Great! TV#Great! Real

BT agreed a deal with Sony Pictures Television to offer its programming on-demand on BT Vision from 1 March 2010.{{cite web

|url=http://www.broadbandtvnews.com/2010/03/04/spt-channels-on-bt-vision/

|title=SPT channels on BT Vision

|publisher=Broadband TV News

|date=4 March 2010

|access-date=28 October 2011

|archive-date=18 July 2012

|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120718011052/http://www.broadbandtvnews.com/2010/03/04/spt-channels-on-bt-vision/

|url-status=live

}} The move marked Sony's debut in the UK market, over a year ahead of the launch of the Sony Entertainment Television channel. Sony Entertainment Television also appeared on TalkTalk TV during the YouView platform launch in 2012, but was later removed.

Sony Pictures Television acquired channel 157 on Sky's EPG, previously owned by Film 24, in November 2010.{{cite web

|url=http://www.digitalspy.com/tech/satellite/news/a288849/sony-acquires-film24s-sky-epg-slot/

|title=Sony acquires Film24's Sky EPG slot

|publisher=Digital Spy

|date=19 November 2010

|access-date=13 January 2016

|archive-date=4 March 2016

|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304221524/http://www.digitalspy.com/tech/satellite/news/a288849/sony-acquires-film24s-sky-epg-slot/

|url-status=live

}} A one-hour timeshift channel was also available from launch after the purchase of Open Access 3's Sky EPG slot on channel 190. Both Film 24 and Open Access 3 closed on 4 April 2011, to make way for previews of Sony Entertainment Television. On 15 December 2011, Sony Entertainment Television was added to Virgin Media.{{cite web

|url=http://www.sonytv.com/news/set-comes-virgin-media-platform

|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120424115710/http://www.sonytv.com/news/set-comes-virgin-media-platform

|archive-date=24 April 2012

|title=SET comes to Virgin media platform!

|publisher=Sony Entertainment Television

|date=15 December 2011

|access-date=17 December 2011}} On 2 April 2012, Sony Entertainment Television +1 moved to Current TV's former Sky EPG slot on channel 183, with channel 190 used to launch Men&Movies +1. On 3 July 2012, Sony Entertainment Television +1 moved to channel 181.

The channel was rebranded as Sony Channel on 12 January 2016, but closed on 6 February 2018 to be replaced by Sony Crime Channel on Sky and Virgin Media. The last programme on the channel was an episode of Saving Hope.

On 24 July 2019, it was announced that Sony Channel would be relaunched and would replace its predecessor True Entertainment from 10 September 2019.{{cite web |url=https://www.skymedia.co.uk/news/sony-pictures-television-revamps-entertainment-portfolio-and-launches-uks-first-free-to-air-movie-network/ |title=Sony Pictures Television Revamps Entertainment Portfolio And Launches UK's First Free-To-Air Movie Network |publisher=Sky Media |date=24 July 2019 |quote=Sony-owned entertainment channel True Entertainment will be relaunched as Sony Channel. |access-date=18 August 2019 |archive-date=29 August 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190829213341/https://www.skymedia.co.uk/news/sony-pictures-television-revamps-entertainment-portfolio-and-launches-uks-first-free-to-air-movie-network/ |url-status=live }}{{better source needed|date=August 2019}} The channel replaced True Entertainment on all platforms (Freeview 48, Sky 157, Freesat 142, Virgin 189), with the last programme shown on True Entertainment being an episode of Highway to Heaven.

Due to Narrative Capital acquiring SPT's full UK portfolio on 14 May 2021, the 4 Sony-branded free-to-air channels in the UK adopted the Great! branding on 25 May 2021. As a result, the channel was rebranded as Great! TV.{{Cite web|title=Sony Pictures Television U.K. Channels Sold to U.S. Investment Firm Narrative Capital|url=https://variety.com/2021/tv/global/sony-channels-uk-sold-narrative-1234972645/|access-date=14 May 2021|website=Variety|date=14 May 2021|archive-date=14 May 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210514132833/https://variety.com/2021/tv/global/sony-channels-uk-sold-narrative-1234972645/|url-status=live}}

On 21 June 2023, Great! TV moved from a local TV multiplex on Freeview to the COM6 multiplex, thereby making the channel more widely available in more areas on Freeview.{{Cite web|title=Major Freeview channel update with nearly 20 changes > RXTV info|date=21 June 2023|url=https://rxtvinfo.com/2023/major-freeview-channel-update-with-nearly-20-changes/|access-date=21 June 2023|archive-date=21 June 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230621125715/https://rxtvinfo.com/2023/major-freeview-channel-update-with-nearly-20-changes/|url-status=live}}{{Cite web|title=Event log for Freeview North West network|url=http://www.satellite-calculations.com/DVB/log_freeview_NW.php?/2023_06_20/2023_06_21|access-date=21 June 2023|archive-date=21 June 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230621125714/http://www.satellite-calculations.com/DVB/log_freeview_NW.php?/2023_06_20/2023_06_21|url-status=live}}

On 20 November 2024, Great! TV +1 was replaced by the Great! Player streaming service on Freeview channel 63.

The original Sony Channel was aimed at women aged between 25 and 54 and broadcast a range of dramas and comedies, including Hawthorne, Huff, and 'Til Death.{{cite web|url=http://www.digitalspy.com/media/news/a307985/sony-to-launch-new-tv-channel-in-april/|title=Sony to launch new TV channel in April|last=Laughlin|first=Andrew|date=9 March 2011|work=Digital Spy}} Sony Entertainment Television also brought UK series Hustle and Hotel Babylon, along with the last season of Las Vegas and reruns of Crossing Jordan, Dawson's Creek, My Boys, Ned and Stacey, and NewsRadio.{{cite web|url=http://www.thehollywoodnews.com/2011/03/15/sony-tv-launches-in-the-uk-and-becomes-the-first-branded-tv-station-to-do-so/|title=Sony TV launches in the UK, and becomes the first branded TV station to do so|publisher=The Hollywood News|date=15 March 2011|access-date=1 April 2011|archive-date=3 April 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110403063221/http://www.thehollywoodnews.com/2011/03/15/sony-tv-launches-in-the-uk-and-becomes-the-first-branded-tv-station-to-do-so/|url-status=live}} It also showed movies from SET's parent company Sony Pictures Entertainment, such as The Da Vinci Code, All the King's Men, Marie Antoinette, and Philadelphia. From September 2011, Holby City began airing on Sony Entertainment Television.{{cite web|url=http://www.sonytv.com/news/holby-city-comes-sony|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110927031416/http://www.sonytv.com/news/holby-city-comes-sony|archive-date=27 September 2011|title=Holby City comes to Sony|publisher=Sony Entertainment Television|date=6 September 2011}}

On 16 May 2012, Sony Entertainment Television began showing BBC Spy drama Spooks from series 1.{{cite web|url=http://www.radiotimes.com/news/2012-04-30/spooks-to-be-broadcast-again-from-the-very-start|title=Spooks to be broadcast again from the very start|work=Radio Times|date=30 April 2012|access-date=3 May 2012|archive-date=2 May 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120502202434/http://www.radiotimes.com/news/2012-04-30/spooks-to-be-broadcast-again-from-the-very-start|url-status=live}} It was announced on 2 August 2012, that Sony Entertainment Television acquired the rights to broadcast Hot in Cleveland in the UK and Ireland, and it showed season 3 on 14 September 2012, season 1 and season 2 had already been broadcast on Sky Living.{{cite web|url=http://www.tvwise.co.uk/2012/08/sony-entertainment-television-acquires-uk-rights-to-hot-in-cleveland-season-three/|title=Sony Entertainment Television Acquires UK Rights To Hot In Cleveland Season Three|publisher=TVWise|date=2 August 2012|access-date=7 August 2012|archive-date=4 August 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120804035201/http://www.tvwise.co.uk/2012/08/sony-entertainment-television-acquires-uk-rights-to-hot-in-cleveland-season-three/|url-status=live}} The channel also broadcast the American sitcom Community,{{cite web |last=Jeffery |first=Morgan |url=http://www.digitalspy.com/tv/news/a631445/community-season-6-to-air-on-broadcast-tv-in-uk/ |title=Community season 6 to air on broadcast TV in UK |publisher=Digital Spy |date=25 February 2015 |access-date=13 January 2016 |archive-date=24 December 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151224214005/http://www.digitalspy.com/tv/news/a631445/community-season-6-to-air-on-broadcast-tv-in-uk/ |url-status=live }} ITV's Secret Diary of a Call Girl and the BBC's highly successful Ashes to Ashes and Life on Mars. The channel started to broadcast the UK TV premieres of various other programmes including The Night Shift, Saving Hope, Younger, Satisfaction and Orange Is the New Black. Paranormal content on the former channel included Ghost Hunters, Ghost Hunters International and Celebrity Ghost Stories. In 2017, the channel began to broadcast repeats of America's Got Talent.

The relaunched Sony Channel (which later became Great! TV) retained some programming from its predecessor channel, True Entertainment, but added more Sony-owned programmes to the schedule.

{{Infobox television channel

| name = GREAT! Real

| logo = Great! Real transparent.png

| logo_size = 200px

| launch_date = {{start date and age|2024|03|20}} (linear channel)
{{start date and age|2024|10}} (FAST)

| closed_date = {{end date and age|2024|08|20}} (linear channel)

| picture_format = 16:9 576i or 1080i

| owner = Narrative Entertainment UK Limited

| country = United Kingdom

| language = English

| former_names =

| replaced = Tiny Pop

| replaced_by =

| timeshift_service = Great! Real +1

}}

Great! Real (stylized as GREAT! real) is a British terrestrial TV channel owned by Narrative Entertainment UK Limited which launched in 20 March 2024 and served as a replacement for Tiny Pop{{Cite web |date=2024-02-28 |title=Narrative Entertainment launches GREAT! Real |url=https://www.broadbandtvnews.com/2024/02/28/narrative-entertainment-launches-great-real/ |access-date=2024-07-12 |website=Broadband TV News |language=en-GB |archive-date=19 July 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240719224201/https://www.broadbandtvnews.com/2024/02/28/narrative-entertainment-launches-great-real/ |url-status=live }}{{Cite web |last= |date=2024-02-28 |title=Narrative launching GREAT! Real channel |url=https://advanced-television.com/2024/02/28/narrative-launching-great-real-channel/ |access-date=2024-07-12 |language=en-GB |archive-date=12 July 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240712204858/https://advanced-television.com/2024/02/28/narrative-launching-great-real-channel/ |url-status=live }} on Freeview, Freesat, Sky and Virgin.

In February 2024, it was announced that Narrative Entertainment UK Limited would launch a new channel concept called Great! Real in March, featuring reality television content. The network launched test transmissions on 5 March 2024, before an official launch of 20 March, replacing Tiny Pop, which would move to online-only distribution.

The service would only last five months before closing on 20 August 2024 to make way for the return of Tiny Pop to terrestrial distribution. It later returned in October as a FAST channel service.

Great! Mystery is a British terrestrial TV channel operating as a FAST service, along with Freeview availability on channel 61 carrying mystery films and series.{{Cite web |url=https://rxtvinfo.com/freeview-updates/ |title=Freeview Updates > RXTV info |access-date=20 November 2024 |archive-date=23 March 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230323154551/https://rxtvinfo.com/freeview-updates/ |url-status=live }} Great! Mystery originally launched alongside Narrative Entertainment's children's service POP Up in May 2024 via Samsung TV Plus, LG Channels and Plex.{{Cite web |url=https://rxtvinfo.com/2024/narrative-launching-two-new-free-channels/ |title=Narrative launching two new free channels |date=30 May 2024 |access-date=20 November 2024 |archive-date=14 June 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240614093527/https://rxtvinfo.com/2024/narrative-launching-two-new-free-channels/ |url-status=live }}

{{reflist}}

• {{Official website|https://www.greattv.co.uk/}}

{{Chart Show Channels}}

{{Media in the United Kingdom|television}}

{{Freeview}}

Category:English-language television stations in the United Kingdom

Category:Sony Pictures Television

Category:Sony Entertainment Television

Category:Television channels in the United Kingdom

Category:Television channels and stations established in 2011

Category:Television channels and stations disestablished in 2018

Category:Television channels and stations established in 2019

Category:2011 establishments in the United Kingdom

Category:2018 disestablishments in the United Kingdom

Category:2019 establishments in the United Kingdom