Freely could be the Netflix of UK TV. Yes, really

By Edward N. , Digital Content Specialist

?When Freeview launched in 2002, I was largely unaffected as I grew up with Sky — I was a very spoilt 7-year-old at the time. Still very much spoilt now.

This was a big change for every household still watching analogue TV channels. They could now access more than five channels and even had an electronic programme guide (EPG), all for free.

It was a historic moment for UK TV, and there’s another moment like this just around the corner…

Freeview is making way for Freely

In case you missed it, Everyone TV (the company behind Freeview, a joint venture between the UK Public Service Broadcasters) announced their new broadband-only TV platform, Freely. The key message was the internet-only bit.

Freeview and Freesat are delivered by traditional means, meaning you need an aerial or a satellite plugged into your TV to receive them. This isn’t the case for Freely.

Freely will only be available through the Internet on Smart TVs but promises to provide the same experience Freeview viewers are familiar with, so should be an easy sell.

Who actually uses Freeview anyway??

Well, only around 63% of UK households.

According to the Everyone TV website, Freeview is used in over 16 million homes, and Freesat in over 2 million homes. Putting both services at a conservative estimate of 18 million homes total.

The Office for National Statistics (ONS) estimates that there were around 28.2 million households in the UK in 2022. 4 million of those households are currently broadband-only, so Freely migrating the existing Freesat and Freeview households brings up the total to 22 million.

22 million is 78% of UK households, so quite a lot of viewing potential. This is in an ideal world where Freeview and Freesat viewers immediately migrate to the Freely platform, which isn’t likely to happen, at least in the short term.

Historic moments are easy to miss?

Technology is a weird thing. We aren’t launching rockets at the moon anymore, so it’s easy to blink and miss a historic shift in tech these days. Advancement comes in much smaller packages than space travel, at least when it comes to modern tech.??

Sometimes it’s as simple as adding a button to a TV remote. Hands up if you remember the red button ???

The draft Media Bill by the UK Government really set the Freely platform project in motion, as it looked to future-proof Public Service Broadcasters (PSBs). It essentially levels the playing field, by ensuring these broadcasters remain relevant.???

One aspect is that Smart TV manufacturers might have to include a button on every remote to direct to PSB platforms, just like they currently do for the likes of Netflix or Amazon Prime Video.??

Most of the media has missed the point entirely when reporting about this. What’s also mentioned in the draft Media Bill is the introduction of Ofcom regulation for online channels and VOD platforms. If a platform isn’t already regulated, that’s a lot of jumping through hoops to do.???

An interesting prospect if the aim of all this is to arm the PSBs in the streaming wars.??

Enter, Freely??

What this isn’t, is the launch of Freeview in 2002. That was a huge change for millions of households, going from five analogue channels to a vast library of channels in an EPG.??

There are 4 million households currently using a TV without an antenna, dish, or cable connection. If even half of those households began watching on Freely, then that’s a substantial audience.??

Look at the runaway success of FAST channel platforms like Pluto TV. Paramount took quality content and presented it in a linear schedule, delivered over the Internet.??

Freely will take the combined programming of the BBC, ITV, Channel 4, and 5, and present it in a linear schedule and deliver it over the internet to a ready-made audience. The opportunity is there to join the PSBs for launch and be part of the future of UK TV.?

I’d imagine missing the launch of the platform might be like being the second man to walk on the moon (no offence to Buzz).?

UNBOXED

Panel - Launching TV experiences

Held during the 2023 edition of IBC – as part of the Content Everywhere programme, the panel titled?‘Launching TV experiences in the face of monetisation model and Connected TV fragmentation’ was moderated by Andreas Waltenspiel and featured Simplestream's Technical Director, Ashley Reynolds-Horne, among other speakers.

Watch the full recording of the conversation, as it unfolded in Amsterdam last month, covering the following key points:

• What are some of the challenges faced by operators when launching and optimising a TV product??
• How do operators cater to the needs of a multi-device and digitally native audience?
• What are some future trends or developments in the TV industry that operators need to be aware of?

SNIPPETS

?? A recent study conducted by Kantar highlighted that live sports continue to be a differentiator and growth driver: 20% of new SVOD subscribers are motivated to sign up for streaming services by the desire to watch their favourite sporting competitions live. Learn more, via CSI Magazine.

???? A new episode of our podcast, Beyond the Stream, has just dropped. Head to your streaming platform of choice, and check out our latest number, with a collection of conversations we had with various OTT professionals during IBC 2023 in Amsterdam last month. Sound on: watch and listen now.