One year since its launch, Freely, the joint streaming service backed by the UK’s public service broadcasters (PSB), revealed it now has over half a million weekly viewers using the app to watch live and on-demand content from the PSBs, as well as content from UKTV, AMC Networks, PBS America, GB News and QVC.
And this week, Everyone TV, the joint venture (JV) that operates Freely, announced further additions to its lineup, with Channel 4 bringing three new free ad-supported streaming TV (FAST) channels exclusively to the free CTV app. The channels are:
- 4Reality (channel 67) – a reality TV channel whose shows include Married at First Sight, Naked Attraction, First Dates and Made in Chelsea
- 4Homes (channel 68) – property shows such as Grand Designs, A Place in the Sun and Location, Location, Location
- 4Life (channel 82) – lifestyle, travel, nature and food programming including The Dog House and Travel Man
“We’re proud to lead the way among Britain’s broadcasters by enhancing Freely’s offering,” said Grace Boswood, Director of Technology & Distribution at Channel 4. “The launch of our new streamed channels further accelerates our transformation into the streaming age as the world’s first public service streamer. It also continues our record of digital distribution firsts to benefit advertisers and viewers.”
Delivering Channel 4 IP over IP
The launch makes Channel 4 the first broadcaster to make channels exclusive to Freely, and also marks the PSB’s first FAST channels in the UK. The broadcaster launched two FAST channels in the US in 2023, and ran a Married at First Sight FAST channel on its own UK streaming service for two months in 2024, using the pilot to gauge viewer appetite for the FAST format.
The fact the company has chosen to pursue the format on Freely rather than the Channel 4 streaming service is significant, suggesting the pilot did not demonstrate much appetite for FAST channels as part of its live channel lineup. Freely on the other hand is built to recreate a more linear-like experience by replicating an electronic programming guide (EPG), offering live channels from multiple broadcasters in a single interface. On this front Freely is competing with CTV operating systems (OS), such as Samsung and LG, which offer FAST channels on their own OS.
The announcement also follows a joint statement from the PSBs at a Royal Television Society event last week, in which the broadcasters urged the government to protect PSB prominence and discoverability in the streaming era. The calls included the establishment of a national switchover date for internet-delivered TV, a pillar of the Freely project in preparation for an IP-first future.
Everyone TV cites Barb data suggesting 15 percent of UK TV homes are already IP-only, and predicts all TV content will be IP-delivered in the near future. The addition of Channel 4’s new channels means Freely now offers more than 50 live channels over IP, with more channels expected to join the streaming service as the app continues to grow.
“We’re delighted to be bringing audiences even more high-quality streamed content, in partnership with channel 4,” said Everyone TV CEO Jonathan Thompson. “Freely already offers more shows than any major streaming service in the UK, without the expensive monthly subscription, and for the first time will now offer exclusive channels with entertaining shows from across the Channel 4 portfolio on 4Reality, 4Homes and 4Life – three fantastic channels you won’t find anywhere else!”
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