News channel TalkTV, launched in 2022 by Rupert Murdoch’s News UK, is to stop broadcasting on television after struggling to match its main rival GB News for ratings.

In a significant shift for British broadcast media, TalkTV, the UK television channel known for its opinion-based news and commentary, has announced it will be closing its linear TV broadcast and becoming an online-only service later in 2024. The change reflects broader trends in how audiences consume news and entertainment, as well as the evolving strategies of media companies in a digital age.

TalkTV launched as a free ad-supported television channel in the UK in April 2022 under the ownership of News UK Broadcasting Ltd, a subsidiary of News Corp. It offered a mix of live news programmes, debate shows and talk formats featuring presenters such as Piers Morgan, whose show Piers Morgan Uncensored became one of the channel’s better-known offerings. The channel also aired other discussion-oriented programmes, aiming to compete in a crowded UK news landscape.

Despite occasional spikes in viewership — particularly for high-profile interviews and debates — the broadcast channel struggled to achieve consistently strong linear ratings compared with established news networks. Over time, consumption patterns among audiences shifted dramatically toward digital platforms and on-demand viewing, where news clips and talk shows can be accessed via mobile devices, social apps and streaming formats.

In response to these changes, TalkTV’s parent company has decided to pivot. The channel’s traditional broadcast feed will end in summer 2024, with the closing date brought forward to 1 May 2024. After that point, TalkTV will no longer operate as a conventional television station on platforms such as Freeview, Sky, Freesat and cable services. Instead, it will transition fully into a streaming and online-first brand under a simplified name — Talk — offering content directly via digital platforms and apps.

This move is consistent with broader trends in media, where legacy broadcast outlets are increasingly adapting to the realities of internet-centric consumption. Many viewers now prefer to access news and commentary on their own schedules, using smartphones, tablets and connected TVs rather than traditional broadcast tuners. By focusing on online delivery, Talk hopes to target these viewers directly and reduce the significant costs associated with maintaining a linear broadcast channel.

A notable example of this trend within the TalkTV ecosystem is the shift of Piers Morgan Uncensored to digital platforms like YouTube, where it has amassed a large following prior to the channel closure. This type of digital presence offers more flexibility and direct engagement with audiences who increasingly favour streaming over traditional broadcast TV.

As TalkTV prepares for its transition, the announcement marks another milestone in the ongoing transformation of how news and commentary are produced, distributed and consumed in the 21st century.