It’s been years in the making, but Freely will from later this year begin integrating exclusive streaming-only channels from ITV, Channel 4 and 5.
- Viewers will no longer have to navigate through the ITVX, Channel 4 and 5 streaming apps.
- Extra choice of reality, lifestyle, quiz and children’s channels.
- Proposals to integrate streaming-only services from the main broadcasters date back to 2021.
The organisation behind Freely, the next generation digital TV platform backed by the UK’s public service broadcasters, has announced it’s going to start integrating exclusive channels on its TV guide.
Everyone TV says 16 new services from ITV, Channel 4 and 5 will appear on the Freely TV channel list from later this year. Many of the channels that will begin to appear in the channel list are already available via broadcaster’s streaming apps.
ITV will add ITVX channels The Chase and Saturday Night Every Night – the home of ITV’s top game shows. This is in addition to ITV Quiz, which will replace ITVBe in June.
5 meanwhile will launch 11 of its newly launched streaming-only channels on Freely, including 5 Police Interceptors, 5 Cops and 5A&E. 5 will also offer Freely homes a full-time alternative to CBeebies, with the arrival of the Milkshake pre-school children’s TV channel.
Channel 4 on the other hand is going to launch three brand new streaming-only services that haven’t been available anywhere else until now.
4Reality, 4Homes and a third channel, tentatively called 4Life will appear on the Freely guide later this year. Channel 4 has until now been behind other major commercial broadcasters in launching linear streaming-only services. In 2023, it trailed a temporary streaming channel dedicated to Married At First Sight.
Analysis: A long time coming, but on a different platform
Just four years ago, the plan was to add streaming-only channels from the main public broadcasters to Freeview.
In 2021, Digital UK – the predecessor to Everyone TV – launched a consultation regarding making slots available on the Freeview TV guide for internet-delivered channels from the BBC, ITV, Channel 4 and 5.
The plan was to give the BBC, ITV, Channel 4 and 5 an allocation of channel numbers for internet-delivered channels. These services were allocated slots above channel 300, where there’s a big gap in the channel list.
In the end, only the BBC started offering IP-delivered channels via Freeview, and only on the newest range of Freeview Play TVs. And rather than launching anything new, the BBC used their allocation to add channels including BBC Three HD and BBC News HD, delivered via the iPlayer. They appear above channel 300 on compatible Freeview Play devices only. They are mainly there to benefit viewers who aren’t able to watch all of the BBC’s HD channels via an aerial. (BBC Three HD isn’t available in Wales or Scotland on Freeview, BBC News HD was removed from Freeview in 2022.)
Shortly after the new allocations were put in place, further development of Freeview Play was halted in favour of streaming replacement Freely.
Unlike Freeview, streaming only services from the BBC, ITV, Channel 4 and 5 won’t be sectioned off in a separate area of the channel list. The new Freely guide was designed to allow certain streaming-only services to be allocated numbers alongside traditional channels.
Similar to Virgin Media’s integration
This means that when Freely does finally add these channels, viewers will be able to find them next to traditional channels. This is similar to how it’s possible to find streaming-only services on Virgin Media’s channel list in-between traditional channels. Sky meanwhile is working on fully integrating streaming-only channels on its TV platforms. This includes its own-brand FAST channels including Sky Sports Classics and Sky Artist of the Year.
Channel numbers have not yet been confirmed.
Full list of new streaming channels coming to Freely
ITV
- The Chase
- Saturday Night Every Night
Channel 4
- 4Reality
- 4Homes
- 4Life (tentative title)
5
- 5 GPs Behind Closed Doors
- 5 Bargain Loving Brits
- 5 The Yorkshire Vet
- 5 History
- 5 Crime
- Milkshake!
- 5 Police Interceptors
- 5 Cops
- 5 Trucking Hell
- 5 A&E
- 5 Dogs Behaving (Very) Badly
By: Marc Thornham | Image: Freely/Everyone TV