Sky has confirmed that it will rebrand the recently acquired Living channel to Sky Living from next year, and move it up to channel 107 on its EPG.

Living, along with Bravo and Virgin 1, was recently snapped up by Sky from Virgin Media, giving the satellite giant yet more of the key non-digital terrestrial television channels.

Sky believes that Living sits perfectly alongside its two other key entertainment channels – Sky1 and the forthcoming Sky Atlantic, which will bring the best of HBO and other key US programmes.

To that end, the company has announced that Living will be rebranded from 2011, and, significantly, the channel will be given a 25 per cent hike in its programme budget.

Build on success

"Living, the home of programmes such as Britain's Next Top Model, Four Weddings, Chuck and upcoming UK drama series Bedlam, was acquired by Sky from Virgin Media earlier this year," said Sky's release.

"To build on the channel's success as one of the UK's leading pay TV channels, it will re-brand as Sky Living from early 2011 and benefit from a 25% increase in on-screen investment.

"It will move to a new slot of #107 on the Sky EPG from its current position at #112."

Strong line-up

Sky Atlantic is set to launch 'from early 2011' and the triumvirate of channels will give Sky a stronger entertainment line-up than ever before.

"In Sky 1, Sky Living and Sky Atlantic we have three outstanding channels which will sit loud and proud at the top of the EPG, said Sky's MD of entertinament, news and broadcast operations Sophie Lain/

"Investment in stand-out content is at the heart of our strategy and we're delighted to be able to offer customers so much choice and quality across our expanded entertainment line-up. Taken together, these channels will have real cut through.

"Quite simply, they will be channels worth paying for and will give even more customers reasons to choose pay TV."

Oh, really? There is very little on Sky 1 that I watch, and I never watch Living as it is.

Chuck is on Living IIRC. Yvonne Strahovski FTW.

It's a girl's channel that's why you don't watch it.

If Virgin no longer have these channels does that leave them with zero now?

Just looked her up - not 'alf!

Chuck would have been the only thing I would have watched on Living. I do not watch the sky channels at all. Even on Freeview they are not that great. Sky 3 is rubbish and Sky News is nowhere as good as BBC News 24.

They're hardly likely to let anything decent go to the competition now though are they?

Yes but it is an indication of the quality of the rest of the programming. I have NTL with the Freeview package on the main TV. It suits me. I have a limited terrestrial Freeview on the bedroom TV but really do not need the pay TV deals. I am considering Freesat HD but really need a very good reason to spend any more money on it. Friends and family have varying NTL pay packages and all moan about the lack of new content or repeats. Even suggesting rent the package you want for just a month and then go back to the free package for around 4 months and by then the content might have changed.

+1