BBC UKTV

BBC UKTV
	File:BBC UKTV logo.svg Logo used since April 2013
Company type	Subsidiary
Industry	Television broadcasting
Founded	August 1996; 30 years ago
Headquarters	Australia
Area served	Australia, New Zealand, South Africa
Owner	BBC Studios
Website	www.bbckids.com.au/uktv

BBC UKTV is a subscription television channel operating in Australia and New Zealand, showcasing British entertainment content predominantly acquired from the BBC, RTL Group (notably Talkback Thames), and ITV plc. Originally established as a joint venture with Foxtel holding 60%, RTL Group 20%, and BBC Worldwide 20%, it is currently under the complete ownership of BBC Studios.

History

UKTV debuted in Australia in August 1996, later expanding its availability to Austar in April 1999 and Optus in December 2002. A dedicated New Zealand version was introduced on Sky TV in November 2003, featuring programming customized to meet local audience preferences and licensing requirements.

The channel offers a blend of classic British series previously broadcast locally alongside new episodes of shows not formerly aired in Australia or New Zealand. Its repeat lineup includes titles such as Doctor Who, The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, Are You Being Served?, Dad's Army, Torchwood, and The Bill. It also features new productions like Shameless and current installments of well-known soaps including Coronation Street, EastEnders, and Emmerdale. Broadcasts of these soap operas typically lag behind UK airings by one to four weeks.

In addition, UKTV has screened Australian soaps like Sons and Daughters and FremantleMedia’s Prisoner, as well as New Zealand’s Shortland Street. To comply with Australian content regulations, the channel dedicates 10% of its programming budget to original drama productions from Australia and New Zealand, such as Changi, Supernova, Make or Break, and False Witness.

Due to varying viewer tastes and rights agreements, UKTV maintains separate operations for Australia and New Zealand. For instance, while UKTV holds Australian rights to Coronation Street, the show airs on TVNZ 1 in New Zealand.

On 1 July 2008, BBC Worldwide acquired full ownership of UKTV, having previously shared stakes with Foxtel and Fremantle Media. Following this acquisition, BBC Worldwide launched two additional Australian channels in November 2008: BBC Knowledge focusing on documentaries and factual content, and CBeebies targeting children’s programming.

The channel underwent a rebranding on 3 October 2009, adopting a new logo that integrated the BBC identity while retaining the UKTV name. Subsequently, on 15 November 2009, an HD simulcast was introduced, replacing the former BBC HD channel. In April 2013, the channel refreshed its branding again, updating both its name and logo to BBC UKTV.

The HD simulcast was discontinued on 1 July 2014 to make way for BBC First, which assumed the HD broadcast slot. Concurrently, BBC UKTV moved from Foxtel’s Drama & Lifestyle package to the more widely accessible Essential package, expanding its potential audience.

From 1 February 2015, BBC UKTV became available through the Australian IPTV provider Fetch TV after obtaining broadcast rights from BBC Worldwide.

In October 2016, the channel revamped its visual identity aiming to appeal to a younger audience and distinguish itself from its sister channel BBC First.

In September 2022, BBC Studios collaborated with South African free-to-air platform OpenView HD to introduce BBC UKTV on Channel 114 starting from 18 October 2022.

The HD simulcast is planned to return on Foxtel beginning 15 August 2024.

Original programming

Changi (2001) (produced in partnership with the ABC)
Supernova (2005–06) (collaborative production with BBC Two)
False Witness (2009) (jointly produced with BBC HD)
Dripping in Chocolate (2012)
Top of the Lake (2013–2017) (co-produced alongside BBC Two and SundanceTV)

External links