Viewers with a Freely compatible TV have now been migrated to internet-delivered streams of four entertainment channels.
- U&Dave, U&Drama, U&W and U&Yesterday from UKTV are now available through Freely’s internet-based service.
- Streaming app U has now been rolled out across Freely’s device ranges.
Following UKTV’s announcement last week that it would be joining Freely’s internet-based TV line-up this month, an update has been pushed out to devices.
Users of Freely Smart TVs will find that the feeds of U&Dave, U&Drama, U&W and U&Yesterday are now being delivered via their internet connection. Additionally, UKTV’s free streaming app U (formerly UKTV Play) is now available across all Freely devices.
For Freely users who don’t use an aerial to receive extra channels, the update has added the four channels to the streaming line-up.
In the coming weeks, factual entertainment channel U&Eden will also launch on the platform.
Following the upgrade, Freely TVs should only fall back to the digital terrestrial TV copies of the UKTV channels in certain circumstances. This includes when an internet connection is unavailable and the TV is connected to an aerial. The channels are now offered with improved quality, although this is dependent on internet connection quality.
Freely was launched in April by the UK’s public broadcasters. Freely TVs are gradually replacing Freeview Play TVs as new models are introduced. As a result, if you’re upgrading your TV, it may include Freely instead of Freeview Play. Freely, like Freeview is managed by Everyone TV, a company owned by public broadcasters.
▶ Freely’s wi-fi/ethernet only channel line-up
Freely TV’s don’t need hooking up to an aerial to receive these channels. TV channels will stream in up to HD quality, subject to internet connection.
| Number | Channel | Comments |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | BBC One | |
| 2 | BBC Two | |
| 3 | ITV1 | |
| 3 | STV | Central and Northern Scotland |
| 3 | UTV | Northern Ireland |
| 4 | Channel 4 | except Wales |
| 4 | S4C | Wales |
| 5 | Channel 5 | |
| 6 | ITV2 | |
| 7 | ITV3 | |
| 8 | Channel 4 | in Wales |
| 8 | BBC Scotland | in Scotland |
| 10 | BBC Three | |
| 11 | BBC Four | |
| 12 | BBC ALBA | in Scotland |
| 13 | Film4 | |
| 14 | E4 | |
| 15 | More4 | |
| 16 | 4seven | |
| 19 | U&Dave | |
| 20 | U&Drama | |
| 21 | ITV4 | |
| 22 | ITVBe | |
| 25 | 5STAR | |
| 26 | 5ACTION | |
| 27 | U&Yesterday | |
| 28 | U&W | |
| 29 | 5USA | |
| 30 | 5SELECT | |
| 63 | BBC Scotland | outside of Scotland |
| 64 | BBC ALBA | outside of Scotland |
| 79 | S4C | outside of Wales |
| 301 | BBC News | |
| 302 | BBC Parliament | |
| 351 | CBBC | |
| 352 | CBeebies | |
| RADIO | ||
| 601 | BBC Radio 1 | |
| 602 | BBC Radio 1Xtra | |
| 603 | BBC Radio 2 | |
| 604 | BBC Radio 3 | |
| 605 | BBC Radio 4 | |
| 606 | BBC Radio 5 Live | |
| 607 | BBC Radio 5 Sports Extra | |
| 608 | BBC Radio 6 Music | |
| 609 | BBC Radio 4 Extra | |
| 610 | BBC Asian Network | |
| 611 | BBC World Service | |
| 612 | BBC Local Radio or BBC Wales/Scotland/Ulster | |
| 613 | BBC Local Radio or BBC Cymru/nGaid/Foyle | |
| 614 | BBC Local Radio or BBC Cymru 2 (Wales) | |
| 615 | BBC Local Radio | in England, varies depending on region |
| 616 | BBC Local Radio | in England, varies depending on region |
| 617 | BBC Local Radio | in England, varies depending on region |
| 618 | BBC Local Radio | in England, varies depending on region |
| 692 | BBC Radio Scotland | except Scotland |
| 693 | BBC Radio nan Gaidheal | except Scotland |
| 694 | BBC Radio Wales | except Wales |
| 695 | BBC Radio Cymru | except Wales |
| 696 | BBC Radio Cymru 2 | except Wales |
| 697 | BBC Radio Ulster | except Northern Ireland |
| 698 | BBC Radio Foyle | except Northern Ireland |
| 699-739 | OTHER BBC LOCAL RADIO STATIONS | All BBC Local Radio stations that aren’t in your region. See channels 612-618 for your local services. |
| 699 | BBC Radio Berkshire | except London and South regions (see channels 612-618) |
| 700 | BBC Radio Bristol | except West region (see channels 612-618) |
| 701 | BBC Radio Cambridgeshire | except East region (see channels 612-618) |
| 702 | BBC Radio Cornwall | except South West region (see channels 612-618) |
| 703 | BBC CWR | except West Midlands region (see channels 612-618) |
| 704 | BBC Radio Cumbria | except North East and North West regions (see channels 612-618) |
| 705 | BBC Radio Derby | except East Midlands, West Midlands, as well as parts of North Midlands and S Yorks (see channels 612-618) |
| 706 | BBC Radio Devon | except South West region (see channels 612-618) |
| 707 | BBC Essex | except East, South East and London regions (see channels 612-618) |
| 708 | BBC Radio Gloucestershire | except West and West Midlands (Ridge Hill) and South (Oxford) regions (see channels 612-618) |
| 709 | BBC Radio Guernsey | except Channel Islands (see channels 612-618) |
| 710 | BBC Hereford & Worcester | except West Midlands region (see channels 612-618) |
| 711 | BBC Radio Humberside | except Yorkshire and E Yorks/Lincs regions (see channels 612-618) |
| 712 | BBC Radio Jersey | except Channel Islands (see channels 612-618) |
| 713 | BBC Radio Kent | except South East region (see channels 612-618) |
| 714 | BBC Radio Lancashire | except North West region (see channels 612-618) |
| 715 | BBC Radio Leeds | except Yorkshire region (see channels 612-618) |
| 716 | BBC Radio Leicester | except East Midlands region (see channels 612-618) |
| 717 | BBC Radio Lincolnshire | except Yorkshire, E Yorks & Lincolnshire and East Midlands regions (see channels 612-618) |
| 718 | BBC Radio London | except London and South East regions (see channels 612-618) |
| 719 | BBC Radio Manchester | except North West region (see channels 612-618) |
| 720 | BBC Radio Merseyside | except North West region (see channels 612-618) |
| 721 | BBC Radio Newcastle | except North East & Cumbria region (see channels 612-618) |
| 722 | BBC Radio Norfolk | except East and E Yorks & Lincolnshire regions (see channels 612-618) |
| 723 | BBC Radio Northampton | except East Midlands and East (Sandy Heath) regions (see channels 612-618) |
| 724 | BBC Radio Nottingham | except East Midlands and E Yorks and Lincolnshire regions (see channels 612-618) |
| 725 | BBC Radio Oxford | except South (Oxford) region (see channels 612-618) |
| 726 | BBC Radio Sheffield | except Yorkshire and E Yorks & Lincs regions (see channels 612-618) |
| 727 | BBC Radio Shropshire | except parts of West Midlands region (see channesl 612-618) |
| 728 | BBC Radio Solent | except South (Rowridge, Hannington, Midhurst) region (see channels 612-618) |
| 729 | BBC Radio Solent for Dorset | except South (Rowridge, Hannington, Midhurst) and South West regions (see channels 612-618) |
| 730 | BBC Radio Somerset | except West and South West regions (see channels 612-618) |
| 731 | BBC Radio Stoke | except West Midlands and North West regions (see channels 612-618) |
| 732 | BBC Radio Suffolk | except East region (see channels 612-618) |
| 733 | BBC Radio Surrey | except South East and London regions (see channels 612-618) |
| 734 | BBC Radio Sussex | except South and South East regions (see channels 612-618) |
| 735 | BBC Radio Tees | except North East and Cumbria region (see channels 612-618) |
| 736 | BBC Three Counties Radio | except London, South (Oxford) and East (Sandy Heath) regions (see channels 612-618) |
| 737 | BBC Radio Wiltshire | except South and West regions (see channels 612-618) |
| 738 | BBC Radio WM | except West Midlands (see channels 612-618) |
| 739 | BBC Radio York | except North East & Cumbria and Yorkshire regions (see channels 612-618) |
| OTHER BBC REGIONS | You won’t be able to watch your regional BBC One here. Go to channel 1 for your local service. | |
| 751 | BBC One London | except London |
| 752 | BBC One South | except South |
| 753 | BBC One East | except East |
| 754 | BBC One East Midlands | except East Midlands |
| 755 | BBC One West Midlands | except West Midlands |
| 756 | BBC One E Yorks and Lincolnshire | except E Yorks and Lincolnshire |
| 757 | BBC One West | except West |
| 758 | BBC One South West | except South West |
| 759 | BBC One Channel Islands | except Channel Islands |
| 760 | BBC One North East and Cumbria | except North East and Cumbria |
| 761 | BBC One North West | except North West |
| 762 | BBC One Yorkshire | except W/S Yorks, parts of N Mids |
| 763 | BBC One South East | except South East |
| 764 | BBC One Scotland | except Scotland |
| 765 | BBC One Wales | except Wales |
| 766 | BBC One Northern Ireland | except Northern Ireland |
| 768 | BBC Two Wales | except Wales |
| 769 | BBC Two Northern Ireland | except Northern Ireland |
You’ll receive a wider range of channels if your TV is connected to an aerial. That’s because beyond the main public broadcasters (and UKTV, owned by the BBC’s commercial arm), other broadcasters haven’t signed up. As a result, Freely TVs will piggyback off the digital terrestrial TV signal to receive other channels. You can find a full list of channels on the Freely channel list page.
UPDATE: 02/10/2024
We’ve been told by early adopters of Freely that the UKTV service isn’t defaulting to IP delivery if the TV is plugged into an aerial, which isn’t typical of channels available via IP on Freely. At present viewers have to choose between accessing the UKTV channels with improved picture quality via IP, but with fewer overall channels available OR settling with poor quality but more channels. As a result, we’ve reviewed this article to bring it up-to-date with the situation as of the beginning of October 2024.
By: Marc Thornham | Image: UKTV