ITV effectively withdraws two timeshift services from the Freeview channel line-up, surprising viewers.
- ITV3+1 and ITVBe+1 lose broadcast hours
- Freeview channel slots become placeholders.
- New Freeview slot recently advertised to interested parties.
In an unannounced move, ITV has pulled transmission of ITV3+1 and ITVBe+1, leaving both channels as so-called ‘placeholder channels’ on the Freeview channel guide.
The technical change took place on Wednesday, in a move that appears to have even taken Freeview by surprise.
ITV3+1
ITV3+1 was previously broadcast from 9pm each evening on channel 59 in an arrangement that dates back to when the timeshift channel shared bandwidth with the now defunct CITV channel, which used to finish at 9pm.
Following this week’s change, ITV3+1 only comes on air for two hours each night from 4am.
That’s a move designed to keep the channel as a placeholder on Freeview. Freeview channel listing rules drawn up by its platform manager Everyone TV (formerly Digital UK) say that channels must be on air for a minimum period of two hours a day or else face losing their channel listing after 12 weeks.
ITVBe+1
ITVBe+1, which since September has broadcast until 9pm each evening on channel 58, using the bandwidth previously used by CITV, is now no longer available during the day.
Instead, the channel broadcasts for two hours each night from 2am, again as a placeholder service.
ITV2+1 also affected
ITV2+1 now goes off air at 2am on Freeview. It was previously available through the night. This is because ITV has moved the two placeholders so that they timeshare with ITV2+1.
The changes mean ITV has cleared a Freeview slot that can be used by someone else instead.
Freed up capacity recently advertised
SDN, the ITV subsidary that owns the Freeview capacity used to broadcast these channels, recently advertised an 18 hour slot (0600-0000) to interested broadcasters.
Following this week’s changes, not just the 18 hour slot is available, but a full 24 hour slot.
So far, there’s been no public announcement as to who might take over the slot.
Freeview itself appears to have been unaware of the changes made by ITV. It has been directing viewers to contact ITV about the changes.
As newer internet-based TV platforms do away with +1 channels altogether, ITV’s move is not surprising. And as TV ad revenues fall, the calculation is that offering the broadcast capacity to a third-party will bring in welcome additional revenue. Specifically, more income than running its own channels on the capacity.
SDN’s income has fallen in recent years as the market price for Freeview slots has slumped. A number of big players are looking to consolidate linear services. Meanwhile, smaller broadcasters who may have considered a Freeview broadcast channel in the past, are launching services on streaming channel platforms.
Last year, SDN won an extension to its Freeview multiplex licence until the mid 2030s. It had faced a surprise competitive bid for the licence in August 2021. The Daily Telegraph revealed that a mysterious unnamed consortium wanted the Government to auction off the licence. The consortium wanted to launch more HD services on the platform using the current SDN bandwidth. No more was ever heard of the plans.
Keeping ITV3+1 and ITVBe+1 as placeholders means ITV could make these channels again more widely in the future. Alternatively it may seek to trade the channel slots to a broadcaster looking for a higher ranking Freeview channel slot.
Marc Thornham
h/t Nicolas Barlow