I doubt that will work as a United Channel 4 brand will be a disaster indeed
Why would uniting it be a disaster?
I think the brands will stay (they’re some of the strongest digital channel brands in the UK) but they’ll be a more common look across them - at the moment they all have a distinct presentation style.
And whilst in theory I agree the on demand services should carry the parent brand (i.e. make it clear the iPlayer content is BBC content) I think practically replacing “All 4” with “Channel 4” invites confusion and it’ll inevitably be referred to as “Channel 4 On Demand”, which ironically is where they started with the brand “4oD”. For example they’re promoting a series of the “Alex Horne TV Show” at the moment which is now available on All4 but not on C4 until the 17th November, but when both brands are “Channel 4” that’ll be somewhat confusing.
Also there was talk of them launching an on demand service world wide for which “Channel 4” wouldn’t really work, but “All4” they might get away with.
I do suspect though one reason for dumping the All4 brand is that up until a year or so ago it was promoted as “All 4 Free, Forever”, so wonder if they may be looking at entering the subscription streaming market. At the moment they have All4+ which gets rid of the ads for a small fee a month, but with ITVX launching and likely to take All4’s position as the free service with the most content they may be looking at other ways to develop the service.
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Well it is called BBC iPlayer. But yes people call it “iPlayer”, much like people call ABC iview just “iview”.
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Further to this and the ITV rebrand - what is interesting is that apparently all the ITV channels will have the same idents, but with different treatments/effects for each channel. I wonder if Channel 4 might do something similar?
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Imagining sort of a similar situation to what Sky UK tried out back in the late 2000s.
(Just one of the many idents from this package.)
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ITVX the UK’s freshest streaming service to launch on 8th December (copied from https://www.itv.com/presscentre/press-releases/itvx-uks-freshest-streaming-service-launch-8th-december)
- Streaming service to launch with over 10,000 hours of free programming
- Flagship programming premiering at launch include A Spy Among Friends, Tell Me Everything, The Confessions of Frannie Langton and Plebs: Soldiers of Rome
- 250+ stellar films and 200+ series available at launch
ITV today announced the official launch date of new, free streaming platform ITVX. Replacing ITV Hub as the online home of all ITV content, viewers can expect a new and improved product experience through ITVX as well as more new and exclusive programmes to stream for free, than anywhere else.
ITVX will be rolling out across devices and platforms in the coming weeks, to ensure viewers have full access to all content, including the new, exclusive to streaming titles which will go live on Thursday 8th December.
At launch, viewers will have access to over 10,000 hours of content in high definition, and ITVX will also drop new and exclusive programmes every week of the year.
Viewers can also expect the full range of ITV drama past and present to go on the service, as well as documentaries, cult classics and hundreds of blockbuster films which will all stream for free from Thursday 8th December.
All ITV’s channels will be available to livestream through ITVX, as well as additional themed channels (known as FAST channels), and a dedicated news section on ITVX.
ITV’s Chief Executive, Carolyn McCall said:
“We’re really excited to launch ITVX, with more content available than ever before, and a whole range of exclusive commissions. ITVX is powered by a significant, streaming-first commissioning budget, and an integrated technology and data platform providing a high quality, and more personalised viewing and advertising experience, that will continue to evolve in 2023 and beyond.”
ITVX Commissions
ITVX will premiere a collection of top quality new dramas on 8th December, which will only be available for free on the streamer. ITVX’s inaugural commissions which will be available on launch day include hotly anticipated six-part cold war drama A Spy Among Friends starring Damian Lewis and Guy Pearce, provocative new teen drama Tell Me Everything, powerful period drama The Confessions of Frannie Langton starring Karla-Simone Spence, Sophie Cookson and Patrick Martins and Plebs: Soldiers of Rome, the feature-length special finale to the popular comedy series.
At least one flagship show will then launch on ITVX per week going forward. Litvinenko starring David Tennant and Mark Bonnar will launch on Thursday 15th December, and high stakes family drama Riches starring Deborah Ayorinde and Hugh Quarshie will launch on 22nd December alongside landmark natural history documentary A Year on Planet Earth, presented by Stephen Fry. Gripping four-part thriller Without Sin starring Vicky McClure and adrenaline-fuelled new game show Loaded in Paradise will launch on 28th December. Nolly, Russell T Davies’ upcoming drama on Crossroads’ Noele Gordon, will launch in early 2023.
Full Series Drops
In addition to the series premiering and streaming exclusively on ITVX, the service will also be launching full series of upcoming flagship ITV shows on their first day of broadcast, allowing viewers to binge watch to their hearts’ content. Early examples will include real life drama Stonehouse%20as%20Stonehouse’s%20wife%20Barbara.) starring Matthew Macfadyen and Keeley Hawes and the new series of Unforgotten which will be made available in early 2023. These series are in addition to the vast library of over 200 both recent and classic US and UK dramas, comedies and reality shows that will be available to users.
Films
On 8th December ITVX will launch with over 250 feature films, with a thousand films to be made available to stream each year. Films available at launch will include the Back to the Future trilogy, the Despicable Me trilogy, Wonder Woman and many more. The full Fast and Furious series of films will be launched in 2023.
Documentaries
ITVX will launch with an impressive array of documentaries including the breathtaking natural history documentary A Year On Planet Earth, which draws on spellbinding and dramatic stories from all corners of the globe.
ITVX will also feature a dedicated true crime collection which will feature over 150 hours of nail-biting viewing including Monster in My Family, which delves into the lives of serial killers in a way that’s rarely seen*. The Case Against Cosby* - a premium documentary exposing new truths about accusations against the comedian will follow in 2023.
ITVX factual commissions Rolf Harris: Hiding in Plain Sight (w/t), The Rise and Fall of Boris Becker (w/t) and A Murder in the Family will also launch in 2023.
Science Fiction and Fantasy
Those seeking to escape into another world through their viewing choices will also be catered to, with a robust science fiction and fantasy offering ranging from classics including Thunderbirds, Captain Scarlet and the Mysterons, Terrahawks, Joe 90, Stingray, Space 199 and UFO, to the likes of Supernatural, The 100 and Nikita, and classics in the making including Astrid & Lilly Save the World and Korean-American hit series Dramaworld.
News
ITVX represents a new and exciting way for news to be consumed by audiences. Viewers can expect to see a dedicated rail featuring the most significant and interesting stories, updated throughout the day, some in bitesize easily digestible video and other longer more in-depth reports of news from ITV’s bulletins, and in the morning, GMB. ITVX will work in tandem with the ITV News website and ITV News social pages, with a range of reporters and presenters delivering new content daily, in the latest expansion of ITV’s award-winning journalism offering.
[end]
About ITVX
Launching in late 2022, ITVX will be the UK’s freshest streaming service, letting viewers stream new programme exclusives, with adverts, for free; ranging from premium dramas, documentaries, US series, comedy and reality shows to blockbuster films and much, much more. ITVX will be the first streaming service in the UK to offer viewers the flexibility to access free content with ads and ad-free paid subscription, all in one place. Paying subscribers will also have access to BritBox UK. ITVX will live stream must-watch events, from live sport to Love Island, as they are broadcast on ITV’s channels. ITVX will also offer an ever-changing host of exclusive themed channels in line with viewer preferences and popularity. These constantly evolving pop-up channels will give a scheduled experience through a streaming service, with viewers able to choose where in the schedule they join.
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ITV and the BBC will show both UEFA EURO 2024 and UEFA EURO 2028 under a new deal agreed with UEFA announced today.
The broadcasters will split the rights to each tournament equally, with matches divided between broadcasters until a shared final. This arrangement maintains free to air coverage of the men’s UEFA European Championships and reflects the pattern for multiple previous UEFA EUROs and FIFA World Cups, as well as the forthcoming Qatar World Cup, which begins on 20 November.
UEFA EUROS 2024, hosted by Germany, will see 24 teams compete across 51 matches during the tournament, with the hosts and format for UEFA EURO 2028 yet to be decided.
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[quote=“NuStraya, post:1080, topic:667”]
Further to this and the ITV rebrand - what is interesting is that apparently all the ITV channels will have the same idents, but with different treatments/effects for each channel. I wonder if Channel 4 might do something similar?[/quote]
I suspect idents will remain more individual, with the surrounding presentation getting a more generic look across the network.
C4 is now confirmed to be getting new idents next year - much needed as the “giant man” tired very quickly. They have introduced a new ident alongside those last week which is pretty cheap looking and matches no other element of presentation.
E4’s idents are brilliant so hope they stay. The Film4 set is really nice too - although at 8 years old it may get a refresh. More4 desperately needs a new look, and if I ever watched 4Seven I’d probably think that did as well.
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Sky Sports and C4 have signed a deal to allow the latter to show Sunday’s T20 World Cup between England and Pakistan live from the MCG. The match is scheduled to start at 7pm AEDT (0800 GMT), weather permitting.
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Really, really sad news.
Thinking of his young children who won’t have a Dad soon. 
Really is all a bit crap - gone from 5 new idents a week under the ITV Creates branding to 5 idents across all channels. The link across channels is a nice idea, but the execution really is lacking and they’re all pretty interchangeable really - only the ITV3 ones feel on brand.
Doesn’t help that promo wise they’ve only got the World Cup, I’m a Celebrity and The Larkins to promote at the moment, especially as they seem to have stopped promoting content on the ITV Hub in advance of the launch of ITVX next month. If anything now is the time to be pushing the online content considering the forthcoming World Cup disruption to the schedules.
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