Advanced Television

Freeview mobile app launching in January

November 28, 2018

Colin Mann @ Outside the Box

Freeview has revealed it will launch its new mobile app on January 22nd 2019. The announcement was made during the platform’s annual Outside the Box industry event at BAFTA.

Through the iOS app, viewers will be able to stream live channels from BBC, ITV and Channel 4 and access on-demand content from BBC iPlayer, ITV Hub, All 4, My5, and UKTV Play. Further catch up players and live streams will be added in due course. As with all Freeview products, the app is completely free to use with no download fee and no subscription. An Android version will follow in early 2019.

The app will mark the first time viewers will be able to watch live Freeview programming without having to access an aerial.

The new service has only been made possible through the collaboration between Digital UK and Freeview’s common shareholders, BBC, ITV, Channel 4 and Arqiva, who led the software build. Digital UK, which leads on the product specification and technical development worked hand in hand with Freeview on the app.

Jonathan Thompson, CEO, Digital UK, said:”In an increasingly fragmented media landscape, the new Freeview mobile app is an excellent example of broadcaster and industry collaboration in action. Today’s viewers value having access to their favourite shows when and where they want and the new app provides the aggregated experience that consumers increasingly expect from a TV provider. We’re putting the best of free-to-air content – public service and commercial – in to one place on mobile just as we have on TV, ensuring that great free TV is available to everyone wherever they are.”

Categories: APPS, Articles, FTA, Mobile, VOD