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GeezerVison is showing en.wikipedia.org — ITVBe - Wikipedia

ITVBe
Final logo used from 15 November 2022 to 9 June 2025
CountryUnited Kingdom
Programming
LanguageEnglish
Picture format1080i HDTV
(downscaled to 16:9 576i for the SDTV feed)
Timeshift serviceITVBe +1
Ownership
OwnerITV plc
Sister channels
  • ITV1
  • ITV2
  • ITV3
  • ITV4
History
Launched8 October 2014 (2014-10-08)
Closed9 June 2025; 1 year ago
Replaced byITV Quiz (channel)
ITV2 and ITVX (programming)

ITVBe was a British free-to-air television channel owned by ITV plc. Launched on 8 October 2014, the channel was positioned as a spin-off of ITV2 targeting a female audience, focusing primarily upon reality and lifestyle programmes.

In April 2025, ITV announced that ITVBe would close and be replaced by ITV Quiz. ITVBe closed on 9 June 2025, and ITV Quiz launched the same day.

History

In February 2014, ITV announced that it would launch a new digital channel known as ITVBe by the end of the year. Positioned as a "companion" to ITV2, ITVBe would be focused primarily on reality and lifestyle programmes targeting young adult women, such as The Only Way is Essex (which moved from ITV2 to serve as ITVBe's flagship programme) and the Real Housewives franchise. ITV director of television Peter Fincham explained that the new channel was "an opportunity to develop what is currently part of the ITV2 schedule—reality and non-scripted shows, which are very popular with young women and housewives with kids—into a distinct channel proposition, aimed more squarely at that audience."[1] In July 2014, ITV announced that the channel would launch 8 October 2014.[2]

Logo used between 8 October 2014 and 14 November 2022.

A high-definition simulcast, ITVBe HD, launched on Virgin Media on 19 November 2014, along with a one-hour timeshift feed, ITVBe +1. Both channels were exclusive to Virgin until the ITVBe +1 service was made available on Sky and Freesat on 15 December 2014, and the ITVBe HD service on 12 December 2023.[3][4]As part of a number of changes to ITV's broadcasting, ITVBe +1 was removed from Sky and Freesat on 13 April 2021.[5]

ITVBe introduced a new children's block, LittleBe on 3 September 2018. It was dedicated to preschool programming and aired daily from 9 a.m. to noon, with its slate including a reboot of long-time CITV series Sooty.[6][7][8] The strand ended its run on 31 May 2024, despite ITV reassuring that it would be retained following the closure of the CITV channel.[9]

On 3 September 2020, new episodes of ITVBe programmes began to premiere first on the ITV Hub streaming platform ahead of their linear television broadcast the same day, branded as "EarlyBe".[10]

Closure

On 16 April 2025, ITV plc announced that ITVBe would retire and be replaced by the new game show channel ITV Quiz in June 2025,[11] with the closure date revealed on 30 May.[12] ITVBe closed on 9 June, with its programming concurrently moved to ITV2 and ITVX. ITVBe's channel space is currently leased by ITV Quiz.[13]

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.[14] The Only Way Is Essex was consistently the highest rated series on ITVBe.

Rank Show Viewers
(millions)
Date
1The Only Way Is Essex1.369 November 2014
21.2317 April 2016
31.2214 October 2018
41.2123 September 2018
51.1910 April 2016
61.1810 October 2014
71.1830 October 2016
81.1611 November 2018
91.162 November 2014
101.1612 March 2017

References

  1. ↑ "ITV announces free-to-air lifestyle and reality programming channel, ITVBe". The Drum. Retrieved 9 June 2025.
  2. ↑ "ITV confirms ITVBe launch date". The Media Leader. 23 July 2014. Retrieved 9 June 2025.
  3. ↑ Thornham, Marc (28 November 2023). "ITV starts HD tests, one new offshoot service coming to Sky, Freesat". RXTV. Retrieved 25 August 2026.
  4. ↑ Thornham, Marc (4 December 2023). "ITV closing three more SD channels on Sky and Freesat". RXTV. Retrieved 25 August 2026.
  5. ↑ "ITVBe +1 axed on satellite". RXTV. 9 April 2021. Retrieved 5 August 2022.
  6. ↑ "ITV Creative • littleBe". Bubble. Archived from the original on 22 July 2019. Retrieved 22 July 2019.
  7. ↑ "Sooty and Sweep are making a comeback!". Yours. Retrieved 22 July 2019.
  8. ↑ "ITV revives The Sooty Show". Retrieved 13 June 2025.
  9. ↑ "Broadcasting U-turns of 2024". RXTV. 1 January 2025. Retrieved 2 January 2025.
  10. ↑ "ITV Hub launches EarlyBe". Broadband TV News. 20 August 2020. Retrieved 13 June 2025.
  11. ↑ "Television channel ITVBe to become ITV Quiz, with The Only Way Is Essex moving to ITV2". BBC News. 16 April 2025. Retrieved 16 April 2025.
  12. ↑ Butler, Clare (30 May 2025). "ITV Quiz launch date confirmed following ITVBe closure". South Wales Argus. Retrieved 30 May 2025.
  13. ↑ Moss, Molly (9 June 2025). "ITVBe closes as channel is replaced by new ITV Quiz". Radio Times. Retrieved 11 June 2025.
  14. ↑ BARB, via Archived 18 July 2014 at the Wayback Machine
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=ITVBe&oldid=1383307194"
Categories:
  • 2014 establishments in the United Kingdom
  • Defunct television channels in the United Kingdom
  • ITV television channels
  • Television channels and stations established in 2014
  • Television channels in the United Kingdom
  • 2025 disestablishments in the United Kingdom
  • Television channels and stations disestablished in 2025
  • Free-to-air television channels in the United Kingdom
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