UKTV announces new channel names in rebrand
UKTV is getting a big change-up, with channels Dave, Drama, Yesterday and W being renamed.
The broadcaster has announced it will be rebranding as U, meaning that its channels will appear differently with prefixes of "U&" – such as U&Dave, U&Yesterday and U&W.
Paid channels Alibi, Gold and Eden will transition at a later stage, while streaming service UKTV Play will change its name to U.
The changes are set to come into effect next summer, with the broadcaster explaining that the rebranding is part of an "ambitious growth strategy".
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"For 30 years, UKTV has had shows that people are passionate about – crime, drama, witty comedy and more – but until now it's felt disconnected," said Penny Brough, UKTV's chief marketing officer.
"We want to make sure our audiences can enjoy the full value of our free and wonderfully diverse offer, so we're making it easier for them to navigate.
"U is the glue that enables us to do this: it means we go to market with a bold, simple and distinctive identity for our streaming service.
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In Summer 2024, the UKTV family of channels are uniting under ‘U’, the new name for UKTV Play. Lose yourself in what you love. pic.twitter.com/qONbpPPFnn— Official UKTV (@UKTV) November 29, 2023
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"U makes it easy for people to connect the dots between the streaming service and our family of TV channels – all while keeping hold of each channel's unique personality and fame," Brough continued.
"This is now a family that's fit for a digital future. It's simple, but still full of personality because it's all about U."
The now-titled U streaming service first launched in 2014, and provides free shows with adverts such as classic episodes of Holby City, Red Dwarf, QI and Mock the Week.
UKTV isn’t the only broadcaster to undergo a rebrand recently, with the main ITV channel reverting back to the name ITV1 last year.
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