Claiming to be bucking market trends, the Freeview Play on-demand online TV service says that it is ending the decade as Britain’s fastest growing TV platform with almost seven million users and over nine million receiving devices already in British homes.
Launched in 2015, the free online complement to the Freeview DTT service gives viewers access to live, catch up and on-demand programming. It includes subscription-free availability to the BBC iPlayer, ITV Hub, All 4, Demand 5 and UKTV Play catch-up services and up to 85 channels in all including all of Britain’s most popular channels.
It also offers more than 20,000 hours of free, on-demand content and the service says that there has also been a spike in demand for its mobile app which now has over a million users.
As well as recording a strong 2019, the company revealed that its plans for the coming year include an accessible TV guide which will launch on all connected Freeview Play devices at logical channel number (LCN) 555. Early in 2020 it will begin making available the BritBox subscription video-on-demand service, offering viewers the ability to top up their free viewing within the platform for the first time.
“There’s never been a better time to be a Freeview viewer,” remarked Freeview marketing director Owen Jenkinson. “With more content available than ever and lots of new partnerships to look forward to in 2020, no wonder Freeview Play continues to grow.”