THE top four UK TV channels are readying to unveil a brand new ‘mega app’ which will feature nearly all of Brits’ favourite shows.
The BBC, ITV, Channel 4 and Channel 5 are working on a free streaming app to bring all of their shows under one roof.
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The platform, called Freely, is set to be available from 2024.
It will bring reams of on-demand telly from four of the biggest British broadcasters.
And all you need is the internet to access it – so you don’t need to faff around with an aerial.
Viewers will be able to browse channels using a programme guide, as well as use a new feature to find shows directly from live TV.
It comes as the era of terrestrial broadcast edges towards its end, when TV towers will be turned off forever from 2030, according to which BBC boss Tim Davie.
Brits have been falling out of love with traditional TV viewing – where viewers watch programmes broadcast at a scheduled time usually via terrestrial or satellite – over the last decade.
Broadcasters are betting on an online-only future for telly, as people adopt smart TVs instead of more traditional terrestrial boxes.
Following Freely’s announcement, Dame Carolyn McCall, ITV’s chief executive, said: “As more and more UK households use internet-connected TVs, it’s critical that the public service broadcaster channels remain available and easy for them to find.
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“This new collaboration enables the UK public to continue to get all of their favourite British TV channels, for free – just as Freeview did at the advent of digital TV.”
Freely is set to be run by Everyone TV, owned by the four broadcasters, which also operates Freeview and Freesat.
As part of the announcement, BBC boss Davie added: “Ensuring the universality of public-service television is sustained into the future is of paramount importance to the UK and all its public service broadcasters.
“We are delighted to be deepening our collaboration in helping viewers access our content, ensuring that, in a digital age, we deliver value for all audiences and that no one is left behind.”
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