UKTV, the UK commercial broadcaster, today announced it has joined Freely, the collaborative streaming service from the UK broadcasters. The move sees UKTV bring its streaming service, recently renamed U, to the joint broadcaster app.
As well as the U streaming service, Freely will host UKTV’s live channels, now called U&Dave, U&DRAMA, U&W and U&YESTERDAY. The networks join Freely’s line-up of live and on-demand content from the BBC, ITV, Channel 4 and Channel 5, alongside STV and S4C.
Freely is available on Toshiba, Sharp, Panasonic and Metz smart TVs, with the app either pre-installed and/or accessible via a button on the TV remote.
Broadcasters U-nited
UKTV’s addition to the Freely roster continues the iniative’s mission to make UK broadcaster content easily accessible for free on connected TVs, aiming to keep viewers within the public service broadcaster (PSB) environment. While not a PSB itself, UKTV is wholly owned by BBC Studios. Like ITV and Channel 4, its recent rebrand signals its shift to prioritising digital distribution, as the UK broadcasters seek to compete with global streaming giants.
Everyone TV, the developer of Freely, quoted research from Ampere Analysis that said the service offers 70,000 hours of on-demand content, “more than that offered by any SVOD service in the UK, including Netflix, Disney+ and AppleTV+.”
“The results of this research indicate that Freely’s extensive catalogue is highly competitive in size when compared with major streamers in the market,” said Lottie Towler, Principal Analyst at Ampere Analysis. “Additionally, it offers consumers a unified and simplified experience for accessing broadcaster content, which is increasingly important in a competitive and fragmented market.”
Everyone TV also highlighted new titles coming to Freely this year, including series 2 of BBC sitcom Alma’s Not Normal, and the new Wallace and Gromit film.
“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,” said Everyone TV CEO Jonathan Thompson. “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.
“At its heart, Freely is about championing access to British content for British audiences,” he added. “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.”
