After having its Freeview HD slot pinched by the BBC for failing to measure up to Ofcom's standards for a Freeview HD channel, Five has announced that their new hi-def channel will instead be launched on Sky this summer.
Ofcom rejected Five's bid for an HD channel on the grounds that they had failed to find another broadcaster to fill the channel during the daytime (Five's original bid was for an HD simulcast of its regular channel during prime time). With no programming to fill the daytime schedule, Ofcom ruled that the channel would instead be left to be used the BBC, as is the case with all channels that are not reserved for private broadcasting companies by Ofcom.
Five's director of strategy, Charles Constable, called the move to Sky HD "an exciting opportunity", and said that Five's "programme schedule is more suited to HD than that any other major free-to-air commercial broadcaster given the wide range of high quality series [it] broadcasts, such as our top-rated line-up of US dramas."
Five HD is slated to launch this summer, and will be available without additional subscription to customers with the Sky HD package.
Source: T3
So as the report says on Sky, it looks like it will only be available with a free to view card, and not on Freesat.
So FreesatHD has BBC HD, ITV HD and Luxe HD
Sky HD without a viewing card also has BBC HD, ITV HD and Luxe HD.
Sky HD with a viewing card will soon have BBC HD, ITV HD, C4 HD, Five HD and Luxe HD
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