Major shake-up coming to Freeview, Sky TV and Virgin Media within weeks that'll add 1,500 hours of new shows

a hand holding a remote control changes the channel on a tv that's out-of-focus in the background

UKTV has confirmed a slew of changes coming to its portfolio of free-to-air channels across Freeview, Freesat, Sky TV and Virgin Media set-top boxes

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Aaron Brown

By Aaron Brown


Published: 09/06/2024

- 03:30

Exclusive new shows, including a brand-new gameshow from Jimmy Carr and a reboot of Bergerac, are in the works from UKTV too

  • UKTV will be rebranded to U from July 16, 2024
  • It will rename all of its free-to-air channels across all platforms
  • FAST channels on Samsung, Pluto TV, and Freevee are included too
  • But paid-for UKTV channels on Sky TV will be exempt
  • 1,500 hours of new content will be added as part of the shake-up

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Millions of households across the UK will experience a dramatic shake-up within weeks as one of the biggest free-to-air broadcasters will rebrand its entire line-up of channels. UKTV — the British brand behind popular channels like Dave and Yesterday — has announced plans to rename its platform as "U" from July 16, 2024.

UKTV channels are currently available on Freeview, Freesat, Virgin TV 360, Sky Q, Sky Stream, and Sky Glass. Starting mid-July, popular channels like Dave, Yesterday, Drama, and Wwill be rebranded to U&Dave, U&Yesterday, U&Drama, and U&W. The channel numbers will not be altered as part of the shake-up.

Those looking to watch on-demand boxsets from any of these channels must head to a new website — u.co.uk.

The shake-up isn't limited to the channel names either, with U promising a slew of new exclusive content coming to its channels in the coming months. In total, U will add an extra 1,500 hours of content to its channels compared to the beginning of this year, bringing the total to 8,500 hours.

a tile of tv show previews with the new U brand name

​UKTV channels will be renamed under a new all-encompassing U brand name, with all channels reworked to fit the new naming convention 

UKTV PRESS OFFICE

UKTV was launched in the 1990s as a joint venture between BBC Worldwide and Thames Television. It was designed to leverage the BBC archive to bring classic shows to a new audience.

Channels like Dave, which quickly gained popularity based on the strength of the back catalogue, were regularly mocked on shows like Have I Got News For You and Top Gear for the barrage of decades-old repeats that filled its schedule.

In recent years, UKTV has pivoted to focus on more original shows. Hits like Taskmaster were launched exclusively on free-to-air channels like Dave before being acquired by Channel 4.

UKTV also has a number of premium offerings — Gold, which is dedicated to classic British comedy, Alibi, which focuses on crime drama series, and Eden, which has a schedule packed with nature and science docu-series — that are only available on paid-for platforms like Sky Q, Sky Stream, Sky Glass, and Virgin Media TV 360.

These will not be rebranded as part of the latest overhaul.

However, the four additional Free Ad-supported Streaming TV (FAST) channels launched by UKTV on its mobile and television app late last year will be renamed as part of the move towards U next month. UKTV Play Heroes will become U&Real Heroes, UKTV Play Laughs will be renamed U&Laughs, UKTV Play Full Throttle will change to U&Transport, and finally, UKTV Play Uncovered will be known as U&The Past.

These channels will remain accessible via FAST platforms, like the Samsung TV Plus service baked into all Samsung Smart TVs, Freevee on Fire TV Stick devices, the Pluto TV platform, as well as Virgin Media set-top boxes.

Speaking about the shake-up to its line-up, UKTV Chief Marketing Officer Penny Brough said: "The launch of U on 16th July is an important step for UKTV, defining our age of transformation. U will present our viewers with an extraordinary range of free quality content, allowing them to connect the dots between the streaming service and our family of TV channels."

Some of the exclusive new shows commissioned by UKTV for its new U-branded channels will include Battle in the Box — a comedy gameshow hosted by Jimmy Carr, a second series of Whitstable Pearl, and a reimagining of the classic detective series Bergerac that'll premiere on U&Drama in 2025.

UKTV Chief Digital Officer Andrea Amey said: "U will be home to almost 8,500 hours of free content, comprising new programming, exclusive shows, award-winning originals and premiere acquisitions. We can’t wait to give our viewers even more choice and a service that is easy to navigate, so they can enjoy our free and varied offering."

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