Paramount's Channel 5 and its streaming service My5 have been unified under a single brand: 5. This strategic move aims to leverage the significant growth experienced by My5 in 2024, a year which saw a record-breaking +53% increase in Barb TV Viewing Minutes compared to 2023. While still trailing behind competitors like BBC iPlayer and ITVX, this growth underscores the potential of the combined platform.
Sarah Rose, President of 5 and UK Regional Lead at Paramount, announced, “This is the start of a new and exciting era for 5 as we bring together our linear and streaming services under one clear brand. Everything our audience and our advertisers already love about Channel 5 will be central to this relaunch – but there will be much more besides, with a huge array of content from the Paramount family and beyond, new live channels and a brand-new user experience for our streaming product.”
The revamped 5 platform will offer a broader range of content, including Channel 5's original dramas, factual programs, and children's programming from Milkshake!. It will also incorporate content from Paramount Global's portfolio, such as BET, CBS, Comedy Central, and MTV Entertainment Studios, along with selected content from Paramount+. Earlier plans to integrate My5 with Pluto TV have been abandoned.
A key feature of the relaunch is the addition of 15 new free, ad-supported TV (FAST) channels. These channels, featuring popular shows like Police Interceptors and Geordie Shore, will expand the platform's appeal. More FAST channels are planned for later in the year.
The launch is backed by a comprehensive marketing campaign, the largest in Channel 5's history. Using the tagline “It’s all on 5”, the campaign will utilize various media, including out-of-home (OOH) advertising, TV, radio, online, and social media.
Over the coming months, the new 5 platform will be rolled out across all devices where My5 was previously available, including pay TV providers, connected TVs, mobile devices, and channel5.com.