Tweed
2023-09-19 20:29:39 UTC
Not seen this mentioned before:
https://www.streamtvinsider.com/video/british-broadcasters-bring-free-linear-channels-freely-streaming-service
Public service broadcasters in the United Kingdom are banding together to
create a new streaming service that unifies free linear versions of
broadcast channels and on-demand content in a single experience.
The service, called Freely, will see dozens of channels from the BBC, ITV,
Channel 4 and Paramount-owned Channel 5 distributed on one service baked
into newer-model smart TVs, starting next year.
Freely is being developed by Everyone TV, a joint venture operated by the
four public broadcasters that also oversees Freeview, the digital broadcast
platform in the U.K., and a similar, satellite-based service called
Freesat.
Between them, Freeview and Freesat offer nearly 200 national television
channels and radio stations through their platforms, while on-demand
content is limited to app-based services like BBC iPlayer, ITVX and the
streaming version of Channel 4. Both Freeview and Freesat offer devices
that marry over-the-air or satellite-delivered linear channels with
streaming services, and the Freeview platform is widely supported on smart
TV sets with an integrated digital tuner.
At the moment, no similar streaming alternative exists: While cable
companies and Comcast's Sky satellite service offer streaming versions of
their platforms, those service charge monthly fees on top of the mandatory
annual television tax that British households and businesses must pay if
they watch or record live broadcast channels. (The television tax, called a
license, primarily funds the BBC's TV and radio channels.) The present-day
situation means those who are increasingly gravitating toward streaming
apps for their linear and on-demand content needs are having to do so by
bouncing around services.
Freely is being designed to remove that friction by offering the same core
channels found on Freeview and Freesat. In doing so, the officials behind
Freely and Everyone TV hopes that Freely replicates the linear content
experience that is already found on the other two services, but without the
need to install an over-the-air antenna or satellite dish.
"This new development is a reflection of the fact that a growing number of
UK viewers are watching content online, but still want easy access to the
shared experience of live TV," Jonathan Thompson, the CEO of Everyone TV,
said in a statement. "Our aim is to ensure that all viewers have access to
a free, aggregated live TV experience that champions British content and is
delivered in a way that suits audience needs and preferences. Every one of
us should be able to share in the best of British ideas and creativity on
TV."
Fewer Watching Linear TV
For the broadcasters, the streaming push is also part of an overall
strategy of survivability: As in other countries, British TV viewers are
increasingly moving away from linear television in favor of more-convenient
streaming options. A survey released early last year showed around one in
four British TV viewers have abandoned linear television entirely, while
another 25% of TV viewers say they've scaled back how much live TV they're
watching in any given week.
The trend of TV viewers moving away from traditional linear TV transcends
age brackets, with the majority of young viewers between the ages of 18 to
34 saying they're spending at least two hours a day watching streaming
content, while nearly half of those between the ages of 35 and 54 affirming
the same, according to a survey released by The Trade Desk last September.
Meanwhile, 54% of adults aged 35 to 54 are watching less linear TV, the
survey showed.
"The TV landscape is undergoing a transformation that’s redefining the
viewing experience, as well as the advertising industry as a result," Dave
Castell, the lead analyst for TV partnerships at The Trade Desk, said in a
statement. "The rise of streaming has ushered in a new model of TV
consumption, in which every content creator is providing the consumer with
choice — and consumers expect to watch what they want, when they want, and
how they want."
The decline in live TV's audience is particularly problematic for ITV and
Channel 4, whose broadcast activities are entirely funded by advertising
(Channel 4 is publicly-owned, but receives no money from the television
license). The same financial headwinds that have impacted advertising rates
in other parts of the world have also caused a slowdown in related revenue
for ITV and Channel 4, as marketers shift their budgets toward connected TV
services.
Proponents of linear television, including Everyone TV, say the broadcast
networks still have something to offer British viewers: Collective cultural
moments that can only be experienced through live TV events like sports
tournaments.
"These national TV moments...are instances of an increasingly rare
circumstance of common cause, often crossing the boundaries of age, class
or enthusiasm," Thompson wrote in a blog post last week. "They are made
accessible and available to all through universally-available, free TV, and
they attract audiences of a magnitude that...are an exception rather than
the rule."
On Monday, executives at the public service broadcasters affirmed the
forthcoming Freely service is intended to help bring the same magic of live
TV to viewers who have married themselves to streaming services.
"Streaming TV is increasingly the new normal for audiences, particularly
young viewers, so it has never been more important for trusted [public
service broadcasting] content to be readily available to everyone, for
free," Alex Mahon, the CEO of Channel 4, said in a statement.
https://www.streamtvinsider.com/video/british-broadcasters-bring-free-linear-channels-freely-streaming-service
Public service broadcasters in the United Kingdom are banding together to
create a new streaming service that unifies free linear versions of
broadcast channels and on-demand content in a single experience.
The service, called Freely, will see dozens of channels from the BBC, ITV,
Channel 4 and Paramount-owned Channel 5 distributed on one service baked
into newer-model smart TVs, starting next year.
Freely is being developed by Everyone TV, a joint venture operated by the
four public broadcasters that also oversees Freeview, the digital broadcast
platform in the U.K., and a similar, satellite-based service called
Freesat.
Between them, Freeview and Freesat offer nearly 200 national television
channels and radio stations through their platforms, while on-demand
content is limited to app-based services like BBC iPlayer, ITVX and the
streaming version of Channel 4. Both Freeview and Freesat offer devices
that marry over-the-air or satellite-delivered linear channels with
streaming services, and the Freeview platform is widely supported on smart
TV sets with an integrated digital tuner.
At the moment, no similar streaming alternative exists: While cable
companies and Comcast's Sky satellite service offer streaming versions of
their platforms, those service charge monthly fees on top of the mandatory
annual television tax that British households and businesses must pay if
they watch or record live broadcast channels. (The television tax, called a
license, primarily funds the BBC's TV and radio channels.) The present-day
situation means those who are increasingly gravitating toward streaming
apps for their linear and on-demand content needs are having to do so by
bouncing around services.
Freely is being designed to remove that friction by offering the same core
channels found on Freeview and Freesat. In doing so, the officials behind
Freely and Everyone TV hopes that Freely replicates the linear content
experience that is already found on the other two services, but without the
need to install an over-the-air antenna or satellite dish.
"This new development is a reflection of the fact that a growing number of
UK viewers are watching content online, but still want easy access to the
shared experience of live TV," Jonathan Thompson, the CEO of Everyone TV,
said in a statement. "Our aim is to ensure that all viewers have access to
a free, aggregated live TV experience that champions British content and is
delivered in a way that suits audience needs and preferences. Every one of
us should be able to share in the best of British ideas and creativity on
TV."
Fewer Watching Linear TV
For the broadcasters, the streaming push is also part of an overall
strategy of survivability: As in other countries, British TV viewers are
increasingly moving away from linear television in favor of more-convenient
streaming options. A survey released early last year showed around one in
four British TV viewers have abandoned linear television entirely, while
another 25% of TV viewers say they've scaled back how much live TV they're
watching in any given week.
The trend of TV viewers moving away from traditional linear TV transcends
age brackets, with the majority of young viewers between the ages of 18 to
34 saying they're spending at least two hours a day watching streaming
content, while nearly half of those between the ages of 35 and 54 affirming
the same, according to a survey released by The Trade Desk last September.
Meanwhile, 54% of adults aged 35 to 54 are watching less linear TV, the
survey showed.
"The TV landscape is undergoing a transformation that’s redefining the
viewing experience, as well as the advertising industry as a result," Dave
Castell, the lead analyst for TV partnerships at The Trade Desk, said in a
statement. "The rise of streaming has ushered in a new model of TV
consumption, in which every content creator is providing the consumer with
choice — and consumers expect to watch what they want, when they want, and
how they want."
The decline in live TV's audience is particularly problematic for ITV and
Channel 4, whose broadcast activities are entirely funded by advertising
(Channel 4 is publicly-owned, but receives no money from the television
license). The same financial headwinds that have impacted advertising rates
in other parts of the world have also caused a slowdown in related revenue
for ITV and Channel 4, as marketers shift their budgets toward connected TV
services.
Proponents of linear television, including Everyone TV, say the broadcast
networks still have something to offer British viewers: Collective cultural
moments that can only be experienced through live TV events like sports
tournaments.
"These national TV moments...are instances of an increasingly rare
circumstance of common cause, often crossing the boundaries of age, class
or enthusiasm," Thompson wrote in a blog post last week. "They are made
accessible and available to all through universally-available, free TV, and
they attract audiences of a magnitude that...are an exception rather than
the rule."
On Monday, executives at the public service broadcasters affirmed the
forthcoming Freely service is intended to help bring the same magic of live
TV to viewers who have married themselves to streaming services.
"Streaming TV is increasingly the new normal for audiences, particularly
young viewers, so it has never been more important for trusted [public
service broadcasting] content to be readily available to everyone, for
free," Alex Mahon, the CEO of Channel 4, said in a statement.
