Launching a new TV channel in such a fragmented marketplace might seem impossible to many broadcasters. However, ITV has done just that with the launch of ITVBe, which is now available on freeview platforms. ITV is experienced in this area, having launched the subscription only ITV Encore in June.
ITVBe launched on Wednesday October 8th at 9pm kicking off with a one off special of the reality series The Only Way Is Essex. The Only Way Is Ibiza ran from 9pm to 10pm and performed well when we compare its performance to the latest series that ran on ITV2 back in June. The show reached around 300,000 Ad1634 and ITVBe is now the home of TOWIE.
The profile of the channel is very female, young and downmarket. It’s a core channel for the housewives with children demographic, with programmes such as Jeremy Kyle, Real Housewives, Dinner Date and Millionaire Matchmaker to name a few.
So what’s happening with ITV2?
ITV2 has been moving in the direction of a younger broader audience profile over the past few months. The content on ITV2 is looking similar to that of E4, with plenty of films and an increase in acquiring American sitcoms such as Two and a Half Men and Mom.
ITVBe is performing well so far and we’d expect this to continue. With a trusted TV channel name behind it and the perfect choice of content for its core audience, it will be interesting to see whether the channel’s performance over the next few months meets with ITV’s expectations.