Dave, Yesterday and Really to get on-demand players

UKTV - the broadcaster jointly owned by BBC Worldwide and US media giant Scripps Networks Interactive - has announced plans to enter the video on-demand market with bespoke players branded to its channels.

Free-to-air channels Dave, Yesterday and Really are to get their own on-demand services, offering viewers the chance to stream online shows such as Red Dwarf X, Suits, Find My Past and Hart of Dixie.















Launching in beta mode in early October, the on-demand players will provide a mixture of catch-up and archive programming that can be viewed online at each of the network's branded channel websites.

Viewers can head to Dave On-Demand to stream shows such as Red Dwarf X, Suits and Dara O'Briain: School of Hard Sums; go to Yesterday On Demand for Museum Secrets, Mafia's Greatest Hits and Fight Club: A History of Violence; or watch Hart of Dixie and Embarrassing Bodies on Really On Demand.

This forms part of UKTV's expansion into digital, including recent deals to bring its on-demand content to digital TV services such as TalkTalk, BT Vision and Sky's on-demand platform.

"UKTV is investing more money in content than ever before and it is important we are servicing our viewers by enabling them to access Dave, Yesterday and Really directly for the very first time, through our On Demand Players - three vibrant and curated, direct to viewer, player services," said UKTV chief executive Darren Childs.

"Part catch-up and part-archive, On Demand will offer the best of these populist channels - whether catching up on the brand new Red Dwarf X at Dave On Demand, or watching the top-rating factual series Museum Secrets all over again on Yesterday On Demand."

Dave and Yesterday, which both recently underwent brand refresh exercises, will be first to see their on-demand players go into beta in early October. Lifestyle channel Really will follow suit in late October.

All the on-demand players will contain content for which UKTV owns catch-up rights, and will also include a curated archive of content from UKTV's commissions and acquisitions, and selected BBC programmes.

UKTV has said that the players will be supported by advertising, presumably including pre- and possibly mid-roll video ads.

UKTV director of operations, technology and innovation Beth Hine said: "UKTV's brand new VOD services mean we can better serve our fans, ensuring they can catch up on some of their favourite programmes while also accessing a selection of shows from our archive.

"These VOD services will also offer an incremental opportunity for advertisers to engage with our brands and thus present a new revenue opportunity for UKTV."