5Spike was a British free-to-air television channel owned by ViacomCBS Networks UK & Australia. Launching on 15 April 2015 on Freeview as just Spike, it was a localised version of the American cable channel Spike (now Paramount Network), and became a multiplex channel of Channel 5 in 2017 when it renamed as 5Spike. It primarily aired entertainment programmes, including action and drama series, police documentaries, and programming from its American 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 confirmed in late 2014 that a local version of the male-skewing American channel Spike would be launching in the United Kingdom, 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 merged with Paramount Network.
Programming The channel's lineup drew primarily from the original programmes produced by its American counterpart, including Catch a Contractor and Lip Sync Battle among others. The channel also aired imported American dramas, from modern dramas such as Breaking Bad (notably marking the first time the entire series would be broadcast by British television; only the first two seasons were shown by Fox and 5 USA, with the remainder available via Netflix), Sons of Anarchy, Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles 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 (a spin-off of the Channel 5 series), and repeats of some of Channel 5's factual programmes.
As in the United States, 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
BAMMA Car Crash TV Criminals: Caught on Camera (also known as Caught on Camera) Fights, Camera, Action Outrageous Stunts (also known as Stunt Science) Police Interceptors Takedown Police Interceptors Unleashed Seconds from Death: Caught on Camera (also known as The World's Deadliest...) Sewermen Tattoo Disasters UK Trucking Hell Ultimate Boxxer Under Attack World's Deadliest Weather: Caught on Camera (also known as The World's Deadliest Weather) World's Wildest Flights
From Spike US
Bar Rescue Bellator MMA Caraoke Showdown Catch a Contractor Cops Framework Frankenfood Hungry Investors (renamed as Restaurant Rescue) Life or Debt Lip Sync Battle Sweat Inc.
From Channel 5
Bad Tenants, Rogue Landlords Ben Fogle: New Lives in the Wild Can't Pay? We'll Take It Away Chris Tarrant: Extreme Railways Cowboy Builders Eddie Stobart: Trucks & Trailers The Gadget Show It Takes a Thief to Catch a Thief Nightmare Tenants, Slum Landlords Police Interceptors Robson's Extreme Fishing Challenge Traffic Cops UK's Strongest Man Weather Terror Winter Road Rescue World's Scariest... World's Strongest Man
Imported
19-2 60 Days In (renamed as 60 Days in Jail) Airport Security: Peru Airwolf Animal Fight Club The A-Team BattleBots Black Sails Boy to Man (renamed as Wildman: Extreme Adventurer) Behind Bars: The World's Toughest Prisons (renamed as World's Toughest Prisons) Breaking Bad (some seasons previously shown on Channel 5/5 USA) Cimarron Strip (renamed as The Cimarron Strip) Fail Army Fugitive Black Ops (renamed as Manhunt: Kill or Capture) From Dusk till Dawn: The Series Gangland Undercover Helix High Alert (renamed as High Alert: Policing the Streets) Impact Wrestling Justified Klondike Knight Rider Lockdown (renamed as America's Toughest Prisons) Megastructures Olympus Powers Running Wild with Bear Grylls Six Sons of Anarchy Spartacus Street Hawk Strongman Champions League Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles Transporter: The Series The Walking Dead Vikings The Virginian Weather Gone Viral (renamed as Extreme Weather: Caught on Camera) Wild Catch (renamed as Chasing Monsters) Wynonna Earp The X-Files
Most watched programmes 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.BARB, via The number of viewers does not include repeats or airings on 5Spike +1. RankShowEpisodeNumber of ViewersDate 1 The Expendables 2 N/A 359,000 27 March 2016 2 The Guns of Navarone 343,000 20 May 2018 3 Centurion 328,000 12 February 2017 4 The Expendables 3335,000 27 December 2017 5 327,000 26 March 2017 6 Battle of BritainN/A 311,70027 December 2019 7 306,500 9 March 2019 8 Transporter: The Series 2.07 – Sex, Lies and Video Tapes 303,000 19 February 2016 9 Trucking Hell 1.02 – Episode Two 294,000 24 May 2018 10 Hummingbird (film) N/A 286,100 13 March 2019
See also
Spike (Australian TV channel) Spike (Dutch TV channel)
References