Warner Bros. Discovery is making major changes to its UK channel lineup from January 2026, with TLC becoming a free-to-air channel whilst HGTV will be shutting down entirely.
TLC will become available free-to-air on Freeview and Freesat, and is getting a complete overhaul that includes the return of Mock the Week alongside scripted comedy series like The Big Bang Theory.
Meanwhile, HGTV’s home and garden content will be folded into Really, consolidating Warner Bros. Discovery’s property programming onto a single free-to-air channel.
What’s Happening to TLC?
Currently, TLC is a pay-TV channel available on Sky, Virgin Media, and BT/EE, as well as through Discovery+.
The channel has built its reputation on reality and lifestyle programming, with shows like Dr Pimple Popper, My 600-lb Life, and the popular 90 Day Fiancé franchise.
From January 2026, TLC will become available free-to-air. WB Discovery confirmed to us that it’ll be coming to both Freeview AND Freesat, which should massively expand its potential audience.
It will also be available to stream, for free, via the Discovery+ app.
But it’s not just about making the channel free – Warner Bros. Discovery is throwing some money at new content, particularly in scripted entertainment.
The new-look TLC will feature multi-award-winning sitcoms including The Big Bang Theory, Young Sheldon, the new spin-off Georgie & Mandy’s First Marriage, and Mike & Molly.
This represents Warner Bros. Discovery’s biggest order of scripted entertainment across their UK free-to-air portfolio.
On the unscripted front, TLC is bringing back Mock the Week – and this is arguably the biggest announcement of the lot. The much-loved topical, satirical panel show ended its 21-year run on BBC Two in 2022, but it’s getting a new lease of life on TLC.
The show is being described as a “new-look” version, though details on format changes haven’t been revealed yet.
Also joining TLC’s lineup is Zero Stars, a new travel series fronted by comedians and best friends Roisin Conaty and Sara Pascoe. Based on an original Danish format, the show sees the duo journeying across the globe, experiencing places with only the funniest and worst reviews in search of a truly unique travel experience.
Fans of TLC’s existing programming needn’t worry – favourites like Dr Pimple Popper, My 600-lb Life, and the entire 90 Day Fiancé franchise (including the UK spin-off) will remain on the channel.
HGTV Bows Out After Nearly Six Years
HGTV, which has been a free-to-air channel on Freeview (Channel 44) and Freesat (Channel 149) since March 2016, will be closing down in January 2026.
The channel originally launched as UK Style back in 1997, was rebranded to Home in 2009, before finally becoming HGTV in January 2020 when Warner Bros. Discovery acquired full ownership from the BBC.
The channel has focused exclusively on home improvement, property, and garden programming – featuring shows like My Lottery Dream Home with David Bromstad, Celebrity IOU with the Property Brothers, Home Town, and Escape to the Country.
With HGTV shutting down, Warner Bros. Discovery isn’t abandoning the genre entirely. Instead, they’re consolidating home and garden content onto Really, which is already available free-to-air on Freeview (channel 17), Sky, Freesat, and Virgin Media.
Really will receive “an injection of HGTV shows” including Celebrity IOU, Home Town, and My Lottery Dream Home, making it the go-to destination for lifestyle, property, and home content within Warner Bros. Discovery’s free-to-air portfolio.
Currently, Really focuses on a mixture of lifestyle, medical, real life, crime and paranormal programming – shows like Homes Under the Hammer, DIY SOS, Embarrassing Bodies, and Most Haunted.
The addition of HGTV’s property-focused content should complement this existing lineup rather than replace it.
The Broader Warner Bros. Discovery Strategy
These channel changes come during what’s been a pretty turbulent year for Warner Bros. Discovery’s UK operations, with the company making frequent adjustments to both its linear and streaming offerings.
Earlier this year, Discovery+ axed all annual subscription plans, forcing all subscribers onto monthly billing.
This was followed in July by a major pricing restructure that introduced three new tiers – Entertainment (£3.99/month), TNT Sports (£30.99/month), and TNT Sports & Entertainment (£33.99/month) – with the combined tier representing a £3 monthly increase for existing Premium subscribers.
Most recently, in September, Discovery+ rolled out its biggest app overhaul in years, introducing an interface that closely mirrors HBO Max’s design.
The timing wasn’t coincidental – Warner Bros. Discovery is preparing to launch HBO Max in the UK in early 2026, with the service available both standalone and through a partnership with Sky that gives Sky and NOW customers access to the ad-supported version at no extra cost.
The repositioning of TLC and HGTV appears to be another piece of this puzzle. By moving TLC to free-to-air and loading it with high-profile scripted content like The Big Bang Theory, Warner Bros. Discovery is creating a stronger brand presence on Freeview ahead of HBO Max’s arrival.
Meanwhile, consolidating home and garden programming onto Really streamlines their channel portfolio and eliminates potential overlap.
The changes take effect from January 2026, with Warner Bros. Discovery’s current UK channel lineup remaining in place for the rest of 2025.
Warner Bros. Discovery’s UK Free-to-Air Portfolio
Following these changes, Warner Bros. Discovery’s UK free-to-air portfolio will consist of six channels:
- TLC – Broad entertainment with scripted comedy and reality content
- Really – Lifestyle, home, property, medical, and paranormal programming
- Quest – Antiques, restoration, and motoring content
- Quest Red – True crime programming
- Food Network – Culinary shows and cooking competitions
- DMAX – Male-skewing factual and entertainment
This sits alongside Warner Bros. Discovery’s pay-TV channels including Discovery Channel, Animal Planet, Investigation Discovery, Cartoon Network, and TNT Sports.
More Commissions Across the Portfolio
Alongside the TLC and Really changes, Warner Bros. Discovery has announced several new commissions for 2026 across its free-to-air channels.
Quest will welcome Francis Bourgeois & Chris Harris: We Saved a Train (working title), an 8-episode series following the engineering obsessives as they restore a dilapidated diesel locomotive.
The channel will also receive a bumper order of the Auction House franchise, with Angus Ashworth returning for a seventh series of Yorkshire Auction House (18 episodes), a sixth series of Celebrity Yorkshire Auction House (6 episodes), and a third season of Derbyshire Auction House (12 episodes) with Irita Marriott.
Henry Cole and Fuzz Townshend will be back for an eighth series of Shed & Buried (20 episodes), a fourth series of Shed & Buried: Classic Cars (10 episodes), and a brand new format, Shed & Buried: Classic Bikes (6 episodes). Guz Khan’s Custom Cars, recently announced, will also air on Quest.
Food Network will welcome Adam Richman Eats Italy, a 10-episode series following the super-foodie as he journeys through the Mediterranean. This follows the success of Adam Richman Eats Britain and Adam Richman Eats Football.
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