Sky TV Breaks Silence After Technical Disaster Hits 30,000 Homes

Days after staying silent about the technical glitch that left 30,000 subscribers without service, Sky TV has confirmed that all systems are now fully restored, bringing much-needed relief to frustrated viewers.

Last week's widespread outage disrupted live television access for thousands. In response, Sky issued direct guidance to affected users of its popular Sky Q service via text message. The issue did not affect newer devices such as Sky Glass and Sky Stream.

Sky Q Glitch Blamed on Standby Settings

The disruption appears to have been caused by Sky Q's integrated Standby Mode, which is designed to conserve energy. This setting led to many customers experiencing blank screens when trying to access live or on-demand content.

Sky Q boxes include two power-saving modes, Active and Eco. The Eco setting, which uses less power, activates automatically between 2:30 a.m. and 5:45 a.m. However, waking the box from Eco mode can take several minutes. The Active mode allows a quicker start-up and supports background recordings.

Customers Vent Frustration on X

As reports of the outage spread, many frustrated users took to X (formerly Twitter) to voice their complaints and confusion.

'What's going on with #SkyTV? It's crashed twice. Seems others are reporting the same,' one user posted. Another added, 'What is going on once again? Sky keeps crashing. Internet on and off. Always on a Thursday when darts is on as well. Sort it out.'

One subscriber described a complete loss of picture, saying they received a 'please wait while we load your programme' message before the screen went blank. 'Same with all channel including BBC/ITV—all of them. What is going on?,' she asked.

Another angry customer called it an 'absolute disgrace' to be without both Sky TV and broadband, also noting problems with the Sky app.

According to the Evening Standard, by 6:29 a.m., more than 2,000 people had reported Sky TV issues. Around 5% of users also faced Sky Broadband connection problems.

Sky Shares Fix and Technical Guidance

Sky engineers have resolved the technical issue that caused many set-top boxes to stop working. While most users are back online, some Sky Q boxes may still need manual troubleshooting.

Sky has sent a text message directly to affected customers. As reported by the Daily Mail, the message reads:

'We're extremely sorry if you experienced issues with your Sky Q services recently. These issues have been fixed. If you're still having trouble, please switch off your box at the mains for 30 seconds, then back on. For mini box issues, also reboot the main box.'

If problems continue after following these steps, customers are advised to contact Sky's support team for further assistance.

Why 'Turn It Off and On Again' Works

Although it may sound simple, restarting your Sky Q box—known as power cycling—is often a highly effective solution.

Power cycling involves turning a device off completely and restarting it. This method is widely used to fix issues in routers, laptops, smart TVs, and set-top boxes.

The Science Behind Power Cycling

Over time, devices can develop small software errors, memory inefficiencies, or glitches, especially if they remain switched on for days or weeks. These issues can lead to slow performance, frozen menus, or problems with remote control responsiveness.

Restarting the device clears temporary memory (RAM), stops unresponsive processes, and refreshes internal functions. It does not delete any stored content or settings. Think of it as giving your device a reset, much like a good night's sleep for the brain.

Now that Sky has implemented a fix for the root cause—likely a software update gone wrong—a reboot will also trigger the system to check for and install any available updates.