Home and Away fans woke up to a quiet shift that feels bigger than it first appears. A new plan is in motion for the soap, and it changes how people watch it in the coming months. Channel 5 has pulled back the curtain just as the Christmas break begins, hinting at a viewing experience that may surprise many. Keep scrolling to know more.
Channel 5 Confirms Major Daytime Change For Home and Away
Chanel 5 has revealed that the soap will not return to its usual 1:45 pm slot when it returns in January. It’s a direct move toward the network’s new stream-first approach. And those who want to watch it during the day have only one option. They must use the official streaming app and watch episodes on demand.
Indeed, the afternoon slot of the program has been on-air non-stop for years. And will no longer be taken by the programming of major television stations. Nonetheless, the 5Star channel continues to hold the evening issue as usual. The perfect upcoming will start at 6:30 pm as planned, while the last episode will be shown again at 6 pm. According to the channel, this local television schedule is in accordance with the audience’s viewing pattern of the program recently.
In March, Channel 5 released a new episode on its platform at 6 am. It was even before the television broadcast. This experiment keeps growing each month. The show also saw a 17% rise in viewing hours in its first month of early release, and each month has topped the last.
What The Move Means For The Future
Greg Barnett, the Commissioning Editor at Channel 5, was wowed by the power performance, and he acknowledged it. He said that the program has been a fantastic success on streaming and that the audience has been very reactive to the freedom of on-demand viewing.
He thought that the huge percentage increase in the number of people who opted to watch the streaming show was what made it the best way to watch. Greg also said that it would have been the most natural step to take the daytime slot completely online, since that is actually what the audience is already doing.
Home and Away wrapped up its season last week. And it is set to return from its holiday break this coming Friday. Supporters will have the option to view the very first episode starting at 6 am. For more Home and Away spoilers and updates, keep following Soap Opera Daily.