Challenge and UKTV - A Perfect Match?

[Rex]

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.

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

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.