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With the flick of a switch, Sky Glass and Sky Stream viewers have unlocked up to 1,500 hours of free content.
The long-awaited streaming app U is now accessible on both of these gadgets. Originally scheduled to launch at the beginning of summer, it's unclear what caused the delay. There's no need to dive into the settings menu and trigger an update, the U application should already be waiting for you on Sky Glass and Sky Stream.
Unfortunately, there's no word on whether U will be coming to Sky Q.
Since this set-top box runs on a completely different operating system, not to mention the fact that Sky is scaling back the teams that support this older hardware, it can take a long time to develop applications. For example, there was a seven year wait before Channel 4 make the leap to Sky Q.
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
If you're not familiar with the name U, it's likely because it's the new name for free-to-air broadcaster UKTV. The British brand behind popular channels like Dave and Yesterday renamed itself to U on July 16, 2024.
From that date, popular channels like Dave, Yesterday, Drama, and Wwill be rebranded to U&Dave, U&Yesterday, U&Drama, and U&W. The channel numbers were not altered as part of the shake-up.
While the newly-rebranded channels have been available to watch live on Sky Glass and Sky Stream since the relaunch earlier this summer, the on-demand app — which offers TV series not accessible anywhere else — has taken longer to arrive.
Sky Q viewers can watch the live channels via satellite, it's only the U app that's missing. However, those who want watch on-demand boxsets from any of these channels can also head to a new website — u.co.uk.
As part of the shake-up to the UKTV brand it promised 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.
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."
