Goodbye, 4oD: Channel 4 will relaunch its catch-up TV platform as All 4 in the UK next year

British television broadcaster Channel 4 will rebrand its on-demand television streaming service, 4oD, as “All 4” early next year.

The new name will also be used to launch a revamped service that splits content into three areas: On Demand, Now and On Soon. These three tabs will be displayed prominently at the top of each app or webpage, giving users faster access to Channel 4’s past programming, live channels and upcoming shows.

On Demand, as the name suggests, will house all of Channel 4’s catch-up content. Although it will be primarily for TV shows, the broadcaster plans to bolster the section with related information such as cast interviews and galleries. Now is for all of Channel 4’s live channels, including E4 and More 4, as well as “of-the-moment” news reports, short-form videos and social media feeds.

On Soon rounds out the trio, offering viewers teasers and other promotional materials related to future shows, as well as a small number of episode premieres that will be released before they’re broadcast on TV.

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Channel 4 will replace the 4oD brand with All 4 across all platforms by the end of Q1 2015. The company says it will target the PC and iOS devices initially, before expanding the service to other platforms later in the year.

4oD is a well-known brand in the UK and its streaming service is held in reasonably high regard. In particular, this is because of its vast archive; Channel 4 typically keeps its shows available for longer than the BBC’s iPlayer service (although iPlayer is set to move to a 30-day availability window) which makes it easier to catch up on older programmes and multi-season shows.

Regardless, it seems the 4oD brand wasn’t strong enough. Instead of simply redesigning the service, the company has felt it necessary to give its offering a new name and identity. While 4oD is set to disappear, the service lives on.

➤ Press Release (via PocketLint)