Weekend franchise

A weekend franchise is a regional franchise in a television network that provides both regional and network programming, over a weekend period.

In Network Six, that period is from Friday at 5pm through to Monday at 6.25am, with a weekday franchise holder resuming after the breakfast service. Weekend franchises on Network Six (besides London) were abolished in May 2006 in favour of 7-day broadcasting and continuous services. Notable weekend franchise holders include Solway Weekend Television, a weekend contractor for the Borders region, and Mercia Weekend Television, the weekday contract for the Midlands region.

ITV has also in the past consisted of weekend/weekday structures, but such were abolished (except London) in 1968. London Weekend Television continued until October 2002, when it was merged with weekday broadcaster, Carlton Television, to form a single 7-day entity named ITV London. The system is seen as "restrictive and archaic" by ITV.