Channel 4 will put Hollyoaks episodes on YouTube after E4 airing

The soap will be available to stream on channel4.com the day before airing on the E4 Channel.
The new schedule pattern begins on September 25 (Lime Pictures/Channel 4/PA)
PA Media
Charlotte McLaughlin8 September 2023
The Weekender

Sign up to our free weekly newsletter for exclusive competitions, offers and theatre ticket deals

I would like to be emailed about offers, event and updates from Evening Standard. Read our privacy notice.

Channel 4 will put episodes of Hollyoaks on YouTube a week after they are broadcast on E4 and streamed on its own platform.

The broadcaster previously announced that the soap, which is aimed at a young demographic, would take a streaming-first approach last year.

On Friday, the broadcaster said Hollyoaks will be available to watch on channel4.com the day before airing on the E4 channel.

Screenings on Channel 4 will no longer air the following day and instead there will be a weekly omnibus on the main station.

Episodes will also be available a week after streaming and the E4 broadcast on YouTube.

Previously, Channel 4’s on-demand service had the episodes uploaded in the morning before later screenings on E4.

Channel 4’s chief content officer, Ian Katz, said: “Hollyoaks has always been the youngest and most innovative soap so it’s fitting that it should be the first to embrace the changes in the behaviour of younger viewers and switch to a genuinely digital-led release pattern.

“It was the first UK soap to move to a stream-first model last year and this is the next phase of that evolution.

Hollyoaks has always been the youngest and most innovative soap so it’s fitting that it should be the first to embrace the changes in the behaviour of younger viewers and switch to a genuinely digital-led release pattern

Channel 4’s chief content officer Ian Katz

“We hope making Hollyoaks available on YouTube, as well as our own platforms, will introduce a whole new generation to the show.”

The new schedule pattern begins on September 25 as the week kicks off with a one-hour special, which focuses on a love triangle and “murder twists and turns”.

In the soap, Felix Westwood (Richard Blackwood), his girlfriend Mercedes McQueen (Jennifer Metcalfe) and best friend Warren Fox (Jamie Lomas) reach an “explosive turning point” and a secret about influencer Rayne Royce (Jemma Donovan) is revealed.

In 2022, Hollyoaks became the first UK soap to premiere its episodes on a streaming service ahead of the live television broadcast.

Create a FREE account to continue reading

eros

Registration is a free and easy way to support our journalism.

Join our community where you can: comment on stories; sign up to newsletters; enter competitions and access content on our app.

Your email address

Must be at least 6 characters, include an upper and lower case character and a number

You must be at least 18 years old to create an account

* Required fields

Already have an account? SIGN IN

By clicking Create Account you confirm that your data has been entered correctly and you have read and agree to our Terms of use , Cookie policy and Privacy policy .

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.

Thank you for registering

Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged in