Hollyoaks is AXED from Channel 4 after 28 years: Programme will move permanently to alternate station with episodes also going on YouTube in bid to make it ‘Britain’s first national digital-led soap

Channel 4 has just announced that they will no longer be airing Hollyoaks episodes for the first time in 28 years.

Bosses have pulled the plug on Hollyoaks airing on main channel Channel 4, in a new digital strategy to freshen up viewing experiences at the state broadcaster.

But fans of the soap, which started in 1995, may be in for a relive when they hear the show is not being axed, but is being moved to sister channel E4 in a bid to shake up the schedule.

The most committed soap opera from the drama-filled village of Chester can still catch the weekly omnibus broadcast on Channel 4.

Episodes are also uploaded to YouTube, so they are suitable for younger audiences, and can be watched on YouTube and broadcast on E4 the week after streaming.

Channel 4 has been home to Hollyoaks for almost thirty years, and this latest change signals an attempt to keep up with the digital age and reflects the increasing demand for on-demand entertainment.

64 percent of viewers watched the soap via episode streaming or E4 this year, meaning 556 million minutes of the show were streamed in the first half of the year – signaling a shift in viewing habits.

The broadcaster has labeled Hollyoaks as ‘Britain’s first streaming-led soap’, making episodes available for streaming the day before they air on E4.

Ian Katz, Channel 4’s Chief Content Officer, said: ‘Hollyoaks has always been the youngest and most innovative soap, so it’s fitting that it is the first to embrace the changes in younger viewers’ behavior and move to a truly digital release pattern . .

‘It was the first British soap to move to a stream-first model last year and this is the next stage of that evolution.

“We hope that making Hollyoaks available on YouTube and our own platforms will introduce a whole new generation to the show.”