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.
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. 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."
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. Among its first programmes, the premiere of Police Interceptors Unleashed was seen by 137,000 viewers.
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. On 7 January 2020, 5Spike was shut down, with Paramount Network assuming its channel positions on Freeview, Sky and Virgin Media, and carrying some of the network's former programmes.

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, Sons of Anarchy, 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, and repeats of some of Channel 5's factual programmes.
As in the U.S, 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.

Original programming

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. The number of viewers does not include repeats or airings on 5Spike +1.
RankShowEpisodeNumber of ViewersDate
1The Expendables 2N/A359,00027 March 2016
2The Guns of NavaroneN/A343,00020 May 2018
3CenturionN/A328,00012 February 2017
4The Expendables 3N/A335,00027 December 2017
5The Expendables 3N/A327,00026 March 2017
6Battle of BritainN/A311,70027 December 2019
7Battle of BritainN/A306,5009 March 2019
82.07 - Sex, Lies and Video Tapes303,00019 February 2016
9Trucking Hell1.02 - Episode Two294,00024 May 2018
10Hummingbird N/A286,10013 March 2019