Football fans tuning into the Arsenal vs Manchester United match on Sunday may notice a nine-digit number appearing in the top-right corner of their screen. Sky Sports has reassured viewers that the number is part of its Domestic Broadcast Security arrangements and is nothing to worry about.
The number appears periodically for up to five minutes during live broadcasts and is generated automatically. It is not linked to individual subscriptions and should not affect viewing. Sky confirmed that the same security code may appear on other channels as well.
The purpose of the code is to prevent illegal use of personal Sky accounts in commercial settings such as pubs. Legitimate business accounts display a pint glass icon instead. Sky uses the number to identify and crack down on unauthorised public screenings.
If the number fails to disappear, Sky Q users can perform a box restart. This involves switching off the box at the mains, waiting for lights to go off, and then restarting. Sky advises that some features may take up to five minutes to return after a hard reset.
Sky Sports broadcasts over 1,400 live matches per season, including Premier League, EFL, Formula 1, darts, and golf. Its Ultimate TV and Sports bundle now includes streaming services such as HBO Max, Netflix, Disney+, discovery+, and Hayu.
