UKTV has announced the upcoming launch of its new masterbrand, ‘U’, on July 16, 2024. This rebrand will encompass UKTV’s family of free-to-air channels, resulting in names such as U&Dave, U&DRAMA, U&YESTERDAY, and U&W. The streaming service, previously known as UKTV Play, will also transition to the new name, offering nearly 8,500 hours of free content.
Penny Brough, Chief Marketing Officer of UKTV, shared her enthusiasm for this transformative step: “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 between the streaming service and our TV channels.”
Andrea Amey, Chief Digital Officer, added, “U will be a destination for viewers seeking a vast and varied selection of programming. With almost 8,500 hours of free content, we’re offering new shows, exclusives, award-winning originals, and premiere acquisitions, all while making it easy for audiences to navigate and enjoy.”
The launch of ‘U’ will be accompanied by an enticing lineup of new and exclusive programming. This includes the original comedy reality game show ‘Battle in the Box’, hosted by Jimmy Carr, the second series of the record-breaking crime drama ‘Whitstable Pearl’, and the highly anticipated UK premiere of ‘Orlando Bloom: To the Edge’, which follows the actor’s journey of self-discovery through extreme sports.
UKTV is also introducing brand new original commissions, such as ‘Outrageous’ and ‘Bergerac’, with the latter being a re-imagining of the iconic Jersey-based detective series. These new shows will join other recently announced titles, like the second series of ‘The Marlow Murder Club’, which has commenced filming this week.
The masterbrand’s free streaming service will offer an extensive library of content, including new programming, viewer favorites, and back-catalogue hits such as ‘The Bill’ and ‘Classic EastEnders’. This expansion reflects UKTV’s commitment to providing a diverse range of quality entertainment to its audiences.
