Classic sci-fi sitcom Red Dwarf is heading to Channel 4 streaming as part of a new deal that will see hundreds of shows from UKTV’s U service arrive on the platform from January 2026 – marking the first time Channel 4 streaming has carried content from another broadcaster’s service.
The multi-year agreement will bring U&Original titles like Outrageous, Bergerac, Big Zuu’s Big Eats, and Bangers & Cash to Channel 4 streaming, alongside classic BBC archive content such as The Office, Red Dwarf, and QI, plus premium acquisitions including The Count of Monte Cristo and MasterChef Australia.
For viewers, it means one less app to juggle when hunting for something to watch.
For the broadcasters, it’s another example of British media companies realising they might need to work together rather than fragment their content across competing platforms.
If any of this sounds familiar, it should. Remember BritBox? That ambitious joint venture was supposed to bring together the best of British television under one roof.
Now we’re watching another round of content shuffling, with BBC archive material popping up across multiple streaming services in what feels like an increasingly complex game of pass the parcel.
The Memory Of BritBox
Cast your minds back to early 2024, when BritBox UK – the joint venture between the BBC and ITV – officially shut down its standalone service and moved entirely into ITVX Premium.
BritBox (UK – not to be confused with the American version that still exists) was supposed to be the great British streaming hope.
Launched as a collaboration bringing together content from ITV, the BBC, Channel 4, and Channel 5, it aimed to offer the ultimate destination for “best of British” television.
The reality never quite lived up to that promise, apparently, and after ITV bought out the BBC’s stake, BritBox gradually transformed into just another tier within ITVX.
Now here we are again, watching British broadcasters shuffle their content around. The BBC’s archive material, which formed one of the backbones of BritBox, is already available through ITVX Premium (via the old BritBox content).
Soon it’ll also be accessible through Channel 4 streaming (via U’s catalogue), whilst remaining available on U’s own standalone service.
But the content shuffle doesn’t stop there – there’s the Disney+ deal from July, which saw premium Disney content appear on ITVX, whilst ITV shows popped up on Disney+.
The lines between streaming services are becoming increasingly blurred.”
What’s Actually In The New Deal?
Channel 4 confirmed to us that the agreement will include “the majority” of U’s content, though it’s apparently “too early” to discuss which specific shows will or won’t make the cut.
That’s an interesting caveat. U’s catalogue includes not just British originals and BBC archive content, but also American acquisitions like Parks & Recreation, Prison Break, and other imported series.
Whether all of these will make the journey to Channel 4 streaming remains to be seen.
The deal encompasses both catch-up programming and complete box sets, essentially transplanting a significant chunk of U’s offering directly into Channel 4’s streaming environment.
U itself will continue as a standalone service – this isn’t a BritBox-style absorption, but rather a carriage agreement that expands where U’s content can be watched.
Where Does This Leave U?
For those keeping track, UKTV rebranded to ‘U’ back in July 2024, transforming channels like Dave into U&Dave and the UKTV Play streaming service into simply ‘U’.
UKTV is owned by BBC Studios, the commercial subsidiary of the BBC, which means much of U’s content – particularly its extensive archive of classic BBC programming – comes from the corporation’s own vaults.
The rebrand aimed to create a more unified identity across UKTV’s various channels and streaming presence, though it did raise questions about whether adding another single-letter service to the UK streaming landscape was entirely necessary.
U operates as a free, ad-supported streaming service, much like Channel 4’s platform.
The difference is that Channel 4 streaming offers a £3.99 per month ‘Plus’ tier that removes adverts (and is cheaper than ITVX Premium’s £5.99 monthly fee).
For viewers who want to watch U’s content without adverts, signing up for Channel 4 Plus might actually be more appealing than watching through U’s own app with commercials intact.
That’s perhaps the most tangible benefit for viewers in this arrangement. You get access to U’s library of content, can watch it ad-free for less than you’d pay for other premium streaming tiers, and don’t need to switch between multiple apps to find what you’re after.
Why Are They Doing This?
According to Channel 4, its streaming platform saw a 13% year-on-year increase in viewer minutes during 2024, whilst UKTV’s on-demand viewing grew by 40% – making it the fastest-growing on-demand presence in Britain.
Those are impressive numbers, but they also highlight the challenge facing British broadcasters. Even with strong growth, they’re still competing against the massive scale of Netflix, Disney+, and other international streaming giants.
Channel 4’s Interim CEO Jonathan Allan positioned the deal as strengthening Channel 4 streaming’s proposition, whilst UKTV’s CEO Marcus Arthur talked about “the power of media companies collaborating to drive sustained growth.”
Reading between the lines, what they’re really saying is this: British broadcasters can’t afford to stay siloed.
Channel 4 streaming reaches a younger demographic that UKTV wants access to. U has a deep catalogue of content that Channel 4 can use to bulk up its offering. Together, they might stand a better chance of keeping viewers engaged.
The BritBox Dream Lives On?
There’s something almost poetic about watching British streaming services gradually merge their content offerings after BritBox’s original vision fell apart.
What if BritBox had succeeded? What if all the major British broadcasters had genuinely committed to building one unified streaming platform that housed the best of British television?
A genuine competitor to Netflix, built on the strength of British content, rather than trying to out-American the American streaming giants.
Instead, we’ve ended up with a patchwork. ITVX has absorbed BritBox and added Disney+ content. Channel 4 is now hosting U’s catalogue. The BBC has iPlayer. Channel 5 runs My5 with some Paramount+ bonuses. U continues as its own service whilst simultaneously appearing on Channel 4.
Perhaps that’s just how modern streaming works. Perhaps the future isn’t one big British streaming service, but rather a web of partnerships and carriage agreements that make content available across multiple platforms.
For viewers, the main question is simple: will this make it easier or harder to find what you want to watch?
Take Red Dwarf, for instance – the classic sci-fi sitcom was (and is) on BBC iPlayer, then it also became available on U, and will soon be on Channel 4’s streaming service too.
For the uninitiated, Red Dwarf follows the misadventures of Dave Lister (Craig Charles), the last human alive, who’s stranded aboard a mining ship three million years into deep space.
Accompanied by a hologram of his dead bunkmate Rimmer (Chris Barrie), a creature evolved from his cat (Danny John-Jules), and a neurotic android named Kryten (Robert Llewellyn), the sitcom blended science fiction with quintessentially British humour for eight series on the BBC between 1988 and 1997.
It was later revived on Dave (before it became U&Dave) for several more series, cementing its status as a cult classic. The fact that it’s now ping-ponging between streaming services feels oddly appropriate for a show about being lost in space.
And therein lies the real question about all these streaming partnerships. Having U’s content available on Channel 4 streaming certainly reduces the number of apps you need.
However, it also means that if you’re looking for a specific BBC archive show, you may need to check ITVX (via old BritBox content), U’s own service, or soon Channel 4’s streaming service to find it. That is, if it’s not on iPlayer.
When And Where?
The integration begins in January 2026, at which point Channel 4 streaming viewers will start seeing U’s content appear within their app.
U will remain available as a standalone service on all major connected platforms, whilst also living within Channel 4’s ecosystem.
Channel 4 streaming is available on most streaming devices and Smart TVs sold in the UK, as well as through web browsers.
If you’re already using the Channel 4 app, you won’t need to do anything different – the U content will simply appear alongside Channel 4’s existing catalogue.
For more news on TV and streaming, Subscribe to our free newsletter.
I am still hoping that U will do a ITVX Premium style transformation by including Gold and Alibi in an ad-free premium package, but in the absence of that, this will certainly make signing up to 4’s premium tier a lot more attractive,