SKY Box Receiving Subscription Channels For Free - After Moving it?

Rocky-Roader · 2025-11-27T20:47:25+0000

We have a 6 way probe on a SKY Dish that I put up myself back in 2015 and second hand sky boxes in the living room and bedroom which came with expired white cards - basically they work as Freeview.

Last week I was fitting a new carpet so moved everything out of the room for a couple of hours, the next day I went to type 132 to watch U&W but accidentally typed 123 - strangely SKY History came on - flicked through the channels and it seems that there's a bunch of subscription channels that I can watch for free. (no sports or films)

Went into the other room to see if they were available on that box - but nope.

I know that 3 weeks ago these channels were definitely not available - any idea what could have triggered them to start working? surely it happening just after I've moved the box is a coincidence?

Additional question... if I turn the box off - I wonder if those channels will stop working.

Derek W · 2025-11-27T20:54:28+0000

Rocky-Roader said:
We have a 6 way probe on a SKY Dish that I put up myself back in 2015

That's some talent!

deviation · 2025-11-27T20:54:40+0000

It's well known, that the payment for the new carpet counts as renewing your SKY subscription.
Carpet stores have been bundling SKY channels for years.
So if you fit new carpets in the other rooms, those boxes will work with the channels too.

mark 11:11 · 2025-11-27T21:10:27+0000

last time i put a sky dish up myself it turned into a national scandle

deviation · 2025-11-27T21:16:41+0000

mark 11:11 said:
last time i put a sky dish up myself it turned into a national scandle

TBF, the footage was pretty amateur.

Rocky-Roader · 2025-11-27T21:39:38+0000

Derek W said:
That's some talent!

Portable TV in the bedroom window, sky box on the signal page, up the ladder, turn the dish slightly until the signal strength shows as 90%, tighten it up and boom :cry:

But on a serious note we've never subscribed to SKY or hooked it up to an ethernet cable, never tried hacking it, just can't fathom why after 10 years it has started getting these channels for free after the box being switched off for a couple of hours and being gently moved