GREAT! network goes nationwide

Following a successful year which delivered 12% Share-Of-Viewing (SOV) growth, Narrative Entertainment UK has invested in audience reach by expanding all its GREAT! network channels to full national distribution on Freeview and returning POP Max to the Freeview Platform.

Steve Hornsey, VP Movies & Entertainment at Narrative Entertainment:

“The GREAT! network’s strong performance in the last year shows audiences love our trusted brands and curated content on TV.  We’re very excited to be taking two more of our channels nationwide on Freeview so that even more viewers can spend time with the GREAT! brands. GREAT! romance is already the UK’s fastest growing TV channel this year and it’s only right we share the love nationwide!”

With channels spanning Movies and Entertainment, the GREAT! network – which consists of channel brands GREAT! movies, GREAT! action, GREAT! romance, GREAT! christmas and GREAT! tv – bucked industry trends with audience growth over the last year.  The network’s SOV leapt 12% year on year as it became the nation’s most-watched movie destination. The GREAT! network grew its commercial impacts by 6% year on year in contrast to market decline of -6% which delivered share of commercial impacts (SOCI) growth of 13%.

Audiences now spend longer than ever before with the GREAT! network of independent channels, which launched in May 2021, demonstrating the ongoing appeal of mainstream Free TV and vindicating Narrative Entertainment’s commitment to linear in the face of opposing industry trends and thinking.

GREAT! tv, home to some of the most loved classic TV shows, went nationwide on 21st June, having previously been available in local TV regions only. GREAT! romance, the UK’s only dedicated romantic and romcom channel, will follow suit on 19th July.  Launched in January 2023 in selected regions, GREAT! romance is the fastest growing broadcast channel in the UK this year.

GREAT! christmas, the UK’s most popular seasonal channel, will also be distributed nationally later this year.

November 2022 saw Narrative successfully launch into the FAST market with GREAT! movies and GREAT! romance channels, expanding its reach to a wider audience on Free platforms. Further expansion came in June 2023 with the launch of the GREAT! player on demand and catch-up service, available via red button across the GREAT! network channels, to meet the increasing demand of loyal and new viewers.

The changes will be completed by Wednesday 19th July 2023.

The Children’s TV brands POP, POP Max and Tiny POP have also enjoyed strong success in the last 12 months. POP has retained its number one position in the commercial kids market with a 45% share of commercial impacts among kids commercial channels (Jan-May’23). It’s now the #1 non-PSB destination for Kids 4-15, reaching over 4 million Kids 4-15 on linear in the past year alone.

From Wed 19th July, POP Max will have increased distribution across UK regions on DTT, alongside digital satellite.  POP will be available on DTT in local regions and its content will be accessible nationwide via the recently launched POP Kids FAST channel and the POP Player app, which is available via red button and on mobile devices.

Francesca Newington, Director of POP Channels:

“With the POP channels continuing to lead the market in 2023, we’re excited to be bringing POP Max to a new pool of viewers this July. The portfolio’s digital presence is key and with the launch of our FAST channel POP Kids in November last year and the further growth and development of the POP Player, there are now more ways than ever to watch the channels and explore the rich array of content available.”