UKTV, a commercial broadcaster, has revealed its launch of four Free Ad-supported Streaming TV (FAST) channels on Samsung TV Plus, Amazon Freevee, and Pluto TV. This marks the broadcaster’s entrance into the FAST market, with plans to expand the offerings by introducing FAST channels on its free streaming service, UKTV Play, at a later time.
The four new channels are scheduled to premiere in the UK on Samsung TV Plus on Wednesday, 23rd August, followed by Amazon Freevee and Pluto TV on Thursday, 24th August. Branded under UKTV Play, these channels will provide carefully curated access to a selection of UKTV’s most beloved content from its free-to-air channel brands: Dave, Drama, W, and Yesterday.
For viewers who are intrigued by the valor displayed during life’s most intense moments, UKTV Play Heroes invites them to join frontline medics and police officers. This channel showcases inspiring narratives of everyday heroism exhibited by paramedics, doctors, nurses, and the police. Included in the channel’s lineup are shows such as “Emma Willis: Delivering Babies,” “Inside the Ambulance,” “999: Rescue Squad,” “Special Ops: Crime Squad,” “Cop Car Workshop,” “Inside the Operating Theatre,” “Nurses Down Under,” and “The Shift: Women on the Force.”
Catering to enthusiasts of comedy, UKTV Play Laughs offers an opportunity to unwind and immerse in life’s lighter aspects. The channel is dedicated to tickling funny bones with continuous witty remarks, amusing conversations, and utterly absurd discussions. Among the featured shows are “Hypothetical,” “Mel Giedroyc: Unforgivable,” “Judge Romesh,” and “Comedians Giving Lectures,” featuring some of the comedy world’s prominent figures.
For those captivated by the skies, tracks, or roads, UKTV Play Full Throttle transports viewers into the world of planes, trains, cars, and more. The channel provides a chance to delve beneath the surface, exploring the inner workings of vehicles and embarking on thrilling journeys alongside expert hosts. Showcasing titles like “Bangers & Cash,” “Architecture the Railways Built,” “Warbird Workshop,” “Yianni: Supercar Customiser,” “Secrets of the Railways,” “Train Truckers,” “Impossible Railways,” “Secrets of the London Underground,” and “Modern Wheels or Classic Steals.”
Appealing to inquisitive minds intrigued by history and engineering, UKTV Play Uncovered delves into the depths of the past and technical innovation. Audiences are invited to explore the extraordinary, ranging from battlefields to the home front, ancient monoliths to contemporary myths. The channel features titles like “Abandoned Engineering,” “Forbidden History,” “World War 2 From Above,” “War Factories,” “History Hunters,” “Warbird Workshop,” “World War Weird,” “World War 2 Frontlines,” and “Secret Nazi Bases.”
The FAST launch has been led by UKTV’s Director of Advertising, Sarah Goldman and Head of Distribution, Philipp Pfister, with oversight from Jonathan Newman, General Manager, Commercial. For playout and distribution services on the partner platforms, UKTV worked with Amagi, the global leader in cloud-based SaaS technology for broadcast and connected TV.
Jonathan Newman said; “FAST is a fantastic opportunity to reach new audiences with our rich content catalogue and showcase a wide array of genres across the four new channels. Thanks to the hard work of a group of passionate experts from across UKTV, our new FAST channels will be a valuable complement to the existing channel network and will help supercharge the UKTV Play streaming service by further extending its reach.”
