 Logo used since 2022 | |
| Country | United Kingdom |
|---|---|
| Broadcast area | United Kingdom |
| Programming | |
| Language | English |
| Picture format | |
| Ownership | |
| Owner | Paramount Networks UK & Australia |
| Parent | Channel 5 Broadcasting Limited |
| Sister channels | |
| History | |
| Launched |
|
| Replaced | 5Spike |
| Former names | Paramount Network (2018–2022) |
| Links | |
| Website | 5Action |
| Availability | |
| Terrestrial | |
| Freeview | Channel 33 |
| Freesat | Channel 132 |
5Action (stylized as5ACTION) is a Britishfree-to-air television channel owned byChannel 5 Broadcasting Limited,[1] a wholly owned subsidiary ofParamount Skydance Corporation, which is grouped underParamount Networks UK & Australia division. 5Action features a range of programming from the Channel 5 stable as well as other content from the UK and US, focusing on action and crime, aiming towards a male audience.[2]
5Action's programming and Freeview channel slot dates back to the days of Viacom's male-skewing channelSpike, which was launched on 15 April 2015 as a localised version of theAmerican network of the same name. When Spike was launched it took the channel space ofViva, but was operated under the auspices of Channel 5's programming director Ben Frow. 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.
On 31 October 2017, the channel became 5Spike after Viacom decided the channel should be more closely associated with its sister channels and the Channel 5 brand. On 7 January 2020, the brand was discontinued in line with Viacom's global company policy, with the channel taking on the name of its sister channel, Paramount Network, and with major change to its channel placement or programming.
On 19 January 2022, the channel was once again re-aligned to a Channel 5-specific brand, as 5Action to avert confusion withParamount+.[3][4] On 26 January 2022, 5Action shifted to Freeview 33 to accommodate the new iteration ofBBC Three[5] on 1 February 2022.[6]
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Viacom (ViacomCBS/Channel 5) operated two distinct versions of the free-to-air Paramount Network on Freeview (with the original pay-tv Paramount Channel becomingComedy Central in 2009). The first version of the Freeview channel was launched on 4 July 2018[16][17][18] as a sister channel to 5Spike,[19] and with ahigh-definition feed exclusively onVirgin Media from 21 July 2018.[20][21] It ceased to be available via satellite in Ireland on 13 July 2018 despite the channel being promoted to Irish viewers before launch[22] (however, the channel could still be accessed via manual tuning on Sky in Ireland).
On 7 January 2020, Paramount Network was merged with5Spike in its slots on Freeview, Sky and Virgin Media, got its new branding, and subsumed its +1timeshift channel on Sky.[23] The timeshift channel ceased broadcasting on 14 July 2020.
Paramount Network rebranded as5Action on 19 January 2022 in preparation forParamount+ launching in the UK.
The original British version of Paramount Network was as a general entertainment channel showing American movies and series such asSuits andLip Sync Battle.[24][25] In 2020, Channel 5 merged this channel with that of 5Spike, with Paramount Network becoming more of a male-skewing channel, following the lead of the original American Spike TV, which targeted a young adult male audience, becoming Paramount Network in the United States.This second version of Paramount Network had a schedule very much in keeping with that of 5Spike, with action movies at night, westerns at lunch and programmes such asPolice Interceptors andTraffic Cops running episodes back-to-back early evening. When the channel got its second rebrand in early 2022, again no major changes were made to the schedule yet on Freeview channel 32[26] apart from the Jason Bourne spin-offTreadstone debuting on the channel.
Programmes broadcast on the male-skewing version included:
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| Defunct channels | |
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| Online | |
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