UKTV signs first major content deal with C4
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The award-winning pay TV network, UKTV, has signed a significant volume deal with terrestrial broadcaster, Channel 4, for the multichannel broadcast rights to a wide range of entertainment, comedy and drama content.
Negotiated by UKTV’s Acting Director of Content Acquisitions, Alexandra Finlay, and Channel 4’s Head of UK Secondary Broadcast Sales, Alison Sainsbury-Stack, the package includes numerous iconic comedy titles such as Spaced, Black Books, and Green Wing, alongside a wealth of critically acclaimed dramas including Shackleton, Anna Karenina, and Longitude. The catalogue of 187 hours of content will premiere across four of UKTV’s ten new-look thematic channels - G.O.L.D., Dave, Watch and Yesterday – from 1st August 2009. A large proportion of this content is being licensed for pay TV broadcast for the first time.
“We are thrilled to have completed this landmark deal with Channel 4 for so many high-profile and high-quality comedy, drama and entertainment titles,” says UKTV’s Executive Director, Commercial, Keith Porritt.
“These arrangements open up a new content stream that complements the many popular titles we acquire from the BBC and our own growing stable of high profile commissions, plus it augments the non-linear opportunities opening up to our new-look multiplatform channel brands.”
Mike Morris, Managing Director, Channel 4 Rights added: “We are delighted to have concluded this deal with UKTV which is a perfect example of Channel 4 maximising rights exploitation to the equal benefit of the channel and the independent production community.”
The nation’s favourite comedy channel, G.O.L.D., will broadcast the majority of the comedy output involved in this deal, including Green Wing (series 1 & 2), Jo Brand – Through the Cakehole (series 1 & 2), Comic Strip (series 4, plus specials), Vic Reeves – Big Night Out (series 1 & 2), and Nevermind The Horrocks, alongside its line-up of comedy films and ever-popular series such as The Vicar of Dibley, Blackadder and My Family.
Titles such as Black Books (series 1 to 3), Star Stories (series 1 to 3) and Smack the Pony (series 1 to 3, plus one special) will be showcased on Dave – the home of witty banter - as part of its award-winning line-up of comedy, quizzes, panel shows and Dave Originals, including Argumental, Batteries Not Included and Red Dwarf: Back To Earth.
Watch, the entertainment channel made for sharing, will premiere two specials – 10 Stupidest Things To Escape From and 50 Greatest Magic Tricks – within its schedule of family favourites such as Doctor Who, Total Wipeout USA and Strictly Come Dancing plus blockbuster movies.
All 17 drama titles within this deal, including Hamburg Cell, The Camomile Lawn and The Government Inspector, will premiere on Yesterday, the channel where the past is always present.
UKTV has just completed what is widely regarded to be the most ambitious rebrand in broadcasting history – ten channels in 19 months – with the launch of Good Food on 22nd June. Having garnered industry-wide recognition along the way, the rebrands have resulted in UKTV’s commercially attractive ABC1 profile increasing to 47% across its portfolio and UKTV winning the Media Magnate’s Broadcaster of the Year Award. UKTV now reaches over 36 million adults a month and is approaching a combined impact share of 5%.
Notes to Editors:-
About UKTV (www.uktv.co.uk)
Formed in 1997, UKTV is an independent commercial joint venture, between BBC Worldwide, the commercial arm of the BBC, and Virgin Media. Attracting up to 36.5 million viewers each month, the network consists of ten distinctive TV channels – Watch, G.O.L.D., Dave, Alibi, Eden, Blighty, Yesterday, Home, Really and Good Food – offering a broad range of quality programming across entertainment, lifestyle and factual programming. UKTV currently operates 17 broadcast streams when multiplexes (+1s) and broadband are taken into account, and 11 highly successful websites.
Promising to creatively connect its audiences with great programming, UKTV’s successful programming strategy combines quality content from the BBC with high profile original commissions and key acquisitions.
All UKTV channels are distributed on Sky and Virgin Media. Dave and Yesterday are also available on Freeview.
For more information, please contact:-
Rebecca Edwards, Senior Corporate Communications Manager, UKTV
020 7299 6261 / 07974 985 453 / Rebecca.edwards@uktv.co.uk
Victoria Powell, Group Publicity Manger, Channel 4
0207 306 3636 / vpowell@channel4.co.uk
“We are thrilled to have completed this landmark deal with Channel 4 for so many high-profile and high-quality comedy, drama and entertainment titles,” says UKTV’s Executive Director, Commercial, Keith Porritt.
“These arrangements open up a new content stream that complements the many popular titles we acquire from the BBC and our own growing stable of high profile commissions, plus it augments the non-linear opportunities opening up to our new-look multiplatform channel brands.”
Mike Morris, Managing Director, Channel 4 Rights added: “We are delighted to have concluded this deal with UKTV which is a perfect example of Channel 4 maximising rights exploitation to the equal benefit of the channel and the independent production community.”
The nation’s favourite comedy channel, G.O.L.D., will broadcast the majority of the comedy output involved in this deal, including Green Wing (series 1 & 2), Jo Brand – Through the Cakehole (series 1 & 2), Comic Strip (series 4, plus specials), Vic Reeves – Big Night Out (series 1 & 2), and Nevermind The Horrocks, alongside its line-up of comedy films and ever-popular series such as The Vicar of Dibley, Blackadder and My Family.
Titles such as Black Books (series 1 to 3), Star Stories (series 1 to 3) and Smack the Pony (series 1 to 3, plus one special) will be showcased on Dave – the home of witty banter - as part of its award-winning line-up of comedy, quizzes, panel shows and Dave Originals, including Argumental, Batteries Not Included and Red Dwarf: Back To Earth.
Watch, the entertainment channel made for sharing, will premiere two specials – 10 Stupidest Things To Escape From and 50 Greatest Magic Tricks – within its schedule of family favourites such as Doctor Who, Total Wipeout USA and Strictly Come Dancing plus blockbuster movies.
All 17 drama titles within this deal, including Hamburg Cell, The Camomile Lawn and The Government Inspector, will premiere on Yesterday, the channel where the past is always present.
UKTV has just completed what is widely regarded to be the most ambitious rebrand in broadcasting history – ten channels in 19 months – with the launch of Good Food on 22nd June. Having garnered industry-wide recognition along the way, the rebrands have resulted in UKTV’s commercially attractive ABC1 profile increasing to 47% across its portfolio and UKTV winning the Media Magnate’s Broadcaster of the Year Award. UKTV now reaches over 36 million adults a month and is approaching a combined impact share of 5%.
Notes to Editors:-
About UKTV (www.uktv.co.uk)
Formed in 1997, UKTV is an independent commercial joint venture, between BBC Worldwide, the commercial arm of the BBC, and Virgin Media. Attracting up to 36.5 million viewers each month, the network consists of ten distinctive TV channels – Watch, G.O.L.D., Dave, Alibi, Eden, Blighty, Yesterday, Home, Really and Good Food – offering a broad range of quality programming across entertainment, lifestyle and factual programming. UKTV currently operates 17 broadcast streams when multiplexes (+1s) and broadband are taken into account, and 11 highly successful websites.
Promising to creatively connect its audiences with great programming, UKTV’s successful programming strategy combines quality content from the BBC with high profile original commissions and key acquisitions.
All UKTV channels are distributed on Sky and Virgin Media. Dave and Yesterday are also available on Freeview.
For more information, please contact:-
Rebecca Edwards, Senior Corporate Communications Manager, UKTV
020 7299 6261 / 07974 985 453 / Rebecca.edwards@uktv.co.uk
Victoria Powell, Group Publicity Manger, Channel 4
0207 306 3636 / vpowell@channel4.co.uk
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