TLC to relaunch as FTA channel, HGTV to close

Warner Bros. Discovery has announced plans to relaunch TLC as a free-to-air channel in 2026 in the UK and Ireland.

At present the station operates a schedule featuring mostly female-skewing reality shows but will be transformed into a general entertainment channel, headlined by the acquisition of the rights to The Big Bang Theory.

Also in the new schedule are Big Bang spinoffs Young Sheldon and Georgie & Mandy’s First Marriage, the Melissa McCarthy comedy Mike & Molly and a revival of the BBC comedy panel show Mock The Week.

“We are thrilled to announce a new-look line-up of content for TLC in the UK and Ireland for January 2026 – and that we are able to bring the channel to more viewers with a move to free-to-air in the UK,” said Graham Lafferty, WBD UKIE’s svp of content strategy and networks.

“Through TLC, we are excited to commission and curate a broad entertainment channel that spans both scripted and unscripted content, including award-winning shows like The Big Bang Theory, through to a new-look British comedy staple like Mock the Week.”

At the same time that TLC relaunches, HGTV – a channel focused on home renovation – will close down in the UK and Ireland, with programming migrating to Really and discovery+.