Dave bulks up its lineup with Ultimate Strongman

Strongman

21st October 2016

Broadcast Digital Awards' entertainment channel of the year, Dave today announces it will be exclusively showing the first ever Ultimate Strongman: World Championship on 30th December.

For the very first time, the Ultimate Strongman World Championship will be a live event in front of a mass audience, at Newcastle's Metro Radio Arena on 10th December. Twelve of the world's biggest and strongest athletes will compete over five events, including deadlift world record holder Eddie 'The Beast' Hall, Europe's current Strongest Man Laurence Shahlaei, and four-time World's Strongest Man Zydrunas Savickas.

The Under-25 event, Ultimate Strongman: Next Generation, which took place in Canada earlier this year, will also be shown exclusively on Dave on 29th December.

The presentation team for Ultimate Strongman (2x120') is a combination of experienced broadcasters and former Strongmen, with hosting from Matt Bell and Jamie Reeves and commentary by Nick Halling and Svend Karlsen. Coverage of Ultimate Strongman is provided by Ultimate Strongman Productions Ltd, and executive producer for UKTV is Arch Dyson.

The announcement further extends Dave's sport coverage following live boxing, darts and cricket events earlier this year.

Richard Watsham, director of commissioning for UKTV, said,

The inaugural Ultimate Strongman: World Championship is a great opportunity for us to shape a new kind of strongman event for television. It's going to be a lively mix of sport and entertainment with high production values and an outstanding lineup of athletes. The perfect antidote to Christmas."

Steve North, Dave general manager, said,

We're hugely excited to have Ultimate Strongman on our channel. It's another new step as we continue to bring more sport to free-to-air television, and is sure to entertain the whole family and be a great end to an excellent year for Dave.

David McConachie, executive producer for Ultimate Strongman Productions, said,

We're very excited to be working with such a forward thinking broadcaster as Dave. These shows embrace a bold new format for strongman, which has always been such a strong genre on television. Big crowds, great lighting and effects plus the biggest stars in the sport will all create what we believe will be a fantastic experience for the viewer.

Ultimate Strongman: Next Generation will air on Dave on Thursday 29th December. Ultimate Strongman: World Championship will air on Dave on Friday 30th December.

ENDS

Notes to Editors:

For further information please contact Ben.Duncan@UKTV.co.uk

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Dave's had a haircut and shave in recent years as it grows from awkward teenager to fully-fledged commissioner of new and original shows. And it's not just comedy these days but entertainment and even some knock-out live sport. Hit UKTV Original commissions include Taskmaster, Dave Gorman Modern Life is Goodish, Alan Davies: As Yet Untitled and Crackanory, all laden with the biggest names in British comedy. Dave enjoyed critical success with two series of Hoff the Record, a mockumentary ensemble comedy led by the living legend David Hasselhoff.

As well as home-grown delights Dave also goes stateside, cherry-picking cult US Shows including the sharp-witted and sharp-suited Suits and much-loved Parks and Recreation along with Emmy-nominated The Last Man on Earth. This all contributed to Dave's award win at the 2016 Broadcast Digital Awards for Best Entertainment Channel.

Dave is the UK's most watched non-PSB channel broadcasting to over 27 million people per month, and viewers continue to enjoy the ludicrously addictive American Pickers and UK remake of Storage Hunters. The channel continues to grow its original commissioning slate with political show Unspun With Matt Forde, Red Dwarf XI, Dara O Briain's Go 8 Bit, fantasy comedy Zapped! and Celebrity Storage Hunters airing later this year.

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