Play UK

Play UK
Launched	10 October 1998
Closed	30 October 2002
Owned by	UKTV (BBC Worldwide/Virgin Media)
Formerly called	UK Play (1998-2000)
Replaced by	UKTV History now Yesterday
Availability At time of closure
Terrestrial
ITV Digital	Channel 37
Satellite
Astra 1E analogue (Between 1am and 7am, until 31 March 2001)	Astra 1E, 10.832V
Sky Digital	217 (previously 452)
Cable
NTL	Channel 100
Telewest	Channel 151

Play UK was a television channel broadcasting in the United Kingdom as part of the UKTV network of channels. The channel was launched (as UK Play) on 10 October 1998. The channel was aimed at playing (for most of the time) music in the morning and afternoon, while broadcasting comedy in the evening.

Play UK broadcast all day on the digital platforms, but on the Sky Analogue platform on the Astra 19.2°E satellite system it broadcast between 1am and 7am when UK Horizons was not broadcasting.

It closed on 30 October 2002 due to low ratings because of the closure of ITV Digital in July 2002; also it could not compete with MTV. Play UK's comedy programming was then moved to UK Gold (now Gold).

The majority of the music programmes broadcast (quizzes, interviews and compilations) on Play UK were produced by themselves. Play UK also use the reruns of TOTP2, which was originally broadcast on BBC Two.

Most of the comedy programming on Play UK had already been broadcast on the BBC's channels. Play UK also produced original comedy programming and, later on, broadcast American comedy and animation.