{{distinguish|Screenshot}} {{Infobox television channel | name = Screenshop | logo_size = | logo_alt = | launch_date = October 1997 | closed_date = 29 April 2012 | owner = [[Bid Shopping]] | website = {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060822170110/http://www.screenshop.co.uk:80/ |date=August 22, 2006 |title=screenshop.co.uk }} | availability_note = <br>(at time of closure) }} '''Screenshop''' was a British strand of [[infomercial]]-based [[shopping]] programming and [[television channel]], owned by [[Bid Shopping]].
==History== Screenshop was initially launched in October 1997 by [[Living TV Group|Flextech]], used as a filler service within the downtime of their owned networks, with intentions to expand to a standalone 24-hour digital network by 1998. It was intended to be the UK equivalent to [[HSN|HSN Direct]], where it would show products from across the world from third-party companies.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://uk.themedialeader.com/flextech-plan-digital-home-shopping/ | title=Flextech Plan Digital Home Shopping - the Media Leader | date=24 October 1997 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.campaignlive.co.uk/article/flextech-launch-uk-home-shopping-service-cable-tv/27551 | title=Flextech to launch UK home-shopping service on cable TV }}</ref><ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.forbes.com/1999/04/01/feat.html | title=Flex-ing muscles | website=[[Forbes]] }}</ref> By 1998-1999, Screenshop launched an online store.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.campaignlive.co.uk/article/new-media-screenshop-gets-secure/63422 | title=NEW MEDIA: Screenshop gets secure }}</ref> In August 1999, Flextech revealed a £14 million loss from the launch of Screenshop and [[TV Travel Shop]].<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.satellitetoday.com/uncategorized/1999/08/11/flextech-bounces-back/ | title=Flextech Bounces Back | date=11 August 1999 }}</ref>
In early December 1999, Flextech announced that they would merge with cable provider [[Telewest|Telewest Communications]] to create a £10.5bn media giant, with the deal finalising by April 2000.<ref>{{cite news|last=McIntosh|first=Bill|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/business/news/telewest-merger-with-flextech-would-challenge-murdoch-grip-740955.html|title=Telewest merger with Flextech would challenge Murdoch grip|newspaper=The Independent|date=7 December 1999|access-date=2 September 2013|archive-date=19 December 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131219234652/http://www.independent.co.uk/news/business/news/telewest-merger-with-flextech-would-challenge-murdoch-grip-740955.html|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=https://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/553841.stm|title=Telewest in talks with Flextech|work=BBC News|date=7 December 1999|access-date=2 September 2013|archive-date=6 September 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200906141421/http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/business/553841.stm|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=https://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/business/569040.stm|title=Telewest nears £2bn Flextech deal|work=BBC News|date=17 December 1999|access-date=2 September 2013|archive-date=29 December 2002|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20021229170346/http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/569040.stm|url-status=live}}</ref> On 8 September 2000, a full 24-hour Screenshop network was launched on Sky Digital following many delays.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.digitalspy.com/tech/a1084/shop-around-the-clock-with-screenshop/ | title=Shop Around the Clock with Screenshop | website=[[Digital Spy]] | date=27 August 2000 }}</ref>
On 6 March 2001, Telewest announced that they would sell Screenshop to [[Bid Shopping|Sit-Up TV]], the owners of [[Shop at Bid|Bid-Up.TV]], for £10 million in exchange for a 38% stake in Sit Up that was valued at a £14.8m cash injection. The sale would merge Screenshop into Bid-Up.TV's own operations.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://uk.themedialeader.com/telewest-strikes-deal-to-combine-screenshop-with-bid-up-tv/ | title=Telewest Strikes Deal to Combine Screenshop with Bid-Up TV - the Media Leader | date=5 March 2001 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.theguardian.com/media/2001/mar/06/broadcasting1 | title=Telewest sells home shopping channel | work=The Guardian | date=6 March 2001 | last1=Azeez | first1=Wale }}</ref> Following the sale, Screenshop began to broadcast on the station during its downtime.
On 29 August 2002, a second Screenshop channel, entitled Screenshop 2, was launched on Sky Digital.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.digitalspy.com/tech/a9004/mrcm-sp1-launch-as-new-shopping-channels/ | title=MRCM, sp1 launch as new shopping channels | website=[[Digital Spy]] | date=29 August 2002 }}</ref>
In July 2004, Sit Up signed a four-year deal with [[Vector Direct]] to allow Vector to exclusively supply Screenshop's programming, as well as during the downtime on Bid Up and Price Drop. The deal was valued at £5 million.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.broadcastnow.co.uk/sit-up-tv-in5m-deal/1096196.article | title=Sit-up TV in£5m deal }}</ref> After the deal closed, Screenshop lost its identity with all products shown on the channel being those from Vector Direct. Screenshop's website closed at the same time and became a redirect to Vector Direct's online store.<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.screenshop.co.uk/ | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20040901033041/http://www.screenshop.co.uk/ | archive-date=1 September 2004 | title=Vector Direct Ltd }}</ref>
Beginning in November 2005, Screenshop began being supplied by TV Network under their [[TV Warehouse]] brand, with Screenshop's website transitioning into a redirect over to them.<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.screenshop.co.uk/ | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20051102053758/http://www.screenshop.co.uk/ | archive-date=2 November 2005 | title=TV Warehouse | access-date=28 February 2016 | url-status=live }}</ref> This was following Vector Direct's appearance on the [[BBC]]'s [[Watchdog (TV series)|Watchdog]] programme, which was due to the company charging unknowing customers [[Pound sterling|£]]99.00 for entrance into a "Travel and Leisure" club, in which entry was automatic with every purchase.<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20060627043843/http://www.bbc.co.uk/consumer/tv_and_radio/watchdog/reports/consumer_goods/consumer_20060314_2.shtml bbc.co.uk]</ref> At some point, both Screenshop channels were removed from the Sky EPG, leaving them solely as filler on Sit-Up's other channels.
On 3 March 2008, Screenshop 2 relaunched on [[Sky (UK & Ireland)|Sky]] channel 680, using the downtime of [[Bid Plus|Speed Auction]]. The channel showed various items from 1.30am to 7.30am every night. Screenshop 2 closed on 29 April 2012.
==See also== *[[TV Warehouse]]
==References== {{Reflist}}
==External links== {{Bid Shopping}}
[[Category:Bid Shopping]] [[Category:Defunct television channels in the United Kingdom]] [[Category:Television channels and stations disestablished in 2012]] [[Category:Television channels and stations established in 1997]]