[6] TV3's CEO David McRedmond remarked that losing rights to ITV's soaps to UTV Ireland would allow it to reallocate their cost towards domestic programmes.

[10] On 1 December 2014, UTV Ireland was granted Public Service Status by Minister for Communications Alex White, allowing it to appear on Saorview.

Managing Director Michael Wilson defended UTV Ireland's performance, noting that Coronation Street and Emmerdale were drawing larger audiences on UTV Ireland than on previous broadcasters, but admitted that their staff had gone "under the bonnet" to find means of improving the network's overall performance.

As part of the deal, TV3 Group inherited UTV Ireland's ten-year programme supply contract with ITV (effectively re-uniting these rights with its previous owner).

[20] The next day, it was announced that UTV Ireland would be re-launched as be3 on 9 January 2017, as part of a wider re-branding of all three TV3 channels with new positioning and lineups.

Mick McCaffrey, who led the Ireland Live news operation, was retained and made head of the new division, which produces bulletins for all three TV3 channels.

[12] In July 2015, UTV Ireland began airing a weekly entertainment news bulletin with the station's weather presenter, Jenny Buckley, called The Pulse.

UTV Ireland aired Republic of Ireland versions of two of UTV's local programmes in the North, including travel documentary series Lesser Spotted Journeys with Joe Mahon (a spin-off of Lesser Spotted Ulster),[28] and agriculture programme Rare Breed.

[29] UTV's decision to enter the Republic's market followed the acquisition of broadcast rights to ITV programmes such as Coronation Street and Emmerdale from rivals TV3.

[30] UTV Ireland also utilised ITV's back catalogue of programming, including drama series such as Vera, All3Media's Midsomer Murders and Foyle's War.

It also airs ITV dramas and comedies such as Benidorm, Doc Martin, Endeavour, Birds of a Feather, Midsomer Murders, Prime Suspect, Grantchester and Vera.

As Virgin Media Three After positioned as a channel with a focus on mainly airing dramas from the ITV library such as Heartbeat, Inspector Morse and Lewis.