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Viva (UK & Ireland)

Viva
Viva (UK & Ireland).svg
Launched 26 October 2009
Owned by Viacom International Media Networks Europe
Picture format 16:9, 576i (SDTV)
Audience share 0.03% (September 2015 (2015-09), BARB)
Slogan "Up your Viva!"
Country United Kingdom
Broadcast area United Kingdom
Ireland
Replaced TMF
Sister channel(s)
Website uk.viva.tv
Availability
Terrestrial
Freeview HD Channel 57
Channel 86 (+1)
Satellite
Freesat Channel 511
Sky Channel 353
Astra 2E 11895 V 27500 2/3
Cable
Virgin Media Channel 317
Virgin Media Ireland Channel 709
WightFibre Channel 97
Streaming media
TVCatchup Watch live (UK only)

Viva (stylised as VIVA) is a music television channel in the United Kingdom and Ireland, owned by VIVA Media and thereby Viacom International Media Networks Europe. The channel launched on 26 October 2009, replacing TMF.

The channel was officially launched on 26 October 2009 by Alexandra Burke, with an exclusive live performance of her single "Bad Boys". The first music video to be shown on Viva was Alphabeat's "The Spell" in The Official UK Chart Show Top 20 hosted by Sarah-Jane Crawford. It originally broadcast for 24 hours a day until Noggin was removed from the schedule and its hours were reduced to 09:00 – 06:00. It was further reduced to 09:00 – 03:00 on 1 August 2011. The unused hours are now used for teleshopping.

On 19 September 2011 the channel started broadcasting in the 16:9 picture format but the DOG was still set to the 4:3 picture format and appeared stretched; this was later fixed so it appears within the 4:3 safe zone. As with other Viacom channels, most 4:3 content has been stretched to 14:9.

Viva dropped its free-to-view encryption on satellite on 19 March 2013, before launching on the free-to-air platform, Freesat, on 2 April 2013.

On 8 October 2014, following the Viacom takeover of UK broadcaster Channel 5, it was announced that Viva would be removed from Freeview with all of its entertainment content moving to 5*. Its EPG slot was taken over by 5USA (which had moved from Freeview channel 31 for the launch of Spike) on 15 April 2015, with Viva moving to Freeview channel 74 and its broadcast hours changed to 09:00 to 11:00. The channel still broadcasts full-time on all other platforms.


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