Sky rebrands Virgin1 as Channel One

The Living TV Group has confirmed plans to rebrand the Virgin1 channel as Channel One.

From September 3, Virgin1 will be renamed Channel One, with a completely new logo and revamped on and off-air branding.

Despite the changed identity, the channel will continue to broadcast the same schedule of US imports and homegrown shows on Freeview (20), Sky (121) and Virgin Media (119).

The rebranding exercise follows Sky's recent £160m acquisition of VMtv, including the Challenge, Bravo and Living brands, along with Virgin1.

After agreeing the deal, Sky confirmed that it would not be licensing Virgin's branding for Virgin1 and so it has now opted to rename the network.

The Living TV Group managing director Jonathan Webb said: "Channel One continues the journey we began with Virgin1 in 2007.

"Channel One will continue to embody the wit and warmth of Virgin1, and inherits the jam-packed schedule that has propelled the channel to market-beating growth over the last few years."

Spearheading Channel One's autumn/winter 2010 schedule will be US drama series V, picked up as part of a rights deal with Warner Bros. International Television Distribution.

The mini-series, which aired on pay-TV channel SyFy earlier in the year, tells the story of how humans deal with an alien invasion of the Earth.

Starring Lost's Elizabeth Mitchell, Boyz n the Hood actor Morris Chestnut and The 4400's Joel Gretsch, V will return for a second season in the US in November.