Freeview viewers may gain or lose channels on 19th July, depending on where they live, as the next set of channel changes take place.
Narrative Entertainment, the broadcaster behind GREAT! movies and children’s channel POP is making adjustments to how its channels are distributed.
GREAT! romance, which according to its owner is the fastest growing broadcast channel in the UK this year, is rewarded with a promotion to a national Freeview slot, at the expense of children’s channel POP.
From around midday on Wednesday 19th July, romantic film channel GREAT! romance will move to a national Freeview slot. Viewers may need to retune, including viewers living in regions where the channel is currently available.
The change also means Christmas movie channel GREAT! christmas will be more widely available from September, as it will take over from GREAT! romance until the beginning of 2024.
However, children’s channel POP will have its Freeview coverage cut, with Narrative Entertainment directing viewers to POP’s online service.
▶ What’s changing?
| Freeview Number | Channel Name | Comments |
|---|---|---|
| 50 | GREAT! tv | Some viewers may need to retune to keep watching. The channel went national on 21st June. It’s old slot will go dark this July, so if you lose GREAT! tv, retune your TV. |
| 52 | GREAT! Romance (GREAT! Christmas Sep-Jan) | Becomes more widely available. You may need to retune. If you can already receive this channel, you may still need to retune to retain the channel. |
| 206 | POP | Reduced coverage. The channel will only broadcast on the local TV multplex. You can check if you’re in coverage by going to Freeview channel 7 or 8. If you can see a local channel, you should be able to see POP after retuning on 19th July. |
| 208 | POP Max | Becomes available on Freeview in some areas only. The channel will launch on the local TV multiplex. You can check if you’re in coverage by going to Freeview channel 7 or 8. If you can see a local channel, you should be able to see POP Max on Freeview from 19th July. |
▶ What to do if you’ve lost POP?
POP’s programmes will continue to be available online via the POP Player or the POP Kids streaming channel, available for example on Samsung TV Plus. The POP Player also includes programmes from Tiny POP and POP Max.
▶ What else is new on the GREAT! network on Freeview?
Viewers with a compatible Freeview Play TV or box can now watch movies on demand using the GREAT! player. Simply press red when the prompt appears on one of the GREAT! channels.
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Corporate comment
Steve Hornsey, VP Movies & Entertainment at Narrative Entertainment says:
“The GREAT! network’s strong performance in the last year shows audiences love our trusted brands and curated content on TV. We’re very excited to be taking two more of our channels nationwide on Freeview so that even more viewers can spend time with the GREAT! brands. GREAT! romance is already the UK’s fastest growing TV channel this year and it’s only right we share the love nationwide.”
Marc Thornham
updated channel number table 19/07/23 with POP Max’s confirmed channel number