r/skytv•
kg2087

Are we nearing the end of low latency TV?

I’m curious what people think the future of low-latency TV will look like in the UK.

My understanding is that:
- Freeview via an aerial is currently only around 2–5 seconds behind live and DTT will be switched off from around 2034.
- Sky Q via satellite is also only a few seconds behind live, but Sky is moving towards IPTV/Stream over the rest of this decade as the satellites are nearing end of life at the end of this decade.
- Sky Stream and other internet TV services are typically much further behind (often 20–40+ seconds), although Sky has apparently introduced low-latency modes for some sports channels?

As someone who mainly watches live sport, I’m concerned about ending up 30+ seconds behind once aerial and satellite TV are eventually phased out.

Do people think we’ll eventually see IPTV services get down to the same 2–5 second latency as today’s aerial and satellite broadcasts? Or is there a technical reason why internet-delivered TV will always have a noticeable delay?

I’d be interested to hear from anyone who knows where broadcasters and platforms are heading over the next 5–10 years.

Posted Jul 27, 2026, 7:00 AM UTC

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