Freeview Plans Connected TV Service with Digital UK

LONDON: Freeview is aligning with Digital UK (which is owned by the BBC, ITV, Channel 4 and Arqiva) for a new connected TV service that will deliver broadcast and on-demand TV content for free.

The companies' shareholders are backing a five-year plan to support the development and marketing of the connected TV proposition. Interestingly, the four owners of Digital UK also have a stake in YouView, which would be a rival to this new service. The new offer will give viewers access to both broadcast and on-demand TV, including a range of popular catch-up players.

Ilse Howling, previously the managing director of Freeview, has been appointed as managing director for connected TV at Digital UK and will lead a new dedicated team to develop the product specification for the new service, working in cooperation with manufacturers and industry bodies and based on open standards.

Howling said: “I’m delighted to be joining Digital UK to lead development of the new connected service. The company is well placed to develop the next generation specification and work with the supply chain to support a new, mass-market service to make connected TV available free, for everyone.”

Guy North, the managing director of Freeview, added: “Freeview is at the heart of the nation’s viewing and I’m proud to be leading the company into the next chapter of its history. People know and love the Freeview brand and will trust us to help them enjoy watching catch-up and on-demand TV in the future, alongside the high-quality channels that Freeview already offers.”

Jonathan Thompson, the chief executive of Digital UK, commented: “Digital terrestrial television is a great success story of British broadcasting and plays a vital role in the overall health of our TV sector. This announcement marks a critical step in the next stage of the platform’s development, ensuring that it will remain as relevant, important and valued by viewers in the future as it is today.”

The companies’ shareholders confirmed their investment in a joint statement: “We are delighted to be supporting the Freeview platform to develop and market a Freeview branded connected TV service which will bring catch-up television to a mass market and give viewers even more choice in how they access TV programs.”