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Freely has reached a significant milestone — it now boasts 70,000 hours of free-to-air content.
The achievement is thanks to a new deal with UKTV signed by Everyone TV — the organisation behind Freeview and Freesat backed by the UK's biggest broadcasters, including the BBC, ITV, Channel 4 and Channel 5. It brings a swathe of new live channels and on-demand boxsets to watch on Freely.
According to data from Ampere Analysis, Freely's on-demand content library now surpasses that of major streaming services in the UK, including the likes of Netflix, Disney+, and Apple TV+.
With the arrival of UKTV's newly rebranded channels and boxsets, Freely now offers access to 70,000 hours of on-demand content from free-to-air UK broadcasters
EVERYONE TV PRESS OFFICE
Award-winning UKTV recently rebranded its entire portfolio of channels, switching from household names like Dave and Yesterday to U&Dave and U&YESTERDAY.
These channels arrive on Freely alongside U&DRAMA and U&W, bringing a torrent of wide variety of titles, including The Marlow Murder Club, Battle In The Box, Rosie Jones’s Disability Comedy Extravaganza, Katherine Ryan: Parental Guidance, Bangers & Cash and Emma Willis: Delivering Babies.
As part of its latest shake-up, UKTV is investing heavily in original content. Following the new deal with Freely, those with a new Smart TV can look forward to watching shows like Alma’s Not Normal, Wallace and Gromit, Mr Loverman, My Mum Your Dad, Playing Nice, Generation Z, Swiped: The School that Banned Mobile Phones, The Madame Blanc Mysteries, The Great Explorers with James May, andThe Hardacres when they're broadcast.
Freely only launched in the UK back in April, with the support of a handful of Hisense TVs and BBC, ITV, Channel 4, and Channel 5 signed-up to be part of the new streamer.
Since then, it has secured deals with a slew of other Smart TV manufacturers, who have all agreed to use the latest streaming platform as the default way to watch terrestrial channels on their flatscreens. Freely is now available on the latest crop of Smart TVs from Toshiba, Sharp, Panasonic, Metz, Hisense, and Bush.
Crucially, Freely is not a software update for existing devices.
You'll need to upgrade to a brand-new Smart TV to access the platform. Freely isn't a direct replacement for Freeview, but it's likely to supersede the popular software in the coming months. The platform streams popular free-to-air channels over an internet connection, eliminating the need for a traditional TV aerial.
This is similar to solutions like Sky Glass, Sky Stream, Virgin Media Stream, and the rebooted EE TV launched last year. Relying on a broadband connection means you'll be able to position your television anywhere in your house with a decent Wi-Fi signal — not where the aerial comes into the wall.
However, this industry-wide trend has caused some experts to sound the alarm that those without a decent internet connection could be left unable to watch live television by 2040.
Freely deeply integrates catch-up services from the major UK broadcasters, so you can restart a programme from the beginning with a tap — even if they've missed the live broadcast. There are also shortcuts to complete boxsets and previous episodes direct from within the TV Guide.
Everyone TV says you'll be able to enjoy linear television over your broadband connection with speeds as low as 10Mbps. For comparison, Netflix only requires 5Mbps for 1080p HD picture quality. In April 2023, Ofcom reported the average download speed for UK homes was 70Mbps, for reference.
As long as you're covered with a valid TV Licence, everything on Freely brings together live and on-demand content in one place for free. The launch of this broadband-powered platform comes as research reveals half of UK homes will watch TV exclusively over Wi-Fi by 2030.
Immensely popular shows from BBC iPlayer, ITVX, Channel 4, Channel 5, and now, UKTV, are available to stream from the new Freely user interface
EVERYONE TV PRESS OFFICE
Speaking about the new deal with UKTV, CEO of Everyone TV, Jonathan Thompson said: "Freely enables audiences to seamlessly browse and stream a vast library of high-quality content from the UK’s biggest broadcasters, all in one place, but with the added advantage that it’s the same trusted, relevant and reliable programming they have always known.
"The new platform brings together local, originated programming that champions UK talent and UK stories. It gives viewers access to the best of British TV, with shows that reflect our nation, driving the national conversation and broadening the common investment that all audiences have in our society.
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"At its heart, Freely is about championing access to British content for British audiences. This has only been possible through a major collaboration between the UK’s main public service broadcasters, who are committed to securing the future of free TV in the streaming age."
Lottie Towler, who works as Principal Analyst at Ampere Analysis and provided the insights into Freely's content library compared with £4.99 per month subscriptions like Netflix, added: "The results of this research indicate that Freely's extensive catalogue is highly competitive in size when compared with major streamers in the market. Additionally, it offers consumers a unified and simplified experience for accessing broadcaster content, which is increasingly important in a competitive and fragmented market."
