Nine months after launching its revamped streaming service, broadcaster 5 has continued to strengthen its content library, but the app continues to be dogged by technical issues.
Recent sports rights deals mean viewers can now stream Sunday Night NFL, with snooker joining the line‑up next year. Combined with a growing slate of critically acclaimed dramas, 5 is tapping into the two genres that consistently drive audiences to streaming platforms.
But it’s not been plain sailing for 5, which has continued to face various technical issues. An issue with adverts triggering an error message has dogged some Sky users, while live streaming has had to be removed from some Freeview Play devices.
As part of Paramount Skydance, Channel 5’s streaming app sits alongside premium service Paramount+ and the free streaming service Pluto (which was originally supposed to be combined with the new 5 streaming service). It benefits from this relationship, with the 5 app able to sample content from MTV and Nickelodeon.
More live TV streams
Beyond simulcasts of its main linear channels, 5 has added a roster of online‑exclusive streams drawn from the wider Paramount catalogue.
At launch it had 15 streaming-exclusive services. As of December 2025, this had grown to 17 free ad-supported streaming channels.
For younger audiences, the long‑running Milkshake channel is now joined by a dedicated Paw Patrol stream—that’s something that previously only available to Sky and Virgin Media subscribers in the form Nick Jr’s occasional Paw Patrol pop‑up channel.
And in the run‑up to Christmas, the app offers a 24/7 festive channel, ensuring streamers can dip into holiday programming at any time.
There are four services featuring MTV reality shows.
Live TV channel list (December 2025)
Main linear channels in bold.
- 5
- 5 USA
- 5 STAR
- 5 ACTION
- 5 SELECT
- 5 Christmas
- 5 Police Interceptors
- 5 Cops
- 5 A&E
- 5 Crime
- 5 GP’s Behind Closed Doors
- 5 Bargain Loving Brits
- 5 Trucking Hell
- 5 Yorkshire Vet
- 5 Dogs Behaving (Very) Badly
- 5 History
- MTV Catfish
- MTV Teen Mom
- MTV Geordie Shore
- MTV Reality
- Paw Patrol
- Milkshake!
Content from third-parties
The service also continues to offer content from third-parties. AMC and Channel 5 first started to work together in 2020. That relationship continues post-streaming relaunch featuring a dedicated AMC Collection offering on‑demand drama, reality shows, plus titles from True Crime UK. Observant viewers may notice some overlap with ITVX, where certain AMC content also appears.
Enduring ongoing technical issues
The upgrade from My5 to the new 5 streaming 5 hasn’t gone down well with all users, with viewers encountering issues. For example, viewers have reported issues on Freeview Play and LG TVs. As a result, 5 has removed the live TV feature on affected apps “to ensure a stable and consistent experience”.
Sky viewers have also reported seeing error messages when viewing video-on-demand content. The problem frequently surfaces during advertising breaks or when transitioning from ads to the main programme. 5 says the issue is under investigation.
5 has also had to remove the auto-play next episode function from some devices.
The broadcaster encourages viewers to ensure they’re using the latest version of the 5 app.
No option to skip ads
Some broadcasters offer a premium tier version to avoid seeing the majority of adverts on their streaming service. Examples include ITVX Premium and Channel 4+. 5 doesn’t offer this option, so prepare to watch plenty of ads.
In a statement, 5 says:
“At this time, 5 is not introducing a paid, ad-free subscription feature. Our current model allows us to offer a wide range of content for free, supported by advertising. This helps us keep programming accessible to everyone while continuing to invest in new shows and platform improvements.”
HD support
The new 5 app introduced access to 5’s content in HD. According to 5, you can watch HD content on channel5.com, Samsung, Fire TV, LG, Roku, Android Mobile and iOS.
Given the time it’s taken to rollout widespread support for HD, it’s not surprising that 4K UHD support is nowhere to be seen. 4K UHD is currently solely reserved for the premium tier of Paramount+.
5 traditionally provides an update early in the new year regarding how it has fared in the past year. With the media industry investing most of its resources into streaming, and ITV and Channel 4 eagerly bigging up their streaming stats, all eyes will be on 5’s post-relaunch figures.
By: Marc Thornham | Image: 5