Here are the three main UK news channels compared: BBC News, Sky News and GB News. BBC News is the publicly funded broadcaster’s rolling news channel. Sky News is a commercial channel owned by Comcast. GB News, launched in 2021, is privately owned and built around presenter-led discussion shows. All three stream live for free on YouTube and are free-to-air on Freeview, and all three are regulated by Ofcom. The right one for you depends on the format you prefer and where you watch from.
This guide sets out the facts side by side: ownership, funding, format, schedules and every official way to watch, as of October 2026. It does not rank the channels or rate their journalism. We link to each channel’s own guide for more detail.
Key facts (as of October 2026)
- BBC News is publicly funded; Sky News is owned by Comcast; GB News, launched in 2021, is privately owned.
- All three stream live free on YouTube and are free-to-air on Freeview (231, 233 and 236).
- All three are regulated by Ofcom.
UK news channels compared at a glance
| BBC News | Sky News | GB News | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Launched | 1997 (as BBC News 24); merged with BBC World News in April 2023 | February 5, 1989 | June 13, 2021 |
| Owner | The BBC, a UK public corporation | Sky Group, owned by Comcast | All Perspectives Ltd (Paul Marshall and Legatum each about 40%) |
| UK funding | TV licence fee; no adverts on the UK feed | Advertising and Sky’s wider business | Advertising and investors |
| Main base | Broadcasting House, London | Sky Central, Osterley, west London | Paddington Basin, London |
| Freeview | 231 | 233 | 236 |
| Free on YouTube | Yes, in the UK and US since October 15, 2026 | Yes, since 2014 | Yes |
| Regulator | Ofcom | Ofcom | Ofcom |
Channel numbers sometimes move after a retune, so check your on-screen guide if one is not where you expect.
Ownership and funding
How a channel is paid for shapes how it reaches viewers, especially online and abroad.
With the UK news channels compared on funding, the biggest difference is who pays: licence fee payers for the BBC, and advertisers and investors for the other two.
BBC News
BBC News is part of the BBC. In the UK it is funded by the TV licence fee and carries no adverts. Since April 3, 2023, the UK channel and the old BBC World News have been one channel with two feeds. The international feed is run commercially by BBC Studios and carries advertising. Our guide to BBC News abroad explains how the two feeds differ.
Sky News
Sky News launched in 1989 as Britain’s first 24-hour news channel. It is part of Sky Group, which Comcast has owned since 2018. Comcast also owns NBCUniversal. Because Sky News is ad-funded and commercially owned, it gives its live stream away online.
GB News
GB News began broadcasting on June 13, 2021. Its parent company is All Perspectives Ltd. Hedge fund manager Paul Marshall and Dubai-based investment group Legatum each hold roughly 40% of the shares, with smaller stakes held by executives and presenters. Angelos Frangopoulos is chief executive.
Format: rolling news vs presenter-led shows
The three channels build their days differently. This is often the biggest factor in which one a viewer prefers.
Format is where the UK news channels compared here differ most: rolling coverage on two of them, presenter-led programmes on the third.
- BBC News runs mostly rolling news and named news programmes. It hands over to presenters in Washington and Singapore overnight (UK time), so it stays live around the clock.
- Sky News also runs rolling news, organised into anchored blocks through the day, with an evening of named shows.
- GB News fills most of its schedule with named, presenter-led programmes that mix news with discussion and opinion.
Flagship programmes
| Channel | Programme | When (UK time) |
|---|---|---|
| BBC News | The Context, with Christian Fraser | Weeknights, 8pm–10pm |
| BBC News | Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg | Sunday mornings |
| Sky News | Mornings with Ridge and Frost (Sophy Ridge and Wilfred Frost) | Monday–Thursday, 7am–10am |
| Sky News | Sunday Morning with Trevor Phillips | Sundays, 8:30am–10am |
| GB News | Breakfast (rotating pairs, including Eamonn Holmes and Stephen Dixon) | Every morning |
| GB News | Farage, with Nigel Farage | Monday–Thursday, 7pm |
Sky launched Mornings with Ridge and Frost on November 3, 2025, according to Sky Group. The GB News time comes from its show page. Schedules change, and breaking news can move any slot, so check each channel’s guide.
Regulation and impartiality
All three channels broadcast in the UK, so all three are licensed and regulated by Ofcom. UK broadcasting rules require news to be reported with due accuracy and due impartiality. Those rules apply to each channel, whatever its ownership or format.
On regulation, the UK news channels compared in this guide all answer to the same Ofcom rules.
Ofcom has found GB News in breach of its rules on several occasions, including on due impartiality. GB News challenged some of those rulings in court, and a High Court judgment in 2025 found certain earlier Ofcom findings unlawful. Ofcom publishes its decisions on every broadcaster in its broadcast bulletins, which are the best place to check the record of any channel.
We don’t score the channels for bias here. Viewers and media researchers disagree on how each channel performs, and a short summary would not do that debate justice.
How to watch each channel
| Option (as of October 2026) | BBC News | Sky News | GB News |
|---|---|---|---|
| YouTube live | UK and US | Most countries | UK and international |
| Official website | BBC iPlayer (UK); BBC.com subscription (US) | news.sky.com, free | gbnews.com, free |
| Official app | iPlayer (UK); BBC app subscription (US) | Sky News app, free | GB News app, free (optional membership) |
| UK TV | Freeview 231, Freesat 200, Sky 503, Virgin 601 | Freeview 233, Sky, Virgin Media | Freeview 236, Sky 512, Virgin 604, Freesat 216 |
| US free streaming | Pluto TV, Samsung TV Plus, Xumo Play and others | The Roku Channel, Samsung TV Plus | Truth+ free tier |
In the UK
All three are free-to-air on Freeview, and all three run free live streams. One rule applies to all of them: TV Licensing says you need a licence to watch any channel live as it is broadcast, and it names YouTube among the services covered. BBC iPlayer also needs a licence for on-demand viewing.
Access is the easy part: all the UK news channels compared here are free to try on YouTube and Freeview.
In the US and abroad
Since October 15, 2026, BBC News has streamed live on the official BBC News YouTube channel in the US and UK, according to YouTube’s announcement. It is also free on several US streaming services, and it is included in the paid BBC.com subscription. Sky News streams free on YouTube, its website and its apps, and outside the UK most viewers get Sky News International. GB News points viewers abroad to its website, app and YouTube stream, and it joined the free tier of Truth+ in the US in August 2025.
For full walkthroughs, see our guides to the BBC News live stream, Sky News live and GB News live. Expats in America can also read how to watch UK news in the USA.
Coming soon: the NewsLive streaming app. We’re building one subscription for live international news on Android, Roku, Fire TV and desktop. The service is under development — follow NewsLive for launch updates.
Which UK news channel fits you?
Rather than pick a winner, match the channel to how you watch.
Seeing the UK news channels compared side by side helps, but watching each for a few days is the best test.
- If you want rolling coverage around the clock, BBC News and Sky News are built for it. Both run continuous news blocks through the day.
- If you prefer named hosts and discussion, GB News builds most of its day around presenter-led programmes. Sky News and BBC News also run named evening shows.
- If you watch from outside the UK, check what each offers in your country. Sky News has the widest free online reach, BBC News is now free on YouTube in the US, and GB News is on its own site, app, YouTube and Truth+.
- If you don’t want adverts, only the UK feed of BBC News is ad-free.
- If you want more than one view, many viewers switch between channels on big stories. All three are a click apart on Freeview and YouTube.
Want a wider set of options? Our guide to European news channels in English covers Euronews, France 24 and DW News.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between BBC News and Sky News?
BBC News is part of the publicly funded BBC and carries no adverts in the UK. Sky News is commercially owned by Comcast and funded by advertising. Both run rolling news around the clock and stream live for free on YouTube.
Who owns GB News?
GB News is owned by All Perspectives Ltd. Paul Marshall and the investment group Legatum each hold about 40% of the shares, with smaller stakes held by executives and presenters.
Are BBC News, Sky News and GB News all free to watch?
All three are free-to-air on Freeview and stream live free on YouTube. In the UK you still need a TV licence to watch any live TV. In the US, the BBC also sells a BBC.com subscription that includes its live channel.
Which UK news channels are on Freeview?
BBC News is on Freeview 231, Sky News on 233 and GB News on 236, as of October 2026. Channel numbers can change after a retune, so check your guide.
Are all three channels regulated?
Yes. Ofcom licenses and regulates all three, and its rules require due accuracy and due impartiality in news. Ofcom publishes its rulings in its broadcast bulletins.
Can I watch UK news channels in the US?
Yes. BBC News streams free on YouTube in the US and on services such as Pluto TV. Sky News streams free on YouTube and its apps. GB News is on its website, app, YouTube and the free tier of Truth+.
Sources
- YouTube Official Blog: BBC News Channel launches live on YouTube
- TheWrap: BBC News launches on US free streaming platforms
- Sky Group: Sky News launches Mornings with Ridge and Frost
- The Desk: Roku Channel adds Sky News
- GB News: Farage show page
- Broadband TV News: GB News launches in the US on Truth+
- TV Licensing: Live TV and how you watch it
- Wikipedia: GB News (ownership and regulatory history)
- Wikipedia: Sky News
