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+--- Thread: Challenge and UKTV - A Perfect Match? (/showthread.php?tid=1198)
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Challenge and UKTV - A Perfect Match? - UKTViewer - 11-06-2022
I can't help but think about how Challenge is increasingly appearing to be the odd one out in Sky's channel portfolio, Sky is more and more focused towards producing their original content/programming through their premium channel brands and Pick is a free-to-air window for that programming once it's aged, but I just don't see how Challenge fits in with any business strategy of Sky's?
I really think Challenge could be given a much better purpose if it was acquired by UKTV, the brand identity of the channel fits in very well with UKTV's portfolio of channels, and it could be an excellent vehicle for them to branch out into game shows too, which would be an excellent genre addition to their UKTV Originals commissioning. I know the current channels are "Imagined by UKTV" but the history of Challenge and then UK Gold being under the same Flextech ownership historically would surely fit with that?
I just think it would provide UKTV with a good opportunity of an already established channel with great potential, while taking it off Sky's hand who seem to have done nothing with it at all other than use it for archived shows from other broadcasters.
RE: Challenge and UKTV - A Perfect Match? - Fanoftv - 11-06-2022
Either UKTV or ITV with their range of current quiz shows and back catalogue from over the years.
RE: Challenge and UKTV - A Perfect Match? - natashajacobs - 12-06-2022
Please stop folks, this is not going to happen.
RE: Challenge and UKTV - A Perfect Match? - Neil Jones - 12-06-2022
(11-06-2022, 11:21 PM)UKTViewer Wrote: I can't help but think about how Challenge is increasingly appearing to be the odd one out in Sky's channel portfolio, Sky is more and more focused towards producing their original content/programming through their premium channel brands and Pick is a free-to-air window for that programming once it's aged, but I just don't see how Challenge fits in with any business strategy of Sky's?
I really think Challenge could be given a much better purpose if it was acquired by UKTV, the brand identity of the channel fits in very well with UKTV's portfolio of channels, and it could be an excellent vehicle for them to branch out into game shows too, which would be an excellent genre addition to their UKTV Originals commissioning. I know the current channels are "Imagined by UKTV" but the history of Challenge and then UK Gold being under the same Flextech ownership historically would surely fit with that?
I just think it would provide UKTV with a good opportunity of an already established channel with great potential, while taking it off Sky's hand who seem to have done nothing with it at all other than use it for archived shows from other broadcasters.
Just because UKTV already runs many channels that consist primarily of archive content doesn't mean they'd run Challenge in the same way.
And Challenge has always been a collection of archived shows from other broadcasters - the only thing that changed was the make-up of those programmes and an increased over reliance on one or two.
W already runs Tipping Point endlessly, and Gold runs OFAH endlessly. So while it would fit in in that regard, its still not going to happen.
Challenge is the only remaining channel now from the old Flextech/Living TV days, as technically Sky Witness is the old UK Living. Everything else eventually fell by the wayside.
RE: Challenge and UKTV - A Perfect Match? - London Lite - 12-06-2022
Challenge is doing exactly what Sky wants it to do. Schedule a load of old game shows, especially The Chase on a loop and then have trailers for paid Sky content to entice Freeview/Freesat viewers to either take out a Sky or NOW subscription with a tiny budget to do it with.
RE: Challenge and UKTV - A Perfect Match? - Brekkie - 12-06-2022
I'm not really sure it fits in with the direction UKTV is going now either.
RE: Challenge and UKTV - A Perfect Match? - Kunst - 13-06-2022
This is no 2001 anymore, this kind of channels are not very profitable anymore.
I can see it being kept under Sky's management, it's cheap and it relatively does the job well
RE: Challenge and UKTV - A Perfect Match? - Rex - 13-06-2022
(12-06-2022, 09:52 AM)Neil Jones Wrote:Pick has elements of Virgin 1's old programming blocks, especially the sci-fi shows. What Sky did was to consolidate parts of the old channel while also making sure that Pick broadcasts their pay shows a year after their first airing(11-06-2022, 11:21 PM)UKTViewer Wrote: I can't help but think about how Challenge is increasingly appearing to be the odd one out in Sky's channel portfolio, Sky is more and more focused towards producing their original content/programming through their premium channel brands and Pick is a free-to-air window for that programming once it's aged, but I just don't see how Challenge fits in with any business strategy of Sky's?
I really think Challenge could be given a much better purpose if it was acquired by UKTV, the brand identity of the channel fits in very well with UKTV's portfolio of channels, and it could be an excellent vehicle for them to branch out into game shows too, which would be an excellent genre addition to their UKTV Originals commissioning. I know the current channels are "Imagined by UKTV" but the history of Challenge and then UK Gold being under the same Flextech ownership historically would surely fit with that?
I just think it would provide UKTV with a good opportunity of an already established channel with great potential, while taking it off Sky's hand who seem to have done nothing with it at all other than use it for archived shows from other broadcasters.
Just because UKTV already runs many channels that consist primarily of archive content doesn't mean they'd run Challenge in the same way.
And Challenge has always been a collection of archived shows from other broadcasters - the only thing that changed was the make-up of those programmes and an increased over reliance on one or two.
W already runs Tipping Point endlessly, and Gold runs OFAH endlessly. So while it would fit in in that regard, its still not going to happen.
Challenge is the only remaining channel now from the old Flextech/Living TV days, as technically Sky Witness is the old UK Living. Everything else eventually fell by the wayside.
Apart from that I'd agree. Challenge does the job just fine for Sky since it's cheap to run, gets good viewership and fulfills exactly what Sky wants it to do.
RE: Challenge and UKTV - A Perfect Match? - telebox2001 - 14-06-2022
I see the logic, being an archive-based channel. But like others it's not something I can see happening.
RE: Challenge and UKTV - A Perfect Match? - Blubatt - 14-06-2022
In short to your original question, I don't think they're a good match at all. UKTV is very much its own thing and does it in its own way. Sky does freeview channels differently. One is a service, the other a shop window. I believe Pick and Challenge are never going to be any more than Sky's 'C' List Channels, unfortunately. It would be nice to see them become 'Sky Pick' and 'Sky Challenge', but I do feel that would cheapen the Sky 'Premium' that their service has (whether it does or not is your opinion). That said, having Sky Arts on Freesat, to me, feels weird.
RE: Challenge and UKTV - A Perfect Match? - nwtv2003 - 14-06-2022
The difference with Sky Arts and Sky News in a free to air context is that they don’t cheapen the Sky brand they strengthen them and they show what Sky is capable of. Where as Pick and Challenge don’t and have never done that, as said they simply act a shop window for Sky as well as running cheap programmes.
Challenge is wall to wall repeats which does them fine, UKTV on the other hand is there to exploit commercial opportunities for the BBC. In all fairness to UKTV they’ve upped the amount of original content in the last few years and they seem satisfied with the number of channels they already have. Given they sold Good Food, Really and Home to Discovery they never sought to replace them.
And for what it’s worth some BBC game shows get rerun on Dave. That probably suits them fine.
RE: Challenge and UKTV - A Perfect Match? - Brekkie - 14-06-2022
In all honesty Narrative Entertainment (Great! TV) or even That's TV would be a better fit.
The trouble is finding agreement on the direction it should take - for some fixing it is concentrating on the old school shows from the 80s and 90s whilst for others it us relying on newer content. Most would rather see it be pure gameshow I'm sure but adding selective reality formats could be a way to modernise it and refresh the schedule - the likes of The Apprentice or Bake Off for example.
RE: Challenge and UKTV - A Perfect Match? - JAS84 - 14-06-2022
I suppose those shows would still fit the name "Challenge".
RE: Challenge and UKTV - A Perfect Match? - JK1985 - 14-06-2022
I don't think Challenge needs to be sold off to UKTV, but rather Sky need to take a look at their schedule and not rely on the same game shows repeated over and over again. BBC and ITV made a lot of game shows, and a lot are still in the archive, and should be repeated.
I feel more variety in the shows they air would refresh the channel much better.
RE: Challenge and UKTV - A Perfect Match? - RegularCapital - 14-06-2022
Great TV airs Who Wants To Be A Millionaire, so Narrative would be a good candidate, if they wish to take on the "Challenge". Sony owns the Game Show Network in the U.S., and Narrative has an existing content deal with them as the UK channels are Sony off-shoots, that's if they wish to air some U.S. shows as well.
As mentioned, Challenge would fit in well with UKTV, there's the Flextech connection (although that was a long-time ago now), and the BBC has an extensive library of quiz shows, they also need to find new ways to raise revenue as a way to reduce dependency on the licence fee.
At the moment the channel might as well be called Cha(se)llenge, a sorry state for a channel I grew up with in the late 90's/early 2000's. I'm not saying The Chase is bad, I enjoy the show, but it airs excessively, anything to get the views from a current and popular show I suppose.