Sky Go Extra: Sky TV customers only. No extra cost with Multiscreen, otherwise £5 extra a month. Allow up to 24 hours for your account to be activated. 31 days' notice to cancel. Concurrent online viewing on 2 devices. Download selected Sky Go content in the UK only via Wi-Fi. Content depends on your Sky. It is extremely disappointing indeed that Sky Go, a really great service for watching my Sky TV on the go, has never, not ever, had the capability to work alongside Google Chromecast. Why is it that Sky Go is the ONLY streaming service where the Google Chromecast function is not enabled.
In this article, you will find the exact step by step instructions to watch Sky Go on Chromecast.
The availability of subscription-based, on-demand video streaming services in the United Kingdom is quite low compared to what you can get in the rest of the world.
For example, there are more than 50 television networks in the United States that offer its TV Everywhere services (requires cable login) on mobile devices, media streaming players, and modern web browsers. Also, dozens of VOD and live TV streaming services are available on a subscription basis.
Go Chromecast Apps
BBC iPlayer is one of the few catch-up services that you can watch for free, albeit with a TV license. The list of premium on-demand services in the UK is quite underwhelming due to the monopolies of UK-based pay-TV services like BT, Sky, and Virgin Media.
However, they also offer catch-up services to their users, and Sky Go is one of the better ones in that regard.
Since many of you seem to use a dedicated Chromecast device or a TV with Chromecast built-in, we have prepared this guide to help you cast content from Sky Go on Chromecast.
Contents
- 1 What can you watch on Sky Go?
What can you watch on Sky Go?
Sky TV’s UK online catch-up service Sky Go has 70+ British and international entertainment, sports, movies, kids, news, documentary channels, along with thousands of movies, TV shows, and catch-up episodes on-demand.
It should be mentioned that Sky Go is exclusive to Sky TV customers only, and it can be availed without paying an extra charge. You will need your Sky ID to log in to the service.
Depending on your Sky TV subscription, your streaming library on Sky Go will vastly vary. Since it’s considered as a complimentary service for Sky TV subscribers, it’s mandatory for users to pay for the connection.
On Sky Go, you can watch most of the free-to-air channels, including ITV and Channel 4. The service also incorporates all Sky Cinema and Sky Sports channels.
Based on what you have in your Sky TV subscription, you might get access to Sky Atlantic as well, which hosts a variety of blockbuster movies and broadcasts HBO originals, including Game of Thrones, Watchmen, Chernobyl, Westworld, The Outsider, etc. Channels like Sky Comedy, Sky Crime, Sky Nature, Sky One, Sky Documentaries, and many more are available to watch on the Sky Go service.
If your Sky TV subscription includes Sky Sports, then you will get to watch all the Sky Sports channels on the service, which are Sky Sports Premier League, F1, Golf, Cricket, Football, Main Event, Arena, Action, Mix, Racing, etc. You can basically watch live and on-demand sports content on Sky Go.
You can watch some of the best box sets on Sky Go, including Succession, Big Little Lies, Babylon Berlin, Britannia, Cyberwar, True Detective, The Sopranos, Watchmen, Veep, The Wire, Ray Donovan, Dexter, Fortitude, Billions, and dozens of more award-winning titles.
Do you need Sky Go Extra to Chromecast Sky Go?
Many of you probably are confused about Sky Go Extra, whether you need it or not. Fortunately, all you need is a Sky TV subscription, and you won’t have to pay for the Extra add-on. It doesn’t matter which device you use to watch Sky Go; the Sky Go Extra only gives you an offline download option.
You can only download what your Sky TV subscription includes. There are a few restrictions on the latest catch-ups, but select on-demand programming can be downloaded and stored for up to 30 days offline and can be accessed from the Sky Go app.
The Sky Go Extra add-on adds £5 to your existing Sky TV plan, and you won’t need it to watch Sky Go on Chromecast.
Can you Cast Sky Go to Chromecast?
The answer to this question varies based on where you live. A vast majority of people often mix up the Sky Go service in New Zealand with the UK one. The NZ variant of Sky Go natively supports Chromecast, but the same can’t be said for the UK variant.
However, it’s still possible for Sky TV subscribers in the United Kingdom to watch Sky Go on Firestick using the screen mirroring option, which we will discuss in the next section of this guide.
It’s worth mentioning that Kiwi Sky Go users can use Android and iOS devices to cast content on the first, second, and third generations of Chromecast devices.
How to Cast Sky Go on Chromecast in the UK
Although Sky Go users in New Zealand are in luck, British Sky Go users will have to follow a different workaround to cast Sky Go on Chromecast. Unfortunately, you won’t be able to use your Android or iOS device, and you will need a PC instead.
The Sky Go app on Android and iOS has DRM restrictions, which means you won’t be able to mirror any content on your Chromecast. It will simply show you a black screen.
However, you can take advantage of the desktop version of Sky Go, which doesn’t have any sort of DRM system in place. You will also need Google Chrome, which does let you cast the desktop and browser tabs. Here’s how you can do it:
- First, go to google.com/chrome and download Google Chrome on your PC if you don’t already have it.
- After that, open a browser tab in Chrome and visit https://www.sky.com/watch/sky-go/windows to download the Sky Go desktop app.
- Once you install it, launch the Sky Go app and sign in with your Sky ID and password.
- Now play something on Sky Go, then return to the Chrome window.
- Next, click the vertical ellipsis (⋮) icon on the top-right corner of the navigation bar, then select Cast from the drop-down menu.
Note:If your PC and Chromecast is connected to the same home network, then you should see your Chromecast device in the list. Otherwise, it won’t work.
- Click Sources in the pop-up window, then select the Cast desktop.
- Now select your Chromecast device from the list of devices, choose your desktop feed from the window, and click Share.
That’s it! You should see your full desktop mirrored on your Chromecast. Audio will work out of the box. You won’t have to configure anything else.
You can now return to the Sky Go window and stream your favorite TV channels and TV shows on your Chromecast.
Wrapping up
Our workaround to watching Sky Go on Chromecast is a bit complex, but it will do the job just fine. Until Sky TV UK adds back the cast functionality on its Sky Go app, you can follow the steps above and watch Sky Go to Chromecast device.
If you experience artifacts or stutters in the mirrored feed, make sure that your PC and Chromecast device receives adequate Wi-Fi signal strength. Also, if you have a Wi-Fi router set up, then connect your PC or laptop to it over Ethernet for the best Chromecast experience possible.
Some things are just made to be watched on a big screen. So, when it comes to Sky Go, there are times you want to ditch that laptop, tablet or smartphone and kick back in front of a TV. Here’s how to stream Sky Go on your TV.
Sky Go has been around for some time now and it’s gone through several iterations, including some confusing crossovers with the Sky Q app. The app’s main function is letting you watch your Sky package over the internet – a super useful feature when you’re away from home or just not in the same room as your Sky box.
Related: Read our full Sky Q review
While being able to watch Sky on your Android or iOS device – from a Samsung Galaxy phone to an iPad – will be a marvel for some, sometimes it just isn’t good enough. The heart-pounding action scenes of Game of Thrones or Gangs of London on even the largest mobile device just won’t do.
We’ve put together this handy guide to show you just how to watch Sky Go on a TV.
Related: What do you think is best streaming service? Vote now
Google Chromecast Sky
How do I stream Sky Go to my TV?
Kicking things off on a bit of a downer, the simple answer is you can’t. Never fear, you can get Sky Go on a TV using a good ol’ cable.
Unfortunately, Sky is yet to add any kind of casting function to the Sky Go app – as you can do with other streaming services like Netflix or Amazon – and this means there’s no way to shift the app’s mobile content from your phone or tablet to a TV. A lack of a Sky Go app on smart TVs doesn’t help the situation either.
Instead, you’ll need to grab your laptop and download Sky Go if you haven’t already. The next step is to check what connections your laptop has and, fingers crossed, it has an HDMI port and you’ve got a handy HDMI cable lying around.
Other solutions include a VGA/DVI connection on some older machines or a more flexible Thunderbolt port, but HDMI is the simplest way of going about things. Here’s exactly how to do it:
- Open the Sky Go app on your laptop
- Find what you want to watch and go fullscreen
- Attach the HDMI cable to your laptop
- Plug the other end into a free HDMI port on the back of the TV
- Make sure you are on the correct HDMI input on the TV and you are all set