UKTV invests in digital funeral planner

Award-winning broadcaster UKTV has today announced it has invested in the UK’s first independent funeral-planning service, Legacy of Lives…

The investment comes via the network’s multi-million-pound investment fund, UKTV Ventures. The initial deal is worth £1 million of airtime, with a mutual option to extend the deal by a further £2 million once launched.

Brendan Kilcawley, Director of UKTV Ventures:

“We’ve been so impressed with [entrepreneur Rebecca Peach] and the team, as well as the technology and vision they’ve crafted to support consumers freely in planning a funeral. We are excited by the launch of Legacy of Lives’ first TV ad campaign, which is set to significantly boost awareness of their brand and valuable service. The powerful values of the brand are certain to strike a chord with UKTV viewers throughout the network, and we’re genuinely excited to see Legacy of Lives become the go-to destination for funeral planning.”

Legacy of Lives is a free, online service dedicated to making funeral planning simpler, more affordable, and more personal. The service provides support to individuals and families during what may be the most stressful times of their lives, helping them make informed decisions. Founded by entrepreneur Rebecca Peach in 2019 after witnessing first-hand the pain and fragmentation of organising a funeral, Legacy of Lives is the UK’s only supportive digital funeral planner and price comparison site.

UKTV Ventures’ £1 million airtime-for-equity investment sees Legacy of Lives launch its first TV advertising campaign from April on the broadcaster’s seven linear channels – Dave, W, Gold, Alibi, Drama, Yesterday, Eden. Legacy of Lives will benefit from access to an audience of over 25 million viewers a month to exponentially increase brand awareness and in return, UKTV will gain an equity stake in the business.

Rebecca Peach, Founder and CEO of Legacy of Lives:

“We are delighted to collaborate with the team at UKTV and are incredibly happy to spread the word about Legacy of Lives, assisting consumers in navigating end-of-life and funeral planning. This exciting new partnership will allow us to bring our free and much-needed service into thousands more homes across the entire UK. It marks a significant step towards fulfilling our vision of becoming the go-to destination for funeral planning and support. With the costs of dying and funerals spiralling, there is no better time to bring our service to the masses.”

UKTV Ventures is committed to helping companies new to TV advertising build their brand and scale up by benefiting from the wide reach, trust and recognition only achieved through TV advertising. Similar to venture capital, UKTV Ventures is a funding model which invests airtime, instead of cash, in burgeoning high-growth companies looking to accelerate their growth. UKTV Ventures’ deal with Legacy of Lives follows their recent investments in online raffle company Raffolux, plastic free shampoo bar company KinKind, and social media platform, WeAre8.