Channel 5’s owner Paramount announces it will be combining Channel 5 and My5 under a single brand to launch early next year. Pluto TV will now continue as a standalone service in the UK.
- New service to be simply known as “5”.
- Will contain premium content from MTV, CBS and Comedy Central
- New streaming-only channels will be part of the service
- Planned merger with Pluto TV off the table
Channel 5 and My5 will relaunch in early 2025 as “5” across all linear and streaming platforms.
As part of the relaunch, 5 will be given a completely new user interface with extra content above and beyond Channel 5’s current content library.
Paramount promises viewers will see premium content from across the wider Paramount family spanning reality, drama, factual, films and true crime shows from MTV Entertainment Studios, CBS, and Comedy Central, as well as the opportunity to sample some of the biggest hits from Paramount+. There will also be content for kids and family from Milkshake! and Nickelodeon – as well as new box sets from additional content partners.
And for the first time, 5 will include a new range of streaming-only “FAST” channels as well as enhanced personalisation and targeted advertising.
U-turn on Pluto TV
Last November, Paramount announced it was going to combine My5 with Pluto TV in the UK.
RXTV spotted in June that the press release had been deleted from Paramount’s website. The original press release can still be referenced via the Internet Archive. The announcement originally stated the merger would happen during the second half of 2024.
Today, Paramount has confirmed that Pluto TV will continue in its current form, as a standalone service in the UK. Pluto TV offers users a range of free streaming channels, including a number of Channel 5-branded services.
Paramount had originally envisaged that the combined My5/Pluto TV service would be the home of Paramount’s free streaming offer in the UK, while Paramount+ would be the Premium, subscription-based counterpart.
Paramount+ will also continue unaffected by these changes.
By: Marc Thornham | Image: Channel 5