ITV Invests £15 Million In Male-Orientated ITV4

ITV has announced plans to invest at least £15 million into new male-focused channel, ITV4, aiming to fill the channel with American imports to compete against rivals Channel 4, Five and Sky One.

Although there is no set date, it is thought that the broadcaster will launch the new free-to-air channel across Sky, Freeview and cable in autumn. The channel editors are still working on the programming, but industry speculation suggests various sports tournaments will be aired on ITV4.

Commenting on the new channel, Mick Desmond, chief executive of ITV Broadcasting said: “It’s the first time we can compete head to head with channels using a high proportion of US acquisitions like Sky One, Channel 4 and Five.”

It is not yet clear whether ITV’s new channel will replace Men and Motors, its male-orientated entertainment channel, launched on the Freeview platform earlier this year.

The broadcaster was previously believed to be plotting a rebranding of Men and Motors, transforming its output into ITV4 later this year (see ITV To Replace Men And Motors With ITV4), however, the broadcaster has since hinted at an overhaul of the Men and Motors brand, casting doubt onto its transition into ITV4.

The confusion surrounding ITV4’s launch is reminiscent of the broadcaster’s most recent digital entertainment channel launch, which saw ITV3 hit the airwaves amidst muddled marketing messages.

Originally billed as a Freeview and cable-only channel, ITV3 was finally given the go ahead for a launch on Sky following last minute negotiations for ITV to purchase Granada Sky Broadcasting for £10 million. The move enabled ITV to replace GSB’s Plus entertainment channel with its newest multi-channel offering with just hours to spare before its official launch (see ITV3 Launches On Sky Following GSB Acquisition).

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