Sky TV customers will get access to three new channels from today as part of a free upgrade from the service.

The new channels, which launched on Sky on Wednesday, May 27, will showcase a variety of factual programming from the broadcasting giant.

This is what you need to know.

What new channels have launched?

The Northern Echo:

Sky Nature, Sky History and Sky Documentaries have joined the line-up.

Zai Bennett, managing director, content at Sky UK & Ireland, said: "Sky is proud to become the new home of factual with our channels Sky Documentaries, Sky Nature
and Sky History.

"These services will offer our customers an unrivalled destination for brand new, world-class programming as well as an extensive on demand library of the world’s best factual
shows.

"It’s important to bring our customers closer to the content they love in the quickest and easiest way possible.”

What is Sky Documentaries?

Sky say the channel will be the home of world-class, reallife stories from award-winning film makers, including HBO, SHOWTIME® and Hulu exclusives and new Sky original documentaries.

It will include a mix of feature length documentaries and series that will challenge, provoke and entertain, the channel will house 100+ on demand titles.

The channel will cover a wide range of topics from sport, to politics, to real-life controversies.

Shows on the channel include: Tiger Woods: Back, Hillary, McMillions, Shutdown: The Virus That Changed The World and The Plastic Nile.

What is Sky Nature?

Sky say this channel will be home to breath-taking natural history programming, dedicated to exploring the beauty and wonder of the natural world and inspiring us all to do more to look after it.

The channel will feature Sky original series, its existing David Attenborough collection and will be the home of Love Nature 4K’s programming in the UK.

The programmes on the channel will include: Wild Animal Babies, Gangs of Lemur Island, Malawi Wildlife Rescue, Into the Wild: India and Pridelands: Wildnerness Reborn.

What is Sky History?

Last but not least, eagle-eyed viewers will notice that the History Channel has rebranded to Sky History.

Sky say the channel brings to life the stories and events which made our world, through the people who lived them and remarkable individuals and famous faces who will take you on a journey in search of the truth behind them.

Truth is invariably stranger than fiction, and at Sky History, viewers will be immersed in the most thrilling and compelling true stories of our past and our present, told in stunning new ways.

The channel will include shows such as: The Unexplained with William Shatner, Washington, Secret Wars Uncovered, Forged in Fire: Beat the Judges, The Curse of Oak Island: Specials, Ancient Superstructures, Treasures Decoded, Secrets in the Ice, Lost Gold of WWII, and Eating History.

Where are the new channels on Sky?

  • Channel 114 is Sky Documentaries
  • Channel 123 is Sky History
  • Channel 130 is Sky Nature

Are the channels available to non-Sky customers?

The channels will also be available on NOW TV via the Entertainment Pass from May 27.

  • Sky Documentaries can be accessed on Virgin Media on channels 277 (HD) and 278 (SD).
  • Sky Nature can be viewed on Virgin Media on channel 279 (HD) and 280 (SD).
  • Sky History is available on Virgin Media channels 270 and 271 (+1), BT on 379 (HD) 327 (SD), Plusnet on 379 (HD) and 327 (SD), and also on TalkTalk at 327.