UKTV to launch new channel W

4 rebrands in 8 years...hmm.

It's almost as if they're ITV.

They wish.


Does raise the question though of whether genre based channels are as effective as having one flagship channel as their new content can get somewhat lost in the listings.

Watch has always seemed to struggle to find an identity for itself, even more so since the launch of Drama back in 2013. Looking at it's schedule a lot of it's content could easily fit into UKTV's other channels, and in some cases already does. You've also got GOLD commissioning new programmes (sitcoms), when arguably they could/should be premièring on Watch if it's supposed to be the flagship channel.

Going off-topic I see Drama, Really, and Yesterday have finally made it onto FreeSat. Though for some reason Dave is still missing from the FreeSat platform.

I think part of UKTV's problem, as some have already mentioned, is they have too many channels, and several channels all seem to cover the same sort of programs.
Some of the channels could easily be combined and just drop about 2 channels. Drama and Alibi could be somehow combined (whether they'd keep the channel as free to air or not i'm not sure), have Watch (W) as a general entertainment channel or a showcase channel for the UKTV network and make it free to air.
Combine Home and Good Food as one channel, at a push you could even combine Really and have one major reality/lifestyle programming channel.
Keep Dave as it is as that seems to work well. Also keep Gold, and probably Yesterday and Eden (or could the last two be combined as well?)

I don't have sky so can only watch the free channels (Dave, Really, Drama and Yesterday) but I notice with Really and Yesterday especially how many programmes are on constantly, and I think this can be an issue, unless you love that one programme, you aren't going to bother with the channel. If the programming was mixed up it may offer more variety for viewers.

I could be speaking a load of rubbish, the channels may all be doing well for UKTV, but it does seem excessive.

It must work better for them as the predecessors of channels like Eden and Yesterday, and Home and Good Food were combined into broader genres - if you go back far enough they were covered by UK Horizons and UK Style.


The thing to remember is that having lots of niche genre specific channels isn't done for the audience, it's done for the advertisers. It's so they can sell x audience to those buying airtime. The fact they overlap in terms of programming is irrelevant and they will in audience profile too to some extent

Absolutely. To UKTV content isn't important. Ad space is.

UKTV is only doing what commercial radio has been doing for years, providing niche programming for certain demographics.

I don't have the official UKTV documentation on their brand demographics, but I'd assume something along the lines of:

GOLD - 35-64 M/F netural
Yesterday: 45-64 M/F netural
Really: 15-34 F
Dave: 25-44 M
Watch: 25-44 F
Drama: 25-44 F
Alibi: 25-44 M/F
Home: 35-54 F
Good Food: 35-54 F
Eden: 35+ F

Out of those, while you have mainly female focused brands, Good Food and Home are skewed towards housewives, Really to young women, while Dave is the only male skewed brand, while GOLD and Yesterday target older viewers, so there's something for most advertisers to put their ads on a particular channel.

Though their demographics will be a lot more detailed, they'd contain socio-economic grouping for example and interest groups - those watching Home will be more interested in ads for home furnishings.

To be fair it wasn't really the same show as the Channel 4 one - it felt a lot cheaper and I particularly remember the horrid red and white set they had when it first started (as '…New Position'). In fact the advert they made before it started was probably higher budget!


It was a good idea to change that set and move it to teatime but there was no way it was going to be as successful, particularly when starting on a brand new unknown channel, not available on Freeview.

I guess in some ways it was a brave move but they were a bit ahead of their time moving to a cable/satellite channel.

There will be more crossover between those that are available on Freeview and those behind pay providers.

Certainly the case with Dave, Yesterday and Drama. Yet Really is as tightly targeted as UKTV's pay tv brands, although there's clear crossover with ITV2/Be.

I think ITVBe makes Really look like National Geographic.