ITV, the British media and broadcasting company, announces that it is now using Unified Virtual Channel from Unified Streaming to stream nearly one dozen FAST (free ad-supported television) channels.
Unified Virtual Channel is a software-only solution that turns existing video-on-demand (VOD) assets, aka catalog or archive content, into new live, linear streams. Mimicking the feel and familiarity of traditional broadcast television, the tech enables customers to launch channels that are customizable, localizable, and monetizable.
Eleven of ITV's popular archive content channels operate now as Unified Virtual Channel-powered FAST channels: ITVX Kids; The 1% Club; The Only Way Is Essex TV; Love Island; The Chase; Saturday Night, Every Night; Reality 24/7; Comedy 24/7; Vera; Midsomer Murders; and ITVSigned, which in 2022 became the world's first channel to offer all of its content signed with British Sign Language.
Switching to Unified Virtual Channel was the biggest change the large British company had made to their video streams for a very long time.
Cost-effectiveness, according to ITV, was the main motivator for adopting Unified Streaming's technology. The British broadcaster's legacy infrastructure for its ITVX FAST channels, involving encoders and distribution systems, was seen as needlessly expensive.
In early 2025 ITV began replacing its traditional pipeline with a packager-based approach, integrating Unified Streaming's Unified Virtual Channel. Coding and testing ensured that the playout solution worked well with the functioning of ITV's ad insertion, digital rights management (DRM), and accessibility technologies, and that it would operate smoothly with the widest-possible range of devices.
Cost-effectiveness wasn't the only reason for ITV's conversion. The availability of support, insight, and knowledge from Unified Streaming's team played a significant role in ITV's move to select Unified Virtual Channel, instead of one of sundry products from competitors.
ITV reports that viewers have noticed no changes, and that, internally, the transformation has been a quiet one, too, without crises or emergencies. ITV personnel who schedule the channels have also seen their workload eased, due to the integration of the Unified Streaming solution.
Unified Streaming has supplied streaming software to ITV since 2018.
The project of integrating Unified Virtual Channel was delivered together with Eyevinn Technology, who supplied engineers for the plan, and Unified's partner JWP Connatix, who provided ITV with both advice and DRM technology.
For us, making such a big switch, from the previous setup, to Unified Virtual Channel, meant taking on risk. Integrating a whole new product is always like that, but ultimately the effort is worth the gain. Thanks to Unified's team, who collaborated with our team every step of the way, the transformation was smooth. Unified Virtual Channel not only works seamlessly on playout, it also integrates flawlessly with our DRM and our SSAI (server-side ad insertion) systems. We continue to target a huge range of devices and unlock the ability to further scale our VOD catalogue, said Mark Ison, Director of Engineering, ITV.
From our earliest conversations, ITV made it clear they were willing to try something new. Their methodical approach, clear communication, and their hands-on effort from product owners, engineers, and ops meant we could work side-by-side to make this project a success. We encountered integration challenges along the way, all of which were resolved through close collaboration, and without affecting delivery. The result is a streaming solution, with Unified Virtual Channel at its heart, that integrates with their existing DRM and SSAI platforms, while meeting a wide range of device requirements to deliver FAST channels in a reliable, cost-effective way. It was the people not the technology who made this partnership. And we're proud of what we built together, said Jamie Fletcher, Senior Solution Engineer, Unified Streaming.
Most recent headlines
17/12/2025
Investigative journalists across the Western Balkans and T rkiye continue to con...
17/12/2025
Sports Broadcasting Hall of Fame Inducts 10 Industry Icons During Unforgettable ...
17/12/2025
ESPN to Debut MNF Playbook with Next Gen Stats, a New AI-Driven NFL Data-AltCastThe series, powered by Adrenaline TruPlay AI, launches Dec. 22 and runs through ...
17/12/2025
Inaugural Optum Golf Channel Games Debut Under the Lights' in Primetime on ...
17/12/2025
The right playlist is essential on New Year's Eve, building the energy as you get ready and keeping it high as you count down to midnight. This year, Spotif...
17/12/2025
eds3_5_jq(document).ready(function($) { $(#eds_sliderM519).chameleonSlider_2_1({...
17/12/2025
Audiences Watched Over 103 Billion Minutes of TV on Thanksgiving Day
NFL Games ...
17/12/2025
Share Share by:
Copy link
Facebook
X
Whatsapp
Pinterest
Flipboard...
17/12/2025
Share Share by:
Copy link
Facebook
X
Whatsapp
Pinterest
Flipboard...
17/12/2025
Share Share by:
Copy link
Facebook
X
Whatsapp
Pinterest
Flipboard...
17/12/2025
Share Share by:
Copy link
Facebook
X
Whatsapp
Pinterest
Flipboard...
17/12/2025
Share Share by:
Copy link
Facebook
X
Whatsapp
Pinterest
Flipboard...
17/12/2025
Share Share by:
Copy link
Facebook
X
Whatsapp
Pinterest
Flipboard...
17/12/2025
Share Share by:
Copy link
Facebook
X
Whatsapp
Pinterest
Flipboard...
17/12/2025
Share Share by:
Copy link
Facebook
X
Whatsapp
Pinterest
Flipboard...
17/12/2025
Share Share by:
Copy link
Facebook
X
Whatsapp
Pinterest
Flipboard...
17/12/2025
Share Share by:
Copy link
Facebook
X
Whatsapp
Pinterest
Flipboard...
17/12/2025
Share Share by:
Copy link
Facebook
X
Whatsapp
Pinterest
Flipboard...
17/12/2025
KPop Demon Hunters Stars Visit Berklee for Weeklong Celebration Andrew Choi and EJAE, who voiced the film's main characters and contributed to its soundtr...
17/12/2025
Wednesday 17 December 2025
Heated Rivalry will be coming to Sky and streaming service NOW on 10 JanuaryTurn on cookies to view this content. Go to Privacy opti...
17/12/2025
Back to All News
Inside The Unseen World Of Indian Customs: Netflix Reveals The...
17/12/2025
Back to All News
Netflix announces PAPARAZZI KING: the docu series coming to Ne...
17/12/2025
Back to All News
Netflix Unveils First Look at Jo Nesbo's Detective Hole Pr...
17/12/2025
Back to All News
Netflix Welcomes Warner Bros. Discovery Board Recommendation
Business
17 December 2025
Global
Link copied to clipboard
After Careful Revi...
17/12/2025
RT has announced that Kathy Fox has been appointed Commissioning Editor with re...
17/12/2025
The Hao AI Lab research team at the University of California San Diego - at the forefront of pioneering AI model innovation - recently received an NVIDIA DGX B...
17/12/2025
Editor's note: This post is part of Into the Omniverse, a series focused on ...
17/12/2025
With the new season of Dancing with the Stars shimmering in the not-too-distant future this New Year, the celebrity and dancer pairings of the twelve couples ha...
16/12/2025
Hawkins has landed on Spotify, just in time for Stranger Things Season 5, Volume...
16/12/2025
Wherever you are, your favorite music and audio content should go seamlessly with you. That's why Spotify has partnered with NAVER Corp, Korea's leading...
16/12/2025
2025 Wrapped arrived bigger and bolder than ever. This year's experience is designed to be ultra personal and shareable, with new features like Wrapped Part...
16/12/2025
Three 12-kilowatt Advanced Electric Propulsion System thrusters, supplied by L3Harris Technologies, form the core of Gateway's propulsion system. Pictured i...
16/12/2025
The challenge facing America's defense industrial base is not just about speed - its about rebuilding the foundation that makes speed possible. Our nations ...
16/12/2025
Share Share by:
Copy link
Facebook
X
Whatsapp
Pinterest
Flipboard...
16/12/2025
SEVILLE, Spain Canal Sur, the public broadcasting service for Andalusia, Spain, has completed a total technology refresh based on Pebble's resilient, softwa...
16/12/2025
NEW YORK Teleprompting hardware provider Telescript International has acquired all software code and intellectual property previously owned by Telescript West. ...
16/12/2025
As cable operators face increased competition from 5G fixed wireless access providers, a new report from Ookla Research finds that T-Mobile is the FWA speed lea...
16/12/2025
Apple has announced a major upgrade to the Apple TV app for device owners outside the Apple ecosystem with news that the Apple TV app for Android now supports G...
16/12/2025
Space42 grows Direct-to-Device partner ecosystem through a Memorandum of Underst...
16/12/2025
16 Dec 2025
VEON Announces Release Date for Full Year and Fourth Quarter 2025 R...
16/12/2025
16 Dec 2025
VEON's Kyivstar Invests in Renewable Energy in Ukraine with Acq...
16/12/2025
Back to All News
Emma Appleton, Fares Fares, Frida Gustavsson and Jakob Oftebro...
16/12/2025
Back to All News
Docu-reality My Korean Boyfriend Gets a Trailer and Premiere D...
16/12/2025
Harmonic's XOS Advanced Media Processor Improves Streaming Video Quality and Boosts Viewer Engagement SAN JOSE, Calif. - Dec. 16, 2025 - Harmonic (NASDAQ: ...
16/12/2025
RT Sport Awards 2025 live on RT One and RT Player at 8:05pm on Saturday 20 December.
On Saturday 20 December live on RT One and RT Player at the earlier t...
16/12/2025
Singer -songwriter Brian Kennedy has been announced as the final celebrity dance...
15/12/2025
Harlem Globetrotters Celebrate 100th Anniversary With New Brand Campaign From Th...
15/12/2025
Top L-R: La Tierra Del Valor (The Home of the Brave), Mangittatuarjuk (The Gnawe...
15/12/2025
L3Harris will leverage 15 years of experience supporting the E-4B Nightwatch and...
ITV, the British media and broadcasting company, announces that it is now using Unified Virtual Channel from Unified Streaming to stream nearly one dozen FAST (free ad-supported television) channels.
