Just weeks after TV cameras returned to Brookside Close for the first time in 22 years for a one-off revival episode, Brookside fans are in for another treat – as STV Player has confirmed the iconic soap will continue to air on the platform into 2029.

STV Player became the first streaming service to relaunch Brookside in January 2023. The streamer – which is available for free across the UK – has signed a new three-year deal with distributor All3Media International after Brookside became one of its most-watched titles, amassing an enormous 33 million streams since first landing on the platform.

With five new episodes dropping every Wednesday, STV Player viewers have now reached episodes of the show from December 1989, meaning they’ve watched the equivalent of seven years of the soap’s original timeline.

The new deal will ensure that viewers can continue to follow their favourite Brookside characters as they move into the 1990s – a fascinating transitional period marked by the end of the Thatcher era and major culture shifts.

The period is also widely recognised as Brookside’s most successful era in terms of ratings and cultural relevance, regularly reaching 8 million viewers and producing defining storylines such as the murder of abusive Trevor Jordache, who was famously found buried under the patio of number 10 Brookside Close.

Upcoming episodes on STV Player will also follow the groundbreaking LGBTQ+ storyline which featured the UK’s first pre-watershed lesbian kiss between characters Beth Jordache (Anna Friel) and Margaret Clemence (Nicola Stephenson). Plus, viewers will be introduced to linchpin family, the Dixons – including Alex Fletcher as Jacqui Dixon – and Brookside legend Lindsey Corkhill (Claire Sweeney).

Last month, a one-off special episode to mark the 30th anniversary of sister series Hollyoaks brought a number of Brookside cast members back to the Close for the first time since 2003. Both Brookside and Hollyoaks were created by Sir Phil Redmond and produced by Lime Pictures (formerly Mersey Television), part of All3Media.

Richard Williams, STV’s Managing Director, Audience (Video & Technology), said: “Brookside regularly dominates STV Player’s most-watched list, and with some of the show’s most memorable storylines just around the corner, it’s a no-brainer to extend our partnership with All3Media International and Lime Pictures and continue to give fans their Brookie fix right through to 2029.

“The phenomenal response we’ve had since relaunching Brookside proves that it’s an integral piece of British TV history with an enduring impact, and we’re proud to be able to call STV Player its long-term home.”

Gary Woolf, EVP Strategic Development at All3Media International, said: “We’re thrilled to extend the Brookside partnership with STV Player. Fans up and down the UK have embraced having the soap available weekly on STV Player, with social media buzzing each week around the regular Wednesday five-episode drop. It’s fantastic that we’re able to continue with that experience as we hit a real ‘golden era’ for the soap over the coming few years.”

John Whittle, Managing Director of Lime Pictures, said: “Lime Pictures are delighted that fans of Brookside can continue to enjoy original episodes for years to come. As shown by the success of the recent Brookside crossover episode, the demand is there for these much-loved, familiar characters and soap archetypes to be back on our screens.”

Available for free to viewers across the UK, STV Player can be found on all major platforms, including Sky Q, NOW, Virgin Media, Amazon Fire TV and Freeview Play.

Brookside is available to stream from the start on STV Player, with five new episodes added every Wednesday.