A KEY rival to BBC iPlayer has signed a historic deal to add hundreds of top TV shows – and they’re free to view.
It means you’ll be able to watch iconic telly like The Office, Would I Lie To You?, Mock The Week, Red Dwarf, and QI XL.
Channel 4 has teamed up with telly giant UKTV to share loads of content on the broadcaster’s streaming app.
It means that Channel 4 streaming viewers will be able to watch a veritable treasure trove of UKTV originals and BBC classics.
This comes courtesy of the U service, which is now available via Channel 4’s own streaming service – a free platform.
“Bringing UKTV’s much-loved shows together with Channel 4’s award-winning programmes means more fantastic choice for everyone,” said interim Channel 4 chief Jonathan Allan.
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“Viewers can expect us to continue making it easier to enjoy the programmes they love.”
There’s a vast selection of content on offer, with Channel 4 noting that you’ll be able to access “hundreds” of new shows.
NEW TELLY ON CHANNEL 4 STREAMING
The official list from Channel 4 includes:
- The Office – Ricky Gervais as the inept David Brent
- Red Dwarf – Cult sci-fi comedy
- QI XL –panel show where guests tackle quirky questions with banter
- Bergerac – Modern re-imagining of the crime drama, set in Jersey
- Would I Lie To You? – Celebrities bluff and banter through outrageous stories
- Birds of a Feather – Two sisters navigate life, love, and laughs
- Not Going Out – sitcom following the life and antics of Lee and his friends
- Have I Got A Bit More News For You – version of the satirical news quiz
- Mock The Week – Comedians riff on the week’s news
- Mel Giedroyc: Unforgivable – Celebrities confess their “unforgivable” sins
- MasterChef Australia – the competitive cooking programme goes Down Under
- Spooks – Drama about the British Security Service
- Stacey Dooley Sleeps Over – Stacey spends 72 hours with extraordinary people
- Big Zuu’s Big Eats – the grime artist and self-taught chef hits the road to cook up
- Outrageous – The true story of the Mitford sisters
- David Mitchell’s Outsiders – Comedians prove they can thrive in the great outdoors
- Pete Wicks: For Dogs’ Sake – TOWIE star immerses himself in Basildon’s Dogs Trust
- State of Play – Drama exploring the murder of an MP’s young researcher
- Whitstable Pearl – drama about a restaurant owner who sets up a detective agency
- The Chelsea Detective – crime drama set in Chelsea
- Marlow Murder Club – adaptation of Robert Thorogood’s best-selling novel
Channel 4 also noted that there would be more U content arriving “in the coming weeks”.
UKTV isn’t exactly new – in fact, it was founded in the early 1990s.
It’s a British broadcaster that has been wholly owned by BBC Studios (the Beeb’s commercial arm) since 2019.
And it serves up a number of Freeview channels including U&Dave, U&Drama, and U&Yesterday.
It also operates a catch-up service called U.
UKTV has an expansive library of content typically associated with the BBC.
But you’ll now be able to watch loads of this telly on Channel 4’s streaming service in a blow to BBC iPlayer.
You can also watch UKTV content on the U streaming service, as well as via Sky, Virgin Media, NOW, Freeview, Freesat, and Freely.
In Ireland, you can catch UKTV telly through Sky, Virgin Media, Eir, Vodafone, and NOW.
And UKTV is also available in the UK via FAST – that’s free ad-supported streaming television – channels.
You can find those on Samsung TV Plus, Amazon Freevee, Pluto TV, and Virgin Media.
The new Channel 4 UKTV content is live right now.
