Own a Sky Q Voice Remote? How you can use it to unlock FREE shows and sport for a year
SKY viewers can unlock 12-months of free streaming - unlocking exclusive shows and documentaries as well as live sports coverage - by saying two words.
Sky introduce brand new streaming TV 'Sky Glass' in October
Want to unlock thousands of episodes of new shows on your Sky Q box for free? If you own a Sky Q voice remote, it's as simple as saying two words. Pick up your Sky Q voice remote and say “get discovery+” (pronounced discovery plus) and you’ll unlock the new streaming service to watch at no extra cost on your set-top box. If you own a newer Sky Glass telly, you'll be able to try the same trick with any remote, since all of these redesigned models arrive with support for voice controls. You can also use the built-in hands-free microphone array to unlock the free streaming service too, but you'll need to use the wake phrase "Hey Sky" before the command.
The new promotion, which you won't be able to find on Virgin Media, Roku, Apple TV or any other set-top box kit, is an exclusive partnership to drum-up interest in the new streaming service from Discovery. Announced back in 2020, discovery+ is the new video-on-demand competitor from the Discovery Channel.
In a nutshell, it’s a rebrand of the dPlay platform that already existed to better fit with the current trend of adding a “+” to signal a paid-for streaming service (see also: Disney+ and Apple TV+). It will also be the home of a raft of new original shows. At launch, there was roughly around 80 hours of discovery+ original content available to stream, but since then, Discovery has added a steady stream of new documentaries and films to its subscription service. Due to licensing agreements, discovery+ was the only place to watch every discipline during the Tokyo Olympics last summer. And it has a number of other exclusive agreements for sports coverage too.
For example, discovery+ will also air every match in the Australian Open tennis tournament, and a number of hotly anticipated sports fixtures this year.
If you’re not interested in the original content, there’s a truckload of on-demand content from Discovery’s paid-for linear channels, including Discovery Channel, TLC, Quest, Really and Animal Planet. New exclusive shows include Joe Exotic: Tigers, Lies & Cover Up, Salvage Hunters: Design Classics, and Prince Andrew, Maxwell & Epstein. As well as that, you can expect to find full boxsets for popular shows like, World’s Greatest Cars, 90 Day Fiancé and Say Yes to the Dress, to name a few.
These channels are all available to watch on Sky Q, but if you don’t pay for the right bundle – the latest promotion could be a good way to catch up on all of the previously-aired shows without adding to the cost of your monthly Sky TV bill. Like Disney+ and Netflix, discovery+ will have its own dedicated app for Sky Q.
That means you’ll be able to watch the latest original shows and stream boxsets without reaching for your smartphone or tablet – it should already be waiting for you on the Sky Q box.
If you don’t subscribe to Sky Q, then don’t worry. Everyone will be able to take advantage of a new 14-day free trial to test out what’s on offer on discovery+. After that expires, you’ll have to pay £4.99 a month to continue watching. There is a discount available if you decide to pay annually, mirroring a similar deal from Netflix earlier this year, which costs £49.99.
Thankfully, you don't need to have a Sky Q voice remote to unlock this brilliant freebie. If you have an older, microphone-less version of the Sky Q remote, you can head to the "Upgrade" tile found within the Apps menu on your Sky Q box. Tap that, and the same promotion will be applied to your account.