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Sky Sports HD: All Sky Sports channels are now in crisp high definition as standard on Virgin TV
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It’s a tip-top viewing experience all round for sports fans. All Sky Sports subscribers on Virgin TV can now watch in high definition at no extra cost – here’s what you need to know
By Virgin Media Edit
- Published
- 25 December 2025
If you have a Sky Sports standard definition (SD) subscription, previously it has cost more to upgrade to a high definition (HD) one. But no longer. As our Christmas gift to you for being a valued customer, we’re simply making your subscription an HD one, with nothing for you to pay and no action to take. Just switch on any Sky Sports channel to enjoy the action in clearer, brighter HD quality.
What is high definition?
With more pixels on your TV screen, HD provides superior picture quality, which improves the experience of watching sport no end. Whether you’re marvelling at your team’s lightning-fast counter-attacks, watching a cricket or golf ball soar into the sky or scrutinising where Luke Littler’s darts have landed in the board, an HD picture really brings you into the event.
What do I have to do to watch Sky Sports HD?
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There’s no action for you to take, other than preparing your eyes for a treat. Simply sit back, switch and enjoy football from the Premier League, Scottish Premiership, WSL, EFL and more, plus cricket, NFL, F1, darts, NBA, tennis, golf and a huge range of sport on these Sky Sports HD channels.
Sky Sports Main Event HD (CH 501)
Sky Sports Premier League HD (CH 502)
Sky Sports Football HD (CH 503)
Sky Sports Cricket HD (CH 504)
Sky Sports Golf HD (CH 505)
Sky Sports F1® HD (CH 506) (Sky Sports Darts HD until 3 January 2026)
Sky Sports Action HD (CH 507) (Sky Sports NFL HD during the NFL season)
Sky Sports+ HD (CH 508)
Sky Sports News HD (CH 509)
Sky Sports Mix HD (CH 510)
Sky Sports Racing HD (CH 519)
Sky Sports Tennis HD (CH 520)
What can I watch on Sky Sports HD?
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Sky Sports HD is the home of Premier League football and with a packed programme of fixtures over the Christmas and New Year period, there are plenty of exciting games coming up. An improving Manchester United host an unpredictable Newcastle on Boxing Day, while Aston Villa – in red-hot form, with a string of wins that has taken them from the bottom half to the Champions League qualifying places – are on twice in three days. That includes their trip to league leaders Arsenal, whose unbeaten run Villa ended with a dramatic win in early December.
Here are some of the biggest matches to watch on Sky Sports HD this Christmas.
Manchester United v Newcastle United
Boxing Day, 7pm, Sky Sports Premier League HD (CH 502)
Chelsea v Aston Villa
Saturday 27 December, 5pm, Sky Sports Premier League HD (CH 502)
Crystal Palace vs Tottenham Hotspur
Sunday 28 December, 4pm, Sky Sports Premier League HD (CH 502)
Arsenal v Aston Villa
Tuesday 30 December, 7pm, Sky Sports Premier League HD (CH 502)
And there’s much more than just the Premier League. Between Christmas Day and New Year’s Day alone, Sky Sports HD is showing a whopping 79 live matches from the English Football League – including full programmes from the Championship, League One and League Two on Boxing Day and New Year’s Day – giving you a huge choice of games to enjoy on Sky Sports+.
Sky Sports HD is also where you can watch the great modern festive tradition that is the PDC World Darts Championship, as the UK’s new sporting hero Luke Littler defends his title at Alexandra Palace in London – the final is on Saturday 3 January. And there’s top-quality action from the US too, with action from the NFL all over the Christmas period and, in a real treat for basketball fans, five live NBA games in a row starting at 5pm on Christmas Day.
And during the rest of the year, there’s superb live sport including Formula One motor racing, US Open tennis, all the major golf tournaments, Super League rugby league and much, much more.
What else do I get with my Sky Sports HD subscription?
Sky Sports+ is a service that allows Sky Sports to show multiple live events simultaneously – and they’re all in super-clear HD. During the football season, this gives you a huge choice of matches to watch, and that’s especially true over the Christmas period with more than 70 live EFL games to enjoy. Find out all you need to know about Sky Sports+ here.
To find out what else is on Sky Sports HD for the month ahead, check out our full monthly guide to all the live action on Sky Sports.
Can I watch on the Sky Sports app?
You can follow all the live action on Sky Sports wherever you are in the UK, as long as there’s WiFi, 3G or 4G. Check whether your device is compatible using this device guide, then download the Sky Sports app from Google Play or Apple’s App Store. Open the app, choose a channel, and tap Sign In With Virgin Media TV and and sign in with your Virgin Media O2 ID. You’ll need to have location services enabled on your device. And that‘s it – you’re ready to enjoy the HD action Sky Sports.
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TV channels: Channels, content and features available depend on your chosen package. Channel line-ups and content are subject to change at any time and to regional variations.
HD: HD TV set, V HD Box, TiVo box or Virgin TV V6 connected with HDMI cables required for HD channels. Number of inclusive HD channels depends on package.
Catch Up TV: Catch Up TV content available for up to 7 days or up to 30 days after broadcast, depending on content.
Premium channels (add-ons): 30 days’ notice required to remove premium channels/packs.
Sky Sports HD channels: Sky Sports HD channels £7 per month when subscribing to Sky Sports SD channels.
Sky Sports apps: Only available via the Sky Sports websites or apps (for selected iOS and Android mobiles and tablets) to customers who subscribe to these channels. UK only. Maximum 2 devices. Only available on iOS 8 and above, and Android 4.x. Selected content may not be available to view. Separate terms and conditions apply to the Sky Sports apps and websites.
Virgin TV 360 Box: Not available with full fibre. Minimum of M50 Fibre Broadband required for operation. Boxes require a HDMI cable to connect to your TV. Catch Up TV: Catch Up TV content available for seven days after broadcast.
Virgin Stream box: Virgin Media broadband required (min. 50 Mbps). Compatible with Hub 3 and above. Stream box requires an HDMI cable connected to TV. HD TV set and a Stream box connected with HDMI cables required for viewing HD channels. Number of inclusive HD channels depends on package. 4K compatible TV/device required to watch Ultra HD. Stream box and remote remain property of Virgin Media.
Flex: Virgin Media broadband required (min. 50 Mbps). Not available with other Virgin Media TV services. Compatible with Hub 3 and above. Stream box requires an HDMI cable connected to TV. HD TV set and a Stream box connected with HDMI cables required for viewing HD channels. Number of inclusive HD channels depends on package. 4K compatible TV/device required to watch Ultra HD. Stream box and remote remain property of Virgin Media. There is a £5 a month charge for Flex service, and a one-off activation fee of £35 may apply, along with charges & terms for each Flex entertainment subscription chosen. Some Flex subscriptions require 30 days’ notice to cancel. New Virgin Media broadband customers subject to 18 month contract and set up fees may apply. See full details.
