· Firestick.io Team · News · 10 min read
Sky Italia and Warner Bros. Discovery Renew Deal, Bringing Channels and discovery+ Back to Viewers
Sky Italia and Warner Bros. Discovery have renewed their content agreement, keeping Discovery Channel, TLC, and discovery+ accessible to Sky subscribers. Here's what changed, what it means for Firestick users, and how to watch it all.
There’s a specific kind of dread that comes with losing access to channels you actually watch. Discovery Channel goes dark mid-documentary. TLC vanishes right before a new season starts. discovery+ suddenly won’t load. That’s what Sky Italia subscribers were facing before the Warner Bros. Discovery deal got sorted — and now it’s over.
Sky Italia and Warner Bros. Discovery have renewed their content agreement, which means Discovery Channel, TLC, Quest, and the broader discovery+ library are back in the picture for Sky subscribers. The UK/Ireland version of this deal already launched an ad-supported Max bundle directly into Sky and NOW — Italy is tracking a similar path, with WBD channel access continuing and Max integration details still rolling out.
If you’re watching any of this through a Firestick, I’ve laid out exactly what the deal includes, what it means for your setup, and how to access it all right now.
Sky Italia and Warner Bros. Discovery have renewed their distribution deal, keeping WBD channels (Discovery, TLC, Quest) and discovery+ accessible to Sky subscribers. In the UK/Ireland — which Italy is mirroring — Sky now bundles an ad-supported Max at no extra cost, with TNT Sports included from March 2026. Firestick users can access this via the NOW app (native Fire TV support) or by sideloading Sky Go with an Italian account.
What the Sky Italia / WBD Deal Actually Covers
The short version: if you were worried about losing your WBD content, you don’t need to be.
The renewed agreement keeps the full Warner Bros. Discovery channel lineup on Sky Italia’s platform — that’s Discovery Channel, TLC, Discovery Science, Real Time, DMAX, and the rest of the WBD family. These weren’t going anywhere permanently, but carriage disputes have a habit of dragging on long enough to drive subscribers to alternatives. This renewal puts that threat to rest.
The bigger news is what’s happening in the UK/Ireland deal that Italy is following. Sky’s UK platform launched Sky Ultimate TV in March 2026 — a multi-streamer bundle that integrates Max (the rebranded HBO Max), Netflix, Disney+, and Hayu into a single subscription and single app. The ad-supported Max tier is included at no extra cost for Sky TV subscribers. TNT Sports started streaming on Max from March 26, 2026.
Italy’s timeline for Max integration isn’t confirmed in full detail yet — the Italian rollout is a separate process — but WBD channel access is continuous and subscribers retain discovery+ as part of existing Sky bundles. For HBO content like House of the Dragon, Sky Atlantic remains the home for pre-2026 series.
What’s Included for Sky Subscribers
Here’s what the renewed deal keeps accessible — and what’s new depending on your market:
Continuing:
- Discovery Channel, TLC, DMAX, Real Time, Discovery Science, Quest
- discovery+ streaming library (documentaries, reality, nature)
- HBO catalogue content via Sky Atlantic (House of the Dragon, Succession, etc.)
- WBD movies via Sky Cinema
New (UK/Ireland, Italy to follow):
- Ad-supported Max bundle included with Sky TV subscriptions
- TNT Sports via Max (live sports from March 26, 2026)
- Multi-streamer integration: Max + Netflix + Disney+ in one Sky interface
How to Watch Sky Italia and discovery+ on Firestick
This is the part that actually takes some setup. Sky Italia doesn’t have a dedicated native Fire TV app — the UK/Ireland versions of Sky Go and NOW are available in the Amazon Appstore, and they’ll work with Italian account credentials in most cases. The discovery+ app has direct Fire TV support.
Here’s the practical breakdown:
How to Access Sky Italia / WBD Content on Firestick
5 stepsCheck the Amazon Appstore First
From your Firestick home screen, press the Search icon and type “NOW”, “Sky Go”, or “discovery+”. The NOW app and discovery+ app have native Fire TV versions — download whichever matches your subscription. Sign in with your Sky Italia credentials.
Enable Sideloading if Needed
If the UK app version doesn’t accept your Italian login or if you hit a geo-block, you’ll need to sideload. Go to Settings → My Fire TV → Developer Options → toggle Apps from Unknown Sources to ON. See our complete sideloading guide for the full walkthrough.
Download the APK via Downloader
Install the Downloader app from the Amazon Appstore. Use it to navigate to the official Sky Italia site (sky.it) or a trusted APK mirror for the Sky Go APK. Enter your Sky Italia credentials after installation.
Set Up a VPN for Geo-Locked Content
Some WBD content and certain Sky streams are geo-restricted. Install a VPN — I use Surfshark for this, it has a native Fire TV app from the Amazon Appstore and takes about 30 seconds to set up. Connect to an Italian server before launching Sky Go or discovery+.
Optimize for Stable Streaming
For live WBD channels or TNT Sports streams, use a wired connection if possible (a USB-C Ethernet adapter makes a real difference). Clear your app cache after installing: Settings → Applications → select the app → Clear Cache. Enable 4K output in your Sky/NOW app settings if your TV supports it.
The VPN Situation — Why It Matters Here
Sky Italia content, WBD channels, and discovery+ all carry geo-restrictions. Without a VPN, Italian content is locked to Italian IP addresses — and if you’re traveling, accessing Sky Italia abroad is blocked by default.
There’s also the ISP throttling angle: live streams (TNT Sports, Discovery Channel live) are exactly the kind of traffic your ISP identifies and throttles during peak hours. A VPN encrypts all of it — they can’t throttle what they can’t see.
Surfshark
- Native Fire TV app — no sideloading required
- Italian servers for geo-locked Sky Italia content
- Unlimited simultaneous devices
- Stops ISP throttling on live streams
- 30-day money-back guarantee
✓ Pros
- Native Fire TV app available in Amazon Appstore
- Italian server coverage for Sky Italia geo-restriction bypass
- Unlimited devices — covers your whole household
- Fast enough for 4K streams (avg. 280 Mbps on 500 Mbps connection)
- Cheaper than ExpressVPN at $2.49/month long-term
✕ Cons
- Speeds slightly below NordVPN on very distant servers
- Initial connection can take 5-8 seconds on cold start
Get Surfshark VPN — 86% Off
→How Sky Italia’s WBD Bundle Compares to the Alternatives
If you’re re-evaluating your streaming setup now that the deal is renewed, here’s how the main options stack up for Firestick users:
| Service | WBD Channels | discovery+ | Firestick App | Approx. Price/mo | Contract |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 🏆 Sky Italia (full bundle) | Yes | Included | Via NOW/sideload | €25–€50 | Yes |
| NOW Italia No Contract | Yes | Included | Native | €10–€30 | No |
| discovery+ Standalone | No (streaming only) | Yes | Native | ~€5–€8 | No |
 Netflix | No | No | Native | €6–€18 | No |
The standout alternative for flexibility is NOW Italia — it delivers the same Sky content and WBD channel access as the full Sky bundle, but without a long-term contract. For viewers who primarily want discovery+ content without the live channel package, the standalone discovery+ app is native on Fire TV and the cheapest entry point.
For everything else — sports, HBO originals, live WBD channels — the Sky bundle or NOW gives you the complete picture.
What Firestick Users Should Do Right Now
If you’re a Sky Italia subscriber, the practical checklist is short:
- discovery+: Search for it in the Amazon Appstore. Native Fire TV app. Sign in with your Sky account or standalone credentials.
- NOW Italia: Also native on Fire TV. Gives you Sky content without a long-term Sky contract.
- Sky Go (full package): Requires either the UK app with Italian credentials (may need VPN set to Italy) or an APK sideload.
- VPN: Install before setting up streaming apps — it protects everything from the start and resolves most geo-block issues.
For a deeper dive into getting third-party streaming apps onto your Firestick, our sideloading guide covers every step. And if you want to go further with your streaming setup, Stremio with Real-Debrid adds an entirely different layer of content on top of your existing subscriptions.
Closing Thought
The Sky Italia / Warner Bros. Discovery renewal is good news for anyone who’s been sitting on those WBD channels and discovery+ as a reason to keep their Sky subscription. The content is staying. The UK/Ireland deal — which Italy is tracking — has already layered in Max and TNT Sports at no extra cost, which is a meaningful upgrade to what Sky subscribers were getting before.
For Firestick users: NOW Italia is your easiest path if you want a flexible, no-contract setup with all of this content included. Pair it with Surfshark for the VPN side, and you’ve got a clean, geo-restriction-free setup that works on any Firestick.
If you’re curious how the full WBD streaming picture looks beyond Sky, check our best sports streaming apps for Firestick roundup — TNT Sports via Max is one of several live sports options worth knowing about.
Explore Unify IPTV — Live TV on Firestick
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Last updated: May 2026
