Broadcaster UKTV, who operate channels like Dave, Drama, W and Yesterday, have started their rebrand of the channels.

On Freesat and Sky, the free to air channels adopted the “U&” branding, as follows:

Dave -> U&Dave
Dave HD -> U&Dave HD
Dave ja vu -> U&DaveJaVu
Drama -> U&Drama
Drama+1 -> U&Drama+1
W -> U&W
W HD -> U&W HD
W+1 -> U&W+1
YESTERDAY -> U&Yesterday
YESTERDAY HD -> U&Yesterday HD
YESTERDAY+1 -> U&Yesterday+1

UKTV is yet to confirm the exact date when its Sky pay channels including Gold and Alibi will be rebranded.

In addition the online streaming service known as UKTV Play will become just ‘U’

Channel numbers, and content, aren’t changing, so for most viewers it’s a case of same channel, but new name.

Penny Brough, UKTV’s Chief Marketing Officer, said,

“Following ten months of research, design work and asset creation, I couldn’t be more excited to see U come to life on and off air. We’ve taken a bold approach to our new branding, and this has been matched by our biggest ever multi-media campaign and our launch advert featuring Cher, one of the most recognisable women in the world.

Our aim was to deliver an advert that’s authentic, memorable, creates talkability and feels every bit as dynamic as our new Masterbrand U. Cher’s iconic song I Got You Babe perfectly aligns with our campaign tagline “We’ve Got U”, reflecting the depth and range of almost 8,500 hours of free content available on the U streaming service.”

About UKTV

UKTV is a British television network that operates a portfolio of popular free-to-air and pay television channels in the UK. The company is wholly owned by BBC Studios, following the BBC’s acquisition of the remaining stake in 2019. UKTV traces its origins back to 1992, when it was launched as a joint venture to showcase archive BBC programming, but it has since developed into a major broadcaster in its own right, commissioning original content and building strong channel brands.

One of UKTV’s most successful channels is Dave, which launched in 2007 and became one of the UK’s most-watched digital channels. Dave is closely associated with comedy and entertainment, airing programmes such as Taskmaster, Top Gear repeats and panel shows, alongside original commissions that helped redefine what digital channels could achieve. Another key brand is W (formerly Watch), which focuses on drama, lifestyle and entertainment programming, often aimed at a slightly older, female-skewing audience.

UKTV’s wider portfolio includes Gold, Drama, Yesterday and Eden, covering genres from classic comedy and scripted drama to history, science and nature. The network also operates the on-demand service UKTV Play, allowing viewers to stream programmes online and reinforcing UKTV’s role as a significant player in the modern UK television landscape.