Press release -
BT extends deal with UKTV to include all 10 channels and UKTV Play
UKTV’s full portfolio of linear channels now available
Internet streaming to connected devices
Catch up for all 10 of UKTV’s channels available via a UKTV Play branded service
BT TV and UKTV today announced a new deal to make UKTV’s full portfolio of channels available to BT customers for the very first time.
From this month, UKTV channels Eden, Good Food and Home, will be available via BT set top boxes, joining Gold, Alibi, Watch, Dave, Really, Yesterday and Drama already on the service. In addition, BT subscribers will be able to catch up on programmes from across UKTV’s Pay channels for seven days after transmission, via a UKTV Play branded service.
The new deal also extends to internet and mobile streaming for UKTV’s ten channels via BT’s TV Everywhere app, available on smartphones, tablets and PCs. This includes seven day catch up rights for all ten UKTV channels, enabling BT subscribers to watch UKTV shows they may have missed, whenever they want and wherever they are.
With new series and UK premieres of Storage Hunters UK, Dave Gorman Modern Life Is Goodish, Marley’s Ghosts, Last Man on Earth, Singing in the Rainforest and Secrets and Lies just starting, BT customers will have an exciting choice of UKTV content to watch live or on demand.
The new additions of Eden, Good Food and Home support BT’s strategy of offering a broad range of quality channels to customers, but at better value prices and with greater flexibility for customers.
Delia Bushell, managing director of BT TV and BT Sport, said: “BT TV is rapidly expanding and these three great new channels will help us to offer the breadth and quality of programming that our customers want. UKTV is a key partner for BT TV and we are delighted to have extended the relationship to offer the full span of UKTV’s popular comedy, drama, natural history & lifestyle channels, and to add these to our BT TV Everywhere service, as well as launching the excellent UKTV Play on demand service. This further supports our vision for providing customers with a range of great quality TV at affordable prices.”
Darren Childs, CEO, UKTV said: “UKTV's continued investment in original content has made our channels more popular with viewers than ever before. I’m delighted BT's customers will now be able to enjoy programmes from across our network and watch great entertainment on demand with UKTV Play.”
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Notes to editors
* UKTV’s four free to air channels, Dave, Drama, Really and Yesterday are already available to BT subscribers via the UKTV Play app on YouView
Enquiries about this news release should be made to the BT Group Newsroom on its 24-hour number: 020 7356 5369. From outside the UK dial + 44 20 7356 5369. Email: newsroom@bt.com
About UKTV
UKTV is the multi-award winning media company that reaches 42 million viewers a month.
UKTV's eleven imaginative brands - UKTV Play, Dave, Watch, Gold, Alibi, Yesterday, Drama, Really, Home, Eden and Good Food - include the most popular non-PSB channel in the UK and account for 9% of the British commercial TV market. The company's most recent financial results showed record-breaking year-end revenue of £283m and EBITDA of £74.1m. It invested £123m in programming and related launches last year, and is becoming an increasingly significant investor in UK creativity.
UKTV has a truly innovative model, curating brand-defining commissions, high-profile acquisitions and the very best of BBC, alongside programmes originally shown on ITV and Channel 4. The network embraces technology to deliver inspired channels to audiences through Freeview, Sky, Virgin Media, BT, TalkTalk, YouView and UKTV Play, and distributes its highly valued original programmes to 200 territories.
Now celebrating its 22nd year at the forefront of digital television, UKTV - an independent commercial joint venture between BBC Worldwide and Scripps Networks Interactive, Inc. (SNI) - is proud to be the only British television broadcaster to be recognised by Best Companies.
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About BT
BT’s purpose is to use the power of communications to make a better world. It is one of the world’s leading providers of communications services and solutions, serving customers in more than 170 countries. Its principal activities include the provision of networked IT services globally; local, national and international telecommunications services to its customers for use at home, at work and on the move; broadband, TV and internet products and services; and converged fixed/mobile products and services. BT consists principally of five customer-facing lines of business: BT Global Services, BT Business, BT Consumer, BT Wholesale and Openreach.
For the year ended 31 March 2015, BT Group’s reported revenue was £17,979m with reported profit before taxation of £2,645m.
British Telecommunications plc (BT) is a wholly-owned subsidiary of BT Group plc and encompasses virtually all businesses and assets of the BT Group. BT Group plc is listed on stock exchanges in London and New York.
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