| 5 | |
|---|---|
 Logo used since 2025 | |
| Original author | 5 |
| Developer | Paramount Skydance |
| Operating system | |
| Type | Television catch-up |
| Website | channel5 |
5 (previouslyFive Download and laterDemand Five then Demand 5 andMy5) is the brand name ofvideo-on-demand services offered byChannel 5 Broadcasting Limited, operator of TV channel5, in the United Kingdom. The service isad-supported and providedover-the-top to various different consumer devices. It is owned byParamount Skydance and operated by theirParamount Networks UK & Australia division.
The service went live on 26 June 2008.[1]
As Five Download, the service offered downloads inWindows Media Video format of the US importsCSI,House andGrey's Anatomy. Individual episodes could be 'rented', with some episodes available seven days before they appeared on TV.
More varied content from Channel 5's programming has become available since June 2008, with a wider prevalence of free content offered for 30 days after broadcast. In January 2009, Demand 5 began to offer content in theFlash Video format, allowing users with Apple Macintosh computers to access their content.In December 2018, Demand 5 for all platforms carrying shows from Channel 5 was retired.[2]
On November 1, 2023, Paramount announced that it would merge My5 withPluto TV in the UK, with its full launch date set to be planned for the second half of 2024.[3] These plans would be shelved with the announcement on 20 August 2024 that the service would instead be revamped and, along with Channel 5, would be rebranded as simply5 on 12 March 2025.[4]
5 is the main source of on-demand programmes fromViacom services like5,5Star andPluto TV.[5] It offers a seven-day catch-up service as well as an archive of past shows.[6][7]
5 is also partly available on YouTube, launching in the United Kingdom on 4 December 2009.[8] My5's catch-up content reaches YouTube shortly after TV transmission and users are able to browse 250 hours of the broadcaster's archive content.
Demand 5 launched onBT Vision on 7 October 2008.[9] Demand 5 was removed fromBT Vision on 6 October 2010,[10] although the two companies continued discussions in a bid to reinstate the service, having previously stalled during contract renegotiations.[11] The service returned to BT Vision in May 2011.
Demand 5 is available as part ofFreesat's second generation Free Time guide, having been added on 6 August 2013, offering the last seven days of programming integrated to the TV guide.[12]
On 26 July 2013,Now TV released a Now TV-branded Roku streaming box, including a Demand 5 app.[13] Three days after the release of the Now TV Box,Roku added Demand 5 to its own range of streaming devices.[14] The Roku service continued to operate in the Demand 5 format until December 2018, when it was upgraded to My5.
On 26 July 2012, it was announced that Demand 5 would be added toOn Demand later in the year.[15] The service was made available on 26 September 2012.
In September 2009, an agreement was reached to make Demand 5 is available throughSony'sBlu-ray Disc players, Blu-rayhome cinema systems andSmart TVs, via theBRAVIA Internet Video service.[16]
On 13 May 2011, it was announced that Demand 5 would also be available onSamsung'sSmart TVs through theirSamsung Smart TV service.[17] On 16 January 2013 a Demand 5 app was launched and is available to download on Samsung Apps.[18]
As of 2020, the 5 app is also available onAndroid TV,Amazon Fire TV,Apple TV andChromecast devices.
The 5 app is pre installed onLGwebOS smart TVs and can also be downloaded from the LG content store.
5 is available onVirgin Media's cable television service, offering programmes for 7 days after broadcast since November 2010.[19]
In late 2019, it was confirmed that as part of a wider deal with ViacomCBS, the My5 app, along with the UK version ofPluto TV and subscription service MTV Play would be made available on Virgin Media.[20]
5 was one of four services available at the launch ofYouView in July 2012. At launch the My5 app contained options to resume watching recent programmes, access favourites, browse featured programmes or a full list of shows, find similar programmes or more episodes and an integrated search bar.[21]
An application for SonyPlayStation 3 owners was made available on 9 April 2013,PlayStation 4 on 15 November 2013 andPlayStation 5 on 12 November 2020.[22]
From December 2018, the Demand 5 app was retired from all platforms and replaced by My5.[23]
On 5 October 2011, it was announced that My5 (Demand 5 at the time) would be made available onXbox 360[24][25] and was later made available onXbox One
As with the PS3 app, the Demand 5 Xbox app was retired in December 2018.[23]
ABig Brother Demand 5 app for theiPad,iPod Touch andiPhone launched on 19 August 2011, the app offered a 30-day catch-up service for Big Brother content. The app has been extended to incorporate catch-up content from Channel 5, 5* and 5USA, creating an overall Demand 5 app.[26] The app is compatible with iOS 10.0 or later.[27] Reviews of the app have been very poor due to, among other issues, that Demand 5 can only be used on Wifi networks, rather than3G or4G[28]
On 16 May 2013, Demand 5 was launched on a range of Samsung Galaxy Android devices including smartphone and tablets.
On 25 November 2013, Demand 5 was launched for mobile phone handsets running theWindows Phone 8 platform.In December 2018, the Demand 5 Windows Phone 8 app was retired.Along with Windows Phone 8 app, the Demand 5 app for Windows 8, Windows 8.1 and Windows 10 was also retired in December 2018.[29]
In addition to programming taken from Paramount Global services likeBET andPluto TV Drama, 5 used to act as the on-demand service for a number of other UK channels and programme content owners, likeA+E Networks' Blaze, until Sept 30th 2021, when those agreements were voided and it became a service for content exclusive to PNUK&A networks.[30]BET[31][32] shows and specials are still available on My5 along with a number of classic MTV reality shows (such asEx on the Beach[33] andGeordie Shore)[34] as My5 Exclusives, with the BritishBET International channel being streamed in the UK viaPluto TV.
In addition to the channels listed above, the service includes programmes from these channels/brands:
Programmes include:
Content from a number of other channels was available until 30 September 2021:
| Channels | |
|---|---|
| Defunct channels | |
| Brands |
|
| Online | |
| Other | |
