5Spike

5Spike was a British free-to-air television channel owned by ViacomCBS Networks UK & Australia. Launching on 15 April 2015 on Freeview, it was a multiplex channel of Channel 5 and localised version of the American cable channel Spike. It primarily aired entertainment programmes, including action and drama series, police documentaries, and programming from its U.S. counterpart, as well as mixed martial arts.

This article is about the United Kingdom variant of Spike. For the channel in the United States formerly named Spike, see Paramount Network. For the Dutch version of the channel, see Spike (Dutch TV channel). For the Australian version of the channel, see Spike (Australian TV channel).

5Spike
Launched15 April 2015 (4 years, 267 days)
Closed7 January 2020
NetworkChannel 5
Owned byChannel 5 Broadcasting Ltd
ViacomCBS Networks UK & Australia
Picture format576i 16:9 SDTV
Audience share0.56%
0.01% (+1) (June 2019 (2019-06), BARB)
SloganLive it like Spike
CountryUnited Kingdom
LanguageEnglish
Broadcast areaUnited Kingdom
Switzerland
Formerly calledSpike (2015–17)
Replaced byParamount Network
Sister channel(s)
Timeshift service5Spike +1

On 7 January 2020, the network was discontinued, with Paramount Network assuming its channel placements and programming.

History

Following Viacom's acquisition of Channel 5, it was reported that a local version of the male-skewing U.S. channel Spike would be launching in the United Kingdom. These reports were confirmed in late 2014, with the channel proposed to replace Viva on Freeview.[1] The channel was operated under the auspices of Channel 5's programming director Ben Frow; of Spike's lineup, he described the service as a "driven, high-energy channel offering a point of view and program mix I think is different from anything else on British TV right now."[1]

Spike launched on 15 April 2015 on Freeview channel 31, displacing 5USA; although it was originally announced that Spike would replace Viva entirely on Freeview, Viva was instead moved to a different channel and reduced to two hours per day to conserve bandwidth for Spike, with 5USA taking on its previous channel allotment.[2][3][4][5][6] Among its first programmes, the premiere of Police Interceptors Unleashed was seen by 137,000 viewers.[7]

On 31 October 2017, Spike was rebranded as 5Spike to more closely associate itself with its sister channels and the Channel 5 brand.

A British version of Spike's successor in the US, Paramount Network, was launched on 4 July 2018.[8] On 7 January 2020, 5Spike was shut down, with Paramount Network assuming its channel positions on Freeview, Sky (including its +1 timeshift channel) and Virgin Media, and carrying some of the network's former programmes.[9]

Programming

The channel's lineup drew primarily from the original programmes produced by its U.S counterpart, including Catch a Contractor and Lip Sync Battle among others. The channel also aired imported U.S dramas, from modern dramas such as Breaking Bad (notably marking the first time the entire series would be broadcast by British television; only the first two seasons were shown by Fox and 5 USA, with the remainder available via Netflix), Sons of Anarchy, Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles and The Walking Dead, to classic shows such as The X-Files, The A-Team and Knight Rider. Spike also carried original British productions, such as Police Interceptors Unleashed (a spin-off of the Channel 5 series),[7] and repeats of some of Channel 5's factual programmes.[10][11]

As in the U.S,[12] mixed-martial arts also comprised a portion of Spike's lineup, with British TV rights to Bellator MMA and, under a long-term deal, exclusive rights to BAMMA events beginning with BAMMA 20 on 25 April 2015.[13]

Original programming
  • BAMMA
  • Car Crash TV
  • Criminals: Caught on Camera (also known as Caught on Camera)
  • Fights, Camera, Action
  • Outrageous Stunts (also known as Stunt Science)
  • Police Interceptors Takedown
  • Police Interceptors Unleashed
  • Seconds From Death: Caught on Camera (also known as The World's Deadliest...)
  • Sewermen
  • Tattoo Disasters UK
  • Trucking Hell
  • Ultimate Boxxer
  • Under Attack
  • World's Deadliest Weather: Caught on Camera (also known as The World's Deadliest Weather)
  • World's Wildest Flights

From Spike US

Imported

Most watched programmes

The following is a list of the ten most watched shows on Spike, based on Live +7 data supplied by BARB up to 17 March 2019.[14] The number of viewers does not include repeats or airings on 5Spike +1.

Rank Show Episode Number of Viewers Date
1The Expendables 2N/A359,00027 March 2016
2The Guns of Navarone343,00020 May 2018
3Centurion328,00012 February 2017
4The Expendables 3335,00027 December 2017
5327,00026 March 2017
6Battle of BritainN/A311,70027 December 2019
7306,5009 March 2019
8Transporter: The Series2.07 - Sex, Lies and Video Tapes303,00019 February 2016
9Trucking Hell1.02 - Episode Two294,00024 May 2018
10Hummingbird (film)N/A286,10013 March 2019

See also

References
  1. "Viacom to launch Spike TV in UK". Broadcast. 8 October 2014. Retrieved 5 March 2015.
  2. "Freeview Channel Updates: April 2015". a516digital. Retrieved 10 July 2015.
  3. "Spike launches 15 April and some channels are moving". Freeview. Retrieved 10 July 2015.
  4. "Spike TV to launch with Breaking Bad". Broadcast. 20 March 2015. Retrieved 20 March 2015.
  5. Munn, Patrick (26 March 2015). "VIMN To Launch Spike UK on April 15th; Picks Up UK Rights to Olympus, Justified, Sons & Anarchy and More". TVWise. Retrieved 26 March 2015.
  6. "Dire UTV Ireland could learn a thing or two from Spike". Herald.ie. Retrieved 25 April 2015.
  7. "Breaking Bad helps Spike to solid launch night". Broadcast Now. Retrieved 25 April 2015.
  8. White, Peter (8 June 2018). "Viacom To Launch Paramount Network In The UK In July With 'Suits' & 'The Mick'". Deadline. Retrieved 8 June 2018.
  9. "5Spike UK axed in alignment with US brands". rxtvlog. Retrieved 28 December 2019.
  10. "Spike to Launch in U.K. with 'Breaking Bad,' 'Walking Dead,' 'Sons of Anarchy'". Variety. Retrieved 25 April 2015.
  11. "Spike TV: the best and worst of the new channel's brogramming". The Guardian. London: Guardian Media Group. 15 April 2015. Retrieved 25 April 2015.
  12. "Mr. Friday Night Lights Out? Joe Schilling eyes PBC Boxing in addition to Bellator and GLORY". MMAMania (SBNation). Vox Media. Retrieved 25 April 2015.
  13. "BAMMA makes deal with Spike TV in the UK". Bloody Elbow (SBNation). Vox Media. Retrieved 25 April 2015.
  14. BARB, via
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