Channel 4 and the BBC-owned UKTV have signed a multi-year agreement to bring UKTV’s U service into Channel 4 streaming from January 2026.
That means more familiar British series gathered in one place, less app hopping, and more time actually watching.
Channel 4 has confirmed the new catalogue will sit alongside Channel 4’s programmes on the platform. UKTV shows will slot into the same rows and search results you already use, with clear U badges so they’re easy to spot.
They behave like any other Channel 4 title, so your Watchlist and Continue Watching pick them up automatically, and you’re not juggling a second library or a separate app.
One roof, lots of British TV
UKTV is wholly owned by the BBC’s commercial division, so expect shows like Big Zuu’s Big Eats, Bangers & Cash, Bergerac, plus BBC favourites like QI, Red Dwarf, and The Office.
All of it shows up in Channel 4’s app rather than a separate U app, which should make life easier for anyone already using its streaming on a smart TV or stick.
Jonathan Allan, Interim CEO, Channel 4, said: “It’s fantastic that we are building on our long and successful commercial partnership with a bold new deal with UKTV to make our Channel 4 streaming proposition even stronger for viewers. Loads of brilliant British content from U will complement our own bold, noisy shows and UKTV will benefit from tapping into our younger streaming audience.”
The timing just fits
Both brands have been stretching their free streaming footprint, and the broader UK move toward broadband TV helps.
More free services are being bundled together, with Freely acting as the glue for live and on-demand over broadband. Putting U inside Channel 4 streaming follows that pattern and gives you more shows in one spot, still free to watch with ads.
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