Channel U (Singaporean TV channel)

Channel U
CountrySingapore
Broadcast areaSingapore
Malaysia (Johor)
Indonesia (Riau Islands)
HeadquartersMediacorp Campus, 1 Stars Avenue, Singapore 138507
Programming
Language(s)Chinese dialects (e.g. Mandarin)
Korean
Thai
English (subtitles)
Picture format1080i 16:9 HDTV
Ownership
OwnerMediacorp
Sister channels
History
Launched6 May 2001; 23 years ago (2001-05-06)
Links
WebsiteOfficial Site
Availability
Terrestrial
Digital terrestrial televisionUHF CH 33 570MHz DVB-T2 Channel 7 (HD)
Streaming media
meWATCHAvailable on meWATCH website or mobile app (Singapore only)

Channel U (marketed as U頻道, formerly named 優頻道) is a Mandarin-language free-to-air terrestrial television channel in Singapore, owned by state media conglomerate Mediacorp.

The channel was first established in 2001 by SPH MediaWorks—a subsidiary of Singapore Press Holdings—as one of two new FTA channels launched by the company (alongside the English-language TVWorks, later renamed Channel i). While it eventually became competitive with MediaCorp's Channel 8 in viewership, Channel i was struggling to compete with MediaCorp's Channel 5, and the company operated at a loss.

In 2004, SPH announced an agreement to divest its television stations and free newspaper business to MediaCorp in exchange for a stake in its television and publishing businesses. As a result, MediaCorp took over Channel U on 1 January 2005, positioning it as a counterpart to Channel 8 targeting a youth and young adult audience.