Channel 5 and MY5 in the United Kingdom have relaunched as 5, uniting the broadcast and online services under a single brand. The launch of the service will be supported by a major marketing campaign. Channel 5 is owned by Paramount and the combined offering features programming drawn from its wider portfolio, including the samples of shows on Paramount+.
This will mark the third rebrand since the channel’s launch in 1997, beginning as Channel 5, then changing to Five, then returning to Channel 5.
The new 5 service will roll out over the next few months across all platforms and devices where My5 is currently available.
The web site domain name is still channel5.com and the broadcast licence is still to Channel 5 Broadcasting Ltd.
As well as being the destination for all of Channel 5’s acclaimed drama originals, premium factual and kids’ programming from Milkshake!, 5 will feature a significantly expanded content offering drawn from Paramount’s family of brands, including BET, CBS, Comedy Central and MTV Entertainment Studios, plus the opportunity to sample some of the biggest hits from Paramount+ and more, both live and on-demand, all free of charge. Viewers will also have access to a wide range of boxsets, such as The Good Wife, Dexter and The Following.
15 new live channels, curated from some of Paramount’s most popular shows, are now available on the 5 streaming service. These free channels include Police Interceptors, 5 Cops, Bargain Loving Brits, Dogs Behaving (Very) Badly, The Yorkshire Vet, Geordie Shore, Catfish, Teen Mom, MTV Reality and Milkshake!, with more channels to follow throughout the year.
The launch of 5 is supported by the biggest ever national marketing campaign by the broadcaster, featuring the tagline, ‘It’s all on 5’.
Sarah Rose, the president of 5 and UK Regional Lead at Paramount, said: “This is the start of a new and exciting era for 5 as we bring together our linear and streaming services under one clear brand. Everything our audience and our advertisers already love about Channel 5 will be central to this relaunch — but there will be much more besides, with a huge array of content from the Paramount family and beyond, new live channels and a brand-new user experience for our streaming product.”
Ben Frow, the chief content officer at 5, said, “We have always been led by our audience and bringing Channel 5 and My5 together as 5 reflects our ambition that they can watch or stream whichever way suits them best.”