Freeview viewers will be able to access factual channel Eden in the coming weeks for the first time, as UKTV confirms it’s making the channel free-to-air.
- Broadcasters signs new pay TV deal that only covers Gold and Alibi channels.
- Documentary channel Eden will become U&Eden when it arrives on Freeview.
Eden, soon to be renamed U&Eden, will launch on Freeview “in the coming weeks”, according to an announcement from UKTV on Monday.
The free-to-air switch was paradoxically confirmed as part of an announcement of a pay TV carriage deal between UKTV and Sky. The new deal specifically only covers comedy channel Gold and crime drama channel Alibi. Previously Eden was also part of the deal.
The new pay TV carriage retains both Gold and Alibi on Sky and NOW, but allows Eden to become free-to-air this autumn.
It’s just the latest in a series of free-to-air switches for UKTV. In March 2022, the company re-launched entertainment channel W as a Freeview channel. Prior to that, it launched ‘Home’ on Freeview in March 2016. The channel was subsequently sold to Discovery, who rebranded it to HGTV in 2020.
UKTV is in the middle of rebranding its channels, uniting them under a common brand. This began in July, when existing Freeview channels Dave, Drama, W and Yesterday became U&Dave, U&Drama, U&W and U&Yesterday. Streaming service UKTV Play was renamed ‘U’.
Eden becomes U&Eden on its transition to Freeview.
Availability on other free TV platforms
RXTV understands U&Eden will also join Freely’s hybrid and wi-fi only channel line-up. It’s also expected to go free-to-air on satellite for the benefit of Freesat viewers.
Eden was originally launched as a natural history channel. However, recently it has seen its schedule filled with re-runs of medical reality series and documentaries already shown on U&Yesterday. UKTV has yet to confirm the exact Freeview launch date and how the schedule will change as it transitions to Freeview. Eden will also receive a revised logo.
UKTV is owned by BBC Studios, the BBC’s commercial arm.
By: Marc Thornham | Image: UKTV {Current pre-Freeview Eden logo} | Updated: 14:56