Channel 4 and the BBC’s UKTV Platform to Exchange UK Streaming TV Content

British TV broadcasters Channel 4 and UKTV (U platform), which is owned by the BBC’s commercial division, have today announced a major new multi-year carriage agreement, which will see C4 gaining access to stream thousands of hours of additional free TV content and shows from the BBC via their online service (The Office, Red Dwarf etc.).

The agreement, which is expected to enhance the appeal of Channel 4’s streaming service to advertisers and various different audiences, also marks the first time that Channel 4 has carried a third-party service on its video streaming platform.

Consumers will start to notice the change from January 2026, when Channel 4’s streaming audiences will be able to find hundreds of shows from the U service (both catch up and boxsets) – including titles like Outrageous, Bergerac, Big Zuu’s Big Eats, Bangers & Cash, Pete Wicks: For Dogs’ Sake, The Office, Red Dwarf, QI, The Count of Monte Cristo and MasterChef Australia etc.

The partnership will also “allow UKTV to reach new audiences while still serving its loyal audience on its own platforms“. UKTV’s U service is to remain a standalone service and is available on all major connected platforms.

Jonathan Allan, Interim CEO of Channel 4, said:

“It’s fantastic that we are building on our long and successful commercial partnership with a bold new deal with UKTV to make our Channel 4 streaming proposition even stronger for viewers. Loads of brilliant British content from U will complement our own bold, noisy shows and UKTV will benefit from tapping into our younger streaming audience.”

Marcus Arthur, CEO UKTV, said:

“Following record viewing to our U streaming service last year, I’m delighted to be expanding our relationship with Channel 4 through this carriage deal and offering viewers even more opportunities to watch U’s rich mix of content. UKTV has a successful history of building scale through partnerships, and this exciting opportunity demonstrates the power of media companies collaborating to drive sustained growth, with clear benefits for UKTV, Channel 4 and above all viewers.”

Channel 4 streaming saw a 13% year-on-year increase in viewer minutes in 2024 – faster growth than key international streamers (SVOD) – and remains the youngest commercial BVOD player across the first half of 2025. UKTV saw total viewer minutes to its Video-on-Demand (VoD) content across its free and pay platforms grow by 40% in 2024, which is said to be the “fastest growing on demand presence in Britain“.