Freely Expands Free Streaming TV Service with 16 New Channels
For British viewers seeking a cheaper alternative to Sky, Freely, the free streaming TV service, has announced a significant expansion. Those struggling with costly paid TV subscriptions will soon benefit from 16 additional live streamed channels set to launch on the platform “later this year,” offering a wider variety of viewing options without any subscription fees. This update significantly enhances Freely’s appeal as a free TV option.
New Channels from ITV, Channel 4, and Channel 5
The expanded lineup includes new channels from major UK broadcasters. ITV will add two channels: The Chase and Saturday Night Every Night. Channel 4 is contributing three new streams: 4Reality, 4Homes, and 4 Life.
Channel 5 to Launch 11 Live Streams
The most substantial addition comes from Channel 5, which will introduce 11 new live channels to the Freely platform. These include:
- 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
Kiaran Saunders, VP Distribution at Channel 5, stated, “We’re thrilled to strengthen Freely’s offering with eleven new live channels, including five that will be exclusive to the platform.”
Industry Leaders Praise Freely Collaboration
Akhila Khanna, ITV Director of Distribution, affirmed ITV’s pride in participating in Freely. Grace Boswood, Director of Technology & Distribution at Channel 4, highlighted Freely as “the exclusive platform to access our new channels at launch.”
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Boswood further commented, “Freely continues to exemplify outstanding collaboration within public service media.”
A Freely representative informed Express.co.uk that the specific launch date for these channels is yet to be confirmed, but they are scheduled to become available later in 2025.
Freely: Accessing Free TV via Smart TVs
Freely is integrated into select modern smart TVs from brands such as Hisense, Bush, Toshiba, Panasonic, Sharp, TCL, Amazon, and Metz. Users can access Freely by purchasing a compatible television, granting them complimentary access to streamed content via their home Wi-Fi connection.
While a new TV purchase represents an initial investment, certain models are priced below £200, potentially resulting in significant annual savings compared to a Sky TV subscription. A list of Freely TVs is available for review online.
Freely: The Modern Evolution of Freeview
Freely is operated by Everyone TV, the same company behind Freeview. While Freeview relied on traditional aerial and wired connections, Freely represents a modern iteration, utilizing wireless streaming. Viewers gain access to familiar channels, including BBC One, BBC Two, ITV 1, Channel 4, Channel 5, Film4, E4, and ITV2, among others.
With the addition of the 16 newly announced channels, Freely TV will offer a total of 55 live streamed channels. Furthermore, Freely states that users can also access over 70,000 hours of on-demand content.
FAST Channels Expansion on Freely
Freely also announced the integration of free, ad-supported streaming TV (FAST) channels from the VIDAA platform into the Freely TV guide on Hisense and Toshiba Freely TVs before the end of April.
This addition provides TV owners with access to 80 channels, including Sony ONE, CNN, and Banijay, further expanding the content available on Freely.
