Where to watch X Factor 2026 (September 10, 2026): Sky and NOW, the right packages

X Factor 2026 premiered on Thursday, September 10 at 9:15 pm on Sky Uno (channel 108), airing every Thursday in prime time through the Live Shows. This is the twentieth edition of the Sky Original show produced by Fremantle, hosted once again by Giorgia, with a renewed judging panel: Francesco Gabbani, Irama (in his debut on the show), Jake La Furia and Paola Iezzi.

This season's path includes three Audition episodes, two Bootcamp nights and a Last Call, before the Live Shows kick off on Thursday, October 22. The grand finale is already set for Thursday, December 3, 2026, and after two years in Naples the show returns to Milan, at the Unipol Forum in Assago.

Where to watch X Factor 2026 on TV and streaming

X Factor airs on Sky Uno and is available in streaming at the same time on NOW. Those without a subscription can still follow it free-to-air on TV8, where episodes arrive a few days after the Sky premiere.

If you want to watch the show live on Thursday nights, without waiting for the free-to-air airing, you'll need a Sky subscription (via satellite box or online) or NOW.

Heads up: you don't need a sports package

Unlike football matches, X Factor doesn't require Sky Sport. Sky Uno is an entertainment channel, so it falls under Sky's TV/Entertainment packages and NOW's Entertainment Pass. If you already have a Sky subscription with the basic TV package, or an Entertainment Pass on NOW, you're all set.

The available Sky packages

Sky offers a few different combinations depending on what else you want to watch besides X Factor:

• Sky TV + Netflix (Intrattenimento Plus): the option built for entertainment, with X Factor, Sky Original series and the Netflix catalogue included. Try Sky for 30 days, with Sky Go to start watching right away. Get the offer
• Sky TV + Sky Sport, if you also follow the Champions League or Serie A on Sky Sport: €24.99/month. Get the offer
• Sky TV + Sky Sport + Sky Calcio, if you also want all of Serie A: €29.99/month, online only. Get the offer
• Sky TV + Sky Calcio, for those who follow only Serie A Enilive besides X Factor: €15.99/month, online only. Find out more

Sky promotional prices change often, so it's always worth checking the current offer on the official site before subscribing.

If you choose NOW

If you prefer pure streaming, with no satellite dish, NOW gives you all of X Factor with the Entertainment Pass, which also includes the other Sky Original series and shows, plus a good number of on-demand movies depending on the plan you choose.

• Entertainment Pass: from €4.99/month (12 months at the price of 7) up to €8.99/month with no commitment — 1 device at a time, on-demand with ads.
• Cinema & Entertainment Pass: from €7.99/month (12 months at the price of 8) up to €11.99/month — the same X Factor series and shows, plus over 1,000 on-demand movies.

If you also follow sports, keep in mind there's a separate Sport Pass (or combined passes), but for X Factor alone the Entertainment Pass is enough and is the most affordable option. Promotions change constantly, so always check the current conditions at the time you activate the subscription. Check out the NOW plans.

Keeping track of it all with EasySubs

Between Sky via satellite box, Sky online, NOW Entertainment, NOW Sport, and maybe even Netflix bundled into one of the packages, it's easy to lose track of what you're paying each month just to not miss X Factor and your other favorite shows.

EasySubs helps you keep all your subscriptions in one place, including the renewal dates and auto-renewals of Sky and NOW, so you always know your total spend and can calmly decide what's actually worth keeping active.