Viewers buying a TV from the new next-gen range of smart TVs operating on the Fire TV operating system will be able to access hybrid streaming service Freely.
- New Fire TV models to gain access to Freely
- You’ll still need an aerial to access the full set of channels
- Freely not coming to Fire TV Sticks though.
Everyone TV, the broadcaster-backed organisation responsible for free TV platforms in the UK has struck a deal with Amazon bringing Freely to a wide range of next generation TVs.
Freely will be available this autumn on Amazon Fire TV smart TVs and other smart TVs with Fire TV OS built-in. The deal with Amazon is being praised as “a landmark deal between Britain’s home of free live and on demand television and a global leader in the entertainment and technology sectors.”
The Fire TV devices getting Freely
The Fire TV operating system will provide Freely on new Amazon Fire TV smart TVs including Fire TV 2-Series and 4-Series.
Everyone TV has also entered into a partnership with smart TV provider, TCL, who will bring their new 2024 4k smart TVs with Fire TV OS and Freely to market this autumn. Panasonic smart TVs with Fire OS will also get access to the service this autumn. This will be the first time viewers will be able to access Freely on a premium OLED TV.
However, Freely will not be available on Fire TV sticks.
To get the full range of channels, users buying a new TV with Freely will still need to plug in an aerial. This is what Freely refers to as ‘topping up channels’. In reality, this gives viewers access to all Freeview channels via an aerial, albeit arranged in a different order in the channel list.
Without topping up, viewers are limited to channels owned by the main public service broadcasters, now also including the BBC Studios-owned UKTV.
Jonathan Thompson, CEO at Everyone TV commented:
“It’s exciting to see the momentum behind Freely building so rapidly as we announce this breakthrough deal with Amazon Fire TV. A deal of this kind, between a technology giant and those working in the public interest, is remarkable. It represents a significant development in widening the availability of Freely and therefore ensuring UK audiences can access free TV well into the future.”
Freely launched in April 2024 as a long-term replacement for Freeview.
By: Marc Thornham | Image: Everyone TV