Sky is NZ’s go-to destination for premium British drama with BBC First launching on 1 October - Sky

Sky will launch new channel BBC First on Tuesday, 1 October, delivering Aotearoa audiences the BBC’s premium dramas first across Sky’s portfolio of entertainment products, including via BBC First rails on Neon and Sky Go. The BBC First launch follows Sky’s expansion of its partnership with BBC Studios, securing a multi-year wide-ranging deal earlier this year.

Available on Sky channel 207, BBC First will deliver the biggest dramas from the UK, showcasing the best of British storytelling. Audiences can enjoy a mix of brand-new titles, such as the hotly anticipated Australian spin-off to Death in Paradise, Return to Paradise (coming later this year) as well as New Zealand premieres of the latest seasons of fan favourites, including Silent Witness and Casualty. BBC First also boasts an extensive back catalogue of much-beloved series ready to be rewatched or discovered by a whole new audience, including Call the Midwife, DCI Banks and Sanditon, which will be available to binge on Sky Go and Neon.

Jenna Coleman-fronted miniseries The Jetty, which debuted to critical acclaim on Neon and Sky Go in July, will also make its linear premiere on BBC First on Tuesday, 1 October at 8:30pm. 
Sky Chief Executive Sophie Moloney said: “New Zealand audiences are big fans of UK content and with the arrival of BBC First, Sky is Aotearoa’s go-to destination for British drama. BBC First’s line-up offers Sky customers the very best in premium drama, with content ranging from exciting series premieres to revered boxsets of fan favourites and we’re delighted to offer a range of BBC First programming across Sky’s entertainment platforms. The BBC is synonymous with world-class drama and we cannot wait to share more of their premium content with New Zealand.”

Sarah Kenny, Head of Editorial and Content, Branded Services and Britbox, BBC Studios Australia and New Zealand, said: “We’re pleased to be adding BBC First to our portfolio of channels on Sky and bringing UK drama fans the finest British storytelling brought alive by the best British talent on and behind the screen.” 

BBC First will be available on Sky channel 207 from 3pm on 1 October, with select content available on demand on Neon and Sky Go, and coming to Sky Open in early 2025. It joins BBC UKTV, BBC Earth and CBeebies, alongside the BBC’s world-leading BBC News channel, giving Sky audiences access to thousands of hours of world-class British content from all genres with a mix of shows available across all Sky’s platforms.

To make way for the introduction of BBC First, the Box Sets channel (Sky channel 009) will be decommissioned just past midnight on 1 October. The Box Sets channel largely consists of bingeable re-runs of popular series, which will continue to be available On Demand and on the Sky Go app. For the best on demand experience, we recommend getting connected to the new Sky Box or Sky Pod.