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Channel 4 today announces the appointment of Sarah Dillistone to lead its in-house production business in a newly created position. Sarah will start to develop in-house production capabilities as part of Channel 4’s Fast Forward strategy to diversify and grow revenues to remain a strong and successful business and reinvest back into the creative economy. Sarah is a BAFTA-winning showrunner and television executive with extensive experience across networks and streamers including Fox, Hulu and Netflix with a strong track record of delivering ambitious and critically acclaimed, returnable hit series and formats that cut through internationally including Perfect Match, The Ultimatum and Made In Chelsea. She will lead the development of Channel 4’s IP strategy and execution from February 2026. Sarah Dillistone comments: “I’m incredibly excited to be stepping into this role at such a pivotal moment for Channel 4. The channel has been a defining part of my career, so it feels especially meaningful to return and help shape what comes next, while continuing the relationships I’ve built across the US and international markets. I’m keen to work closely with an ambitious team to develop bold, distinctive programming that resonates in the UK and beyond.”
Channel 4 leads young viewers into streaming future as fastest-growing major streamer among adults in 2025 🎉 From Patience and Finding Father Christmas to Virgin Island growth was driven by a slate of talkable, agenda-setting hits. 📺 The newly consolidated BARB data reveals Channel 4 achieved growth on the major metrics in 2025. It’s not too late to discover the shows that got people chatting so (cheeky plug) why not head to Channel 4 now to stream our other fresh and original titles!
Freely has hit one million weekly users! Over Christmas, Freely — Everyone TV’s free live and on‑demand streaming platform backed by the BBC, ITV, Channel 4 and 5 — surpassed one million weekly users. This milestone makes Freely the fastest‑growing TV platform in the UK in 2025, with its user base doubling since hitting half a million in September 👏 To find out more, take a look at the press release linked in the comments below.
Exciting to see Radio Times report today that Channel 4 enjoyed a festive bonanza this year. We recorded our biggest Christmas week for linear share since 2012 and on streaming, our viewer minutes were up 48% YOY for the Christmas Week! Lovely as well to be crowned the fastest-growing streaming platform by the Radio Times. 🎉 From festive specials of The Great British Bake Off and Finding Father Christmas to Taskmaster’s New Year Treat, it’s great to have been a part of your celebrations 🌟
Big news for viewers 🎉 UKTV’s U service is now available on Channel 4 streaming, in time bringing thousands of hours of free, unmissable and bingeable British entertainment together with Channel 4’s acclaimed programming. From The Office, Red Dwarf and QI XL to Spooks and MasterChef Australia, it’s even easier to enjoy your go-to shows and discover new favourites. Jonathan Allan, Interim CEO, Channel 4, said: “Bringing UKTV’s much-loved shows together with Channel 4’s award-winning programmes means more fantastic choice for everyone. Viewers can expect us to continue making it easier to enjoy the programmes they love.” Marcus Arthur, CEO, UKTV said: “With our U service now also available on Channel 4 streaming, UKTV’s popular and award-winning shows can reach new audiences and Channel 4 viewers get even more choice. It’s the perfect partnership, built on putting viewers first.”
👏 Congratulations to Martin Baker, Channel 4's Chief Commercial Officer and MD Paralympic Games, and to Alex Mahon, Channel 4's former Chief Executive, for their New Year Honours. Martin's MBE recognises his outstanding contribution to broadcasting – including his pivotal role in initiating and delivering Channel 4's transformational coverage of the Paralympic Games and championing inclusion on screen. Alex's CBE recognises her exceptional leadership of Channel 4, her unwavering commitment to Public Service Media, and her impact in ensuring the channel remains a bold, disruptive force in British cultural life. Congratulations to both!
Channel 4’s 2025 Alternative Christmas Message will this year be delivered by US chat show host Jimmy Kimmel. Kimmel has had quite the year - he was briefly taken off the air in September 2025 following comments made in the wake of the murder of Charlie Kirk, leading to widespread protest and debate in the USA about freedom of speech and freedom of the press. Following his return to air and his much-publicised criticism of the US administration, Kimmel will reflect on the past few months in a deeply personal and characteristically jovial address, saying that, “From a fascism perspective, this has been a really great year.” Kimmel’s address follows in the tradition of other topical presenters delivering The Alternative Christmas Message, which brings viewers a thought-provoking and often very personal reflection that is pertinent to the events of the past year. A Channel 4 spokesperson said, "Donald Trump's return to the White House and wide ranging impact on the world has been the story of 2025 and it would be hard to think of a better person to address it than Jimmy Kimmel, who has found himself on the frontline of America's battle over free speech." You can watch or stream The Alternative Christmas Message on Channel 4 from 5:45pm on Christmas Day.
Take a look at our Channel 4 highlight reel for 2025 as we press rewind on our key stories, creative breakthroughs and cultural impact that defined our year. 📈 We saw strong audience growth across the board, with total viewing up and momentum building among young and ABC1 audiences. 🚀 2025 was a standout year for launches: Virgin Island became our biggest young launch in over 20 years Patience was our biggest drama launch since It’s a Sin Game of Wool marked our biggest format launch since The Jury Bonnie Blue: 1000 Men and Me became our biggest documentary ever Mitchell & Webb delivered our biggest comedy launch since 2018 💥 Our brands and platforms continued to thrive: Channel 4.0 reached 1 million subscribers MAFS delivered strong streaming growth The Great British Bake Off saw a major uplift in young audiences Taskmaster achieved its biggest ever share A huge thank you to our teams, partners and of course our wonderful viewers for making 2025 such a powerful year for Channel 4.
🎁 You streamed. You binged. You argued about Die Hard. 2025 was a year of standout viewing on Channel 4, with streaming viewer minutes alone reaching 69 billion - up 14 per cent year on year. But how did the nation spend their time in front of the screen? In our festive-themed roundup, we’ve celebrated the UK’s Altogether Different Viewing Habits - from those who streamed Christmas classics in the middle of a heatwave, to the superfans taking part in marathon reality TV binges.
✨🌍 Channel 4’s Altogether Different content sparked real-world change in 2025. From Educating Yorkshire inspiring careers in education, and Joe Wicks: Licensed to Kill prompting families to rethink ultra-processed foods, to Jamie’s Dyslexia Revolution raising awareness of the challenges dyslexic people face and Big Boys encouraging more open conversations about mental health – viewers aren’t just watching our programmes; they’re thinking, feeling and doing differently as a result. Across our 2025 Social Impact Studies, one thing is clear: Channel 4 delivers clear, measurable social impact – informing, inspiring and creating real-world change. #AltogetherDifferent
