ITVBe
Country | United Kingdom |
---|---|
Programming | |
Language(s) | English |
Picture format | 1080i HDTV (downscaled to 16:9 576i for the SDTV feed) |
Timeshift service | ITVBe +1 |
Ownership | |
Owner | ITV Digital Channels (ITV plc) |
Sister channels | ITV ITV2 ITV3 ITV4 CITV |
History | |
Launched | 8 October 2014 |
Links | |
Website | www |
Availability | |
Terrestrial | |
Freeview | Channel 28 (SD) Channel 58 (+1) |
Streaming media | |
ITV Hub | Watch live (UK only) |
TVPlayer | Watch live (UK only) |
Sky Go | Watch live (UK only) |
Virgin TV Go | Watch live (UK only) |
ITVBe (stylized as itvBe.) is a British free-to-air television channel owned by ITV Digital Channels, a division of ITV plc. The channel was first announced on 12 February 2014 and launched on 8 October 2014.[1] ITVBe broadcasts reality and unscripted shows, including US acquisitions such as The Real Housewives franchise, Million Dollar Listing New York and Botched; and original programming such as The Real Housewives of Cheshire, Dinner Date and The Only Way is Essex.
A high-definition simulcast, ITVBe HD, launched on Virgin Media on 19 November 2014, along with a one-hour timeshift feed, ITVBe +1. Both subsidiary channels were exclusive to Virgin until the ITVBe +1 service was made available on Sky and Freesat on 15 December 2014. As part of a number of changes to ITV's broadcasting, ITVBe +1 was removed from Sky and Freesat on 13 April 2021.[2] ITVBe +1 is also available on Freeview, but only broadcasts for 1 hour during downtime hours (when ITVBe broadcasts teleshopping). Consequently as a result, the only programme ITVBe +1 on Freeview broadcasts is teleshopping and nothing else.
Most watched programmes
The following is a list of the ten most watched episodes of a series on ITVBe since the channel began broadcasting in October 2014. Figures are based on Live +7 data supplied by BARB.[3] The Only Way is Essex is consistently the highest rated series on ITVBe.
Rank | Show | Viewers (millions) |
Date |
---|---|---|---|
1 | The Only Way is Essex | 1.36 | 9 November 2014 |
2 | 1.23 | 17 April 2016 | |
3 | 1.22 | 14 October 2018 | |
4 | 1.21 | 23 September 2018 | |
5 | 1.19 | 10 April 2016 | |
6 | 1.18 | 10 October 2014 | |
7 | 1.18 | 30 October 2016 | |
8 | 1.16 | 11 November 2018 | |
9 | 1.16 | 2 November 2014 | |
10 | 1.16 | 12 March 2017 |
EarlyBe
On 20 August 2020, ITV announced that EarlyBe would be introduced on the ITV Hub as part of the Autumn 2020 Reboot. Shows which would broadcast on ITVBe on the same day would be available to watch on the ITV Hub from 7am. The service started on 3 September 2020 and the first show to be hosted by the ITV Hub, before it aired on ITVBe, was Sam & Billie: The Mummy Diaries, which didn't air on ITVBe until 9pm on 3 September 2020. EarlyBe also hosts The Real Housewives of Cheshire, The Only Way is Essex, Ferne McCann: First Time Mum and Gemma Collins: Diva.[4]
LittleBe
On 3 September 2018, the channel introduced a new children's strand, titled LittleBe, which is dedicated to British preschool programming. The strand airs daily from 9:00am to 12:00pm, three hours a day and also airs archive CITV programming such as Sooty.
References
- ^ "ITV confirms ITVBe launch date". ITV. 22 July 2014.
- ^ "TVBe +1 axed on satellite". RXTV. 9 April 2021. Retrieved 5 August 2022.
- ^ BARB, via [1] Archived 18 July 2014 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ "ITV Hub launches EarlyBe". Press Centre. Retrieved 24 July 2021.