Freeview viewers have access to just over 120 bonus channels, many of which aren’t directly found in the channel list.
- These extra services are available on all compatible Freeview Play televisions, as well as Samsung smart TVs released over the past decade.
- Devices that support the new Freely platform can also access the full line‑up.
In the past decade, Freeview has quietly evolved into a hybrid platform, blending broadcast TV with a growing number of streaming portals. Each portal can house a single channel or an entire suite of themed services, effectively creating mini‑apps within the Freeview environment.
Several established Freeview channels have already made the jump from terrestrial broadcast to this streaming‑only model. Children’s channel Pop made the transition late 2025. Opinion channel Talk and news network Al Jazeera English shifted to streaming via Freeview in 2024.
The shift has opened the door to a wider mix of content. Viewers can stream international news channels such as France 24 and NHK World, alongside web‑only services including Lifetime Movies, travel channel InTravel, and Nosey — home of classic Jerry Springer episodes.
But many services aren’t listed directly in the Freeview channel list. You have to enter a portal to find them. The majority are found in the channel list, straight after the news channels.
These additions form part of the rapidly expanding free, ad‑supported TV (FAST) market, which has surged across smart TVs and streaming platforms. Many of the channels cater to niche interests: Trace Latina, found via channel 271, focuses entirely on urban Latin music. Trace incidentally, is another broadcaster that has switched from traditional broadcasting. It closed its last Sky channel in 2023. Another music channel, GIGS on 284 features live performances from artists as diverse as Duran Duran and the Black Eyed Peas.
Where to find Freeview streaming channels
On Freeview, the portals sit below the main broadcast channels, starting past channel 250. Because most of the channels live inside these portals rather than appearing as standalone channels on the main Freeview channel list, they’ve earned a reputation for being “hidden” from casual viewers.
Those using Freely‑compatible devices connected to an aerial will find the streaming portals located even further down the guide, beginning past channel 552. (Find out why you still need an aerial to watch these streaming services in our separate guide.)
You’ll find a full overview of services below.
Children’s channels
Services targeted at children are grouped together with regular broadcast children’s channels. You’ll find them from Freeview channel 205/Freely channel 353. Reception is subject to local Freeview/digital terrestrial TV coverage.
Features
Upsides
✔️ Access a range of international or niche service that you won’t want on any other major UK television platform.
✔️With the exception of one service, all channels are available for free.
✔️ No separate streaming device required.
✔️ Many of the hidden services are available to stream in high definition (HD), subject your broadband speed (minimum 10 Mbps recommended) and quality of connection (including low latency). Even services that are only streaming in standard definition (SD) offer a better resolution than many over-the-air services.
✔️ If you’ve already upgraded to Freely, you can also access all the hybrid streaming services if your Freely device allows you to plug in a TV aerial.
Downsides
❌ Due to the nature of the technology, there’s no subtitles or audio description. You can’t record these channels, either.
❌ You’ll still need an aerial to access the streaming services. This is because the portal that takes you to the streams is broadcast over the terrestrial airwaves. That’s why these services are known as ‘hybrid streaming services’, rather than pure IP-delivered channels.
❌ As a result of the above, reception is still subject to local digital terrestrial television (DTT) coverage. RXTV has marked those channels with low UK coverage with an asterisk* in the overview below.
❌ Where a hybrid streaming service powered by HbbTV uses cookies or similar technologies, the same GDPR rules apply as for websites. In European countries where numerous HbbTV services are available, it’s common to see a consent box appear like on a website. As of 04/01/2025, some services don’t actively present a consent box when you first land on the channel and won’t allow you to use the service if you decline. These are marked ♦️ in the overview below. Not all channels utilise cookies or similar technologies.
❌ There’s a high turnover of services, in line with the wider market in streaming-only channels. This means particularly lesser-known services may disappear without prior notice.
Overview: Freeview ‘extra’ channels
Reception of these hybrid streaming channels is subject to local Freeview coverage and an internet connection of at least 10Mbps.
| Freeview | Freely | Service ID | Channels included (if additional services are available) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 251 | 557 | Al Jazeera English | |
| 252 | 558 | Al Jazeera Arabic | Al Jazeera Arabic Al Jazeera English |
| 253 | 586 | Trailblazer ♦️ | History Hunters World War TV Western Bound Inside Crime Mystery TV Deal Masters |
| 254 | 554 | On Demand 365 | Inside Crime History Hit Channel History Hunters World War TV Demand Drama Deal Masters Real Wild InWild Wonder Mystery TV Cool Summer Def Jam InWonder InTravel Crimeflix |
| 255 | 556 | France 24 | France 24 FAST English France 24 French France 24 Spanish France 24 Arabic |
| 256 | 587 | Odyssey TV ♦️ | |
| 257 | 559 | Euronews | Euronews English Africa News |
| 258* | 560* | India Today | |
| 259 | 562 | MBC (My Binge Channel)♦️ | Moviesphere Lifetime Movies Rookie Blue DOG The Bounty Hunter Ice Road Trucker Wicked Tuna Music Legends |
| 260* | 563* | Asharq News | Asharq News Asharq Documentary |
| 261* | 564* | Al Arabiya | Al Arabiya Al Hadath |
| 263 | 552 | Sonlife | |
| 264 | 568 | Alaraby Network | Alaraby Television Alaraby 2 Syria Television Althania |
| 265 | 569 | ROK | |
| 266 | 570 | Revelation TV | |
| 267 | 571 | God TV | |
| 268* | 572* | It Is Written TV | |
| 269 | 573 | New Media TV | |
| 270 | 574 | Together TV IP | |
| 271 | 561 | Channelbox | 4AceTV Xtra Action Hollywood Movies Africanews Avaz AWE Billiard TV Bollywood Classic Bollywood HD Bollywood Masala Bloomberg Bloomberg Originals CNA France 24 English Fuel TV ERT World Euronews English Euronews Russian Extreme Fashiontv Hellenic TV Love The Planet Love Wine Nigbati Noire TV OAN Out TV Pitaara Comedy Pitaara Movies Real Crime Red Carpet TV Satin Sharjah TV Silk Way Supreme Master TV TFC Times Now Trace Brasil Trace Latina Trace Urban TVP World Zoom |
| 272 | 575 | NHK World | NHK World-Japan NHK World-Premium (subscription) |
| 273 | 576 | Newsmax | |
| 274 | 577 | Amazing Facts | |
| 275* | 589* | wedotv movies | |
| 276 | 579 | CNA Originals | |
| 278 | 581 | nosey | Nosey Confess by Nosey |
| 279 | 582 | Purpose Media | |
| 280 | 583 | Talk | |
| 283 | 588 | Global Arabic+ | Kuwait TV 1 Kuwait TV Al Akhbar Libya Al Wataniya Oman TV Palestine TV Sharjah TV Saudi TV 1 Saudi Al Ekhbariya Saudi Quran Saudi Sunnnah Sudan TV |
| 284 | 590 | GIGS | |
| 287* | 593* | Nollyafrica HD | |
| 288* | 594* | Outflix Proud | |
| 289* | 595* | MBC Group | Al-Thaqafiyah MBC 1 MBC 5 (Maghreb) MBC Drama MBC Iraq MBC MASR (Egypt) |
Hybrid streaming channels for children
Services for children are combined with regular linear broadcast children’s channels in the channel list.
| Freeview | Freely | Service ID |
|---|---|---|
| 205 | 353 | Pop |
| 206 | 354 | Tiny Pop |
| 207 | 355 | Pop Up |
| 209 | 356 | Ketchup TV |
| 210 | 357 | Ketchup Too |
| 211 | 358 | YAAAS! |
| 214 | 365 | Cartoon Classics |
Additional hybrid streaming channels
The following hybrid streaming services sit alongside regular linear broadcast channels. This is because they transmit for at least two hours a day as a regular broadcast channel, switching to hybrid streaming the rest of the day.
| Freeview | Freely | Service ID |
|---|---|---|
| 61 | 57 | Great! Movies |
| 62 | 58 | Great! Romance Mix |
| 63 | 265 | Great! Player |
| 83 | 52 | Together TV |
| 90 | 266 | Together TV+1 |
By: Marc Thornham | Image: RXTV/Screenshot
RXTV has removed duplicated channels (e.g. Africanews via 257 and 271) to reach the 120+ channel number quoted in the headline.