The number of traditional TV channels continues to fall. Yet many established broadcasters still operate numerous channels that don’t seem to have a reason to exist anymore.
Most broadcasters have a large channel portfolio based on the time before streaming started to eat away at traditional broadcast platforms. Some channels were launched with bold promises of innovative ways of accessing popular content, others just offered another way of showing repeats.
RXTV looks at some of the channels still on air today that struggle to justify their existence.
U&Eden
The channel replaced UKTV Documentaries in 2009 as a home for natural history documentaries. Compared to its sister channels, Eden has generally underperformed in the ratings.
By the time it was taken free-to-air in 2024 and rebranded U&Eden, the channel was recycling reality factual shows shown elsewhere on the UKTV Network. And that trend has continued, except that now U&Eden recycles other types of programmes that you can already watch elsewhere.
Since mid-January, the channel screens classic episodes of The Bill (previously on U&Drama) from 5pm and BBC One quiz show Pointless from 7pm. After digging in the archives for some mostly long forgotten about dramas at 9pm, it’s a rerun of the whole evening’s schedule until the early hours. The channel goes briefly back to its original remit on Fridays and Saturday daytimes with same nature-related programmes. Elsewhere on daytimes, it’s a mix of programmes already shown on U&W, U&Yesterday and its streaming-only channels including U&Real Heroes and U&Transport.
Bear in mind that despite investing in more original programmes, UKTV’s channels are already associated with reruns. But compared with other UKTV channels which have strong identities and branding, U&Eden appears to be a channel without a purpose.
That’s TV 3
That’s TV started life as a local TV operator, now operating 20 of the 34 local TV channels in the UK. In the past five years it’s rapidly expanded, first launching a national channel, which acts as a spine to its local channels, then adding various entertainment and music channel offerings.
In 2024, That’s TV 3 made its debut, replacing the very short-lived That’s Memories channel.
As with That’s TV and That’s TV 2, daytimes are filled with music videos, that you’ll also see on their dedicated music channels. But That’s TV 3 tops the table. As of this week, 16 hours of its schedule is dedicated to music. 13 hours showing That’s Oldies – a strand of vintage music videos. That’s Oldies is also a full-time music channel in its own right on satellite.
On Sky and Virgin Media, this effectively means That’s TV is operating a music channel in the entertainment section of the channel guide.
For around five hours a day, starting from 9pm, That’s TV 3 broadly recycles programmes that have already been shown on That’s TV or That’s TV 2, sometimes only within days of each other.
All in all, it feels That’s TV hasn’t currently got enough engaging content to spread across three entertainment channels. The result is another bland wallpaper channel that fills another slots on the EPG.
Sky Replay
A place where you can watch Sky’s programmes again at a different time.
In the daytime, that means Sky subscribers can watch more episodes of Border Patrol and Highway Patrol (shown on the free-to-air Sky Mix channel). In the evening, there’s The Flash and MacGyver.
Realistically, there’s already loads of opportunities to re-watch programmes from Sky thanks its on-demand service. Even Sky’s flagship channels re-run programmes. And unlike Sky Replay, these will include the big hitting shows that people might want to catch-up on. Unless you really can’t get enough of Border Patrol…
4seven
In 2012, Channel 4 scooped up some additional Freeview capacity to launch a linear catch-up channel. Originally available on channel 47, 4seven would showed the most popular and talked-about Channel 4 shows from the previous seven days. The schedule was to be based on social media comments, TV reviews, overnight audience performance, and other viewer feedback.
How those promises would marry up with the fact that linear channels have schedules that need to be published three weeks in advance was never made clear.
In reality, 4seven never got to show some of Channel 4’s biggest shows – dramas and imported programmes were broadly off-limits for the channel. 4seven typically showed the main channel’s 9pm programme (unless it was a drama) at 11pm. One hour after it had already been shown on Channel 4+1.
There was never any sign that social media comments or overnight audience performance caused any late changes to the published schedule.
Duplicating More 4
Nowadays, 4seven looks more like a More4 duplicate – already the home of Channel 4 reruns – with yet more opportunities to see Four in a Bed, Come Dine with Me, A Place in the Sun and Location, Location, Location. But unlike More4, 4seven doesn’t have any original programming. Needless to say, viewers can also readily binge watch the latest Channel 4 property or factual shows on Channel 4 streaming, which has steadily grown in popularity since 4seven was launched.
Channel 4 has already indicated that it will be closing more linear channels when the time is right. 4seven has to be the prime candidate for the next chop.
Arguably, Channel 5 almost fell in to the same situation with the channel now known as 5Select, which replaced the My5 linear catch-up TV channel. However, Channel 5 has turned its offshoot into a service that doesn’t overtly replicate its other sister channels.
Why more channels will reach their sell-by date…
Many of the offshoot channels launched in the 2000s and 2010s are now threatened by on-demand streaming services and free ad-supported TV (FAST) channels.
Typically channels that are the home of popular drama and other forms of non-live premium content are being eroded by on-demand, where viewers can watch new shows at their own pace.
For older content (i.e. repeats), streaming services have struggled to attract viewers to sign up and pay for services. This was most apparent with BritBox UK, which folded into ITVX Premium. Elsewhere, broadcasters may offer older shows ‘on the side’ for free via their existing streaming services.
Many content owners have chosen to launch FAST channels dedicated to older series. These are cheaper to operate, as they don’t have the overheads of securing satellite or digital terrestrial capacity. And they are designed for personalised ads, which can be dynamically inserted into streams.
As a result, it’s likely that most channels will be ultimately replaced by FAST channels or on-demand portals. That will leave just a handful of main channels, who will end up showcasing the best of a broadcaster’s content, also providing live access to news, sports and major cultural events.
By: Marc Thornham