Sky, the British broadcasting giant now owned by Comcast, has announced plans to cut 600 jobs in the UK as part of a sweeping reorganization designed to sharpen its focus on streaming services. The move, confirmed on September 16, 2025, is the latest in a series of workforce reductions as the company pivots away from its traditional satellite pay-TV roots and doubles down on digital-first offerings to compete with global streaming titans like Netflix.
The company has launched a consultation process affecting 900 roles, with 600 positions expected to be eliminated and about 300 employees redeployed elsewhere within the organization, according to BBC and The Economic Times. The cuts will mostly hit technology and product teams, as well as related corporate functions, and are concentrated at Sky’s sites in Leeds, London, and Livingston, West Lothian. This marks the third major round of job reductions in just over 18 months and brings Sky’s UK workforce back to approximately 23,000—the same level it maintained in 2018 when Comcast acquired the business for £31 billion, as reported by The Guardian.
Sky’s shift toward streaming is not a sudden move but rather the culmination of several years’ worth of investment and product launches. In recent years, the company has rolled out a suite of new products, including Sky Glass—a fully integrated ultra-high definition smart TV—Sky Stream, a plug-and-play streaming set-top box, and a full fibre broadband service. These offerings are now used by millions of customers, and more than 90% of Sky’s new subscriptions are for internet-based products rather than traditional satellite services, according to company estimates cited by The Economic Times and The Guardian.
“Over the past few years, Sky has launched a set of market-leading products including Sky Glass, Sky Stream, and our full fibre broadband service,” a Sky spokesperson stated. “These products are now firmly established and used by millions of customers, strengthening Sky’s reputation for innovation and great service.”
Sky’s leadership insists that the latest job cuts are not intended as a cost-saving measure and are not related to individual employee performance. Instead, the company frames the restructuring as a necessary step 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,” as a spokesperson told BBC. The aim, officials say, is to eliminate overlapping internal functions and realign priorities around the company’s flagship streaming products.
Industry analysts suggest that the impact on Sky’s overall workforce will be less than 5%, particularly given that some affected employees may be moved to other roles. Matt Trickett, head of media at Ampere Analysis, told BBC, “Restructures are never easy for those involved but at a topline level this is likely to affect less than 5% of the overall workforce factoring in redeployments. The cuts are aimed at overlapping internal functions and changing priorities, as the company focuses in on its Sky Glass and Sky Stream TV products.”
The backdrop to these changes is a rapidly evolving media landscape where traditional broadcasters are under increasing pressure to adapt or risk obsolescence. Sky, once the undisputed leader in satellite pay-TV under the stewardship of Rupert Murdoch, has seen its business model upended by the rise of streaming. Since Comcast took over in 2018, the company has poured resources into digital transformation, seeking to maintain its edge in a market now dominated by internet-based content delivery.
This transition has not been painless for employees. Since 2023, Sky has slashed nearly 3,500 jobs, including engineers who installed satellite dishes and staff at three UK call centers, which were closed earlier this year. In March 2025 alone, 2,000 positions were eliminated as the company shuttered customer service centers, shifting its customer interactions from phone-based support to digital platforms. In January 2025, about 800 jobs were lost, mainly from teams responsible for installing equipment in homes—a casualty of consumers’ growing preference for plug-and-go products that don’t require professional installation.
Sky’s strategic focus is now squarely on enhancing existing digital and TV services rather than developing entirely new platforms. The company is also boosting its content offerings, with particular emphasis on entertainment and sports. Earlier in 2025, Sky struck a deal with Warner Bros Discovery, the studio behind hits like Barbie and HBO’s Succession and The White Lotus. While this agreement means Sky will lose exclusive rights to broadcast certain programs, it will gain access to the HBO Max streaming service in the UK starting in the first quarter of 2026.
“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,” a Sky spokesperson reiterated, echoing the company’s commitment to staying ahead in a fiercely competitive market.
The reorganization is also about future-proofing the business. With US-based streaming services continuing to gain ground in the UK and across Europe, Sky is determined to remain a major player. By focusing on streaming and digital content, the company hopes to attract and retain customers who are increasingly seeking flexibility, convenience, and high-quality programming delivered over the internet.
For employees, though, the transition has been jarring. The closure of call centers and the reduction in engineering roles reflect broader changes in how customers interact with the company and consume its services. While some staff may find new opportunities within Sky as part of the redeployment process, many will be facing redundancy in an industry that’s rapidly automating and digitizing its operations.
Sky’s evolution mirrors wider trends in the media sector, where traditional broadcasters are racing to reinvent themselves in the face of digital disruption. The company’s willingness to invest in new technology, content partnerships, and customer experience initiatives shows a determination to stay relevant, even as it means making tough decisions about its workforce.
As the dust settles on this latest round of cuts, one thing is clear: Sky is betting its future on streaming, digital innovation, and global partnerships. Whether this gamble pays off remains to be seen, but the company’s latest moves underscore just how high the stakes have become in the battle for viewers’ attention in the streaming era.
