apps. I think it is fair to say that the ad-skipping function helps you partly remove/fast forward ads and does not completely remove the ads. It is good to have though.
In summary, the ad-skipping feature at £4 a month is quite handy. It’s cheaper than the combined app subscriptions for ITVX and C4, and while some features are compromised, it offers more overall. When available, the ad-skipping button is faster than manually forwarding. It’s also worth noting that the ad-skipping feature doesn’t include all apps on your Sky Stream, such as YouTube, which require a separate premium subscription to remove ads.
