The last-minute deal was struck last night. Several Discovery channels were set to disappear from Sky and Now TV packages in Ireland and the UK today.

In a statement, Sky said: “Great news, we can confirm that Sky will continue to carry the Discovery and Eurosport channels.

“This means you can still watch channels including: Animal Planet, Discovery HD, Discovery History, Discovery Home & Health, Discovery Science, Discovery Shed, Discovery Turbo, DMAX, Eurosport1, Eurosport2, Investigation Discovery, TLC and Quest.”

Sky UK CEO Stephen van Rooyen says Discovery backed down pic.twitter.com/ILqNeFBllO

— Chris Williams (@cg_williams) January 31, 2017

When rumours first surfaced that the channel might disappear, the hashtag #KeepDiscovery began to trend on Twitter. Last night, Discovery thanked viewers and fans for their support.

GOOD NEWS! All our channels are staying on Sky. We can’t thank you enough for your patience & support. Best fans in TV! #KeepDiscovery pic.twitter.com/twy8PQqBp0

— Discovery Channel UK (@DiscoveryUK) January 31, 2017