FOX International Channels UK is launching its first free-to-air entertainment network, YourTV.
Launching on 1st October 2015, the channel will broadcast for 20 hours each day, from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. YourTV will be primarily targeted to women, featuring real-life stories, audacious characters and inspirational advice. Programming highlights include Corrupt Crimes, which investigates true-crime stories. Upcoming scripted content includes the U.S. legal drama Shark. Also on the schedule are Don’t Tell the Bride, a wedding-themed series in which grooms organize the big day, and Baking Good Baking Bad, featuring healthy-eating expert Harry Eastwood.
YourTV joins the FOX International Channels UK portfolio that also features the pay-TV brands FOX, National Geographic Channel, Nat Geo WILD and BabyTV.
Jeff Ford, the managing director of FOX International Channels UK, commented: “I am thrilled to announce the launch of YourTV, our first free-to-air channel and exciting next step in the evolution of our U.K. brand portfolio. Providing a daily treat of compelling scripted and unscripted series for viewers, YourTV is a fresh new destination for entertainment.”
Going Free-to-air in UK seems to be a lucrative option for the broadcasters, as many Indian Pay Channels like Viacom18 Colors, Zee Network have adopted the strategy of FTA route in the recent past, as they could see decent advertising revenue that are much higher than the Subscription revenue from Pay Channels.
The launch of FTA YourTV in UK is set to, once again, up the competition in the female-skewing space here in the UK. Sky Living was once a major force in this space, but since the channel moved towards a gender neutral position, TLC UK and Lifetime UK and ITVBe have been jockeying for prime position.
