Read the programme’s current expiry display
SBS’s expiry help says dates appear for programmes leaving within the next three months. As departure approaches, the display changes to weeks, days and hours remaining. On some screens, hovering over the message reveals the exact end date and time. Use that detailed deadline when planning a long viewing session; a rounded day count is less precise than the underlying timestamp.
Add the relevant programme to favourites
The notification instructions require the programme to be in Favourites first, using the heart on its programme page. That creates the selection the alert feature follows. A title merely appearing in a recommendation row is not the same setup step. Review the actual saved programme before enabling alerts, especially when several similarly named series or films appear in search.
Enable both notification layers
In the phone or tablet’s system settings, allow notifications for SBS On Demand. Then, inside the app, open the profile icon, App Settings and enable Expiring Episodes; SBS says the switch becomes yellow when on. New Episodes has a separate switch. Choose the expiry category when the purpose is finishing material before it leaves, rather than receiving only release alerts.
Use the alert to revisit the deadline
A notification is a prompt to check the programme’s current detail, not an extension of its availability window. Before starting the final part of a series, inspect the relevant episode information and remaining time. This is a practical use of SBS’s countdown and alert controls. It does not assume that every episode or version has one permanent common deadline, or that saving a favourite preserves playback after expiry.