Everyone TV, the organisation running the UK’s free-to-view television platforms, has published updated forecasts from 3 Reasons, the independent analyst and specialist in TV platform dynamics. As government considers the long-term future of TV distribution, the new projections add robust evidence to the ongoing debate on how viewers will access TV in the coming years.

The forecasts show that the number of homes without broadband is projected to fall to 220,000 by 2034, which equates to 0.8 per cent of TV households. Meanwhile, as audiences increasingly switch to viewing online and replace or upgrade existing TVs with Freely, the new platform is expected to be in 10.5 million UK households by 2034. Together, the figures underline the growing readiness of UK audiences for internet-delivered television.

Instead of falling a predicted 10 per cent between 2023 and 2025, the number of homes without broadband actually fell 30 per cent and stands at 1.2 million today. The updated forecasts for homes without broadband in 2034 (220k) now represent around a quarter of the 800k originally forecast in a report for DCMS from 2024. At the same time, Barb shows the number of homes connecting their TV to the internet is also growing at pace, 84 per cent today up from 66 per cent in 2020.

As a member of the Future TV Taskforce, Everyone TV supports a planned and managed transition from digital terrestrial television (DTT) to internet-delivered TV (IPTV) as part of a UK-wide plan towards a fully digital society that works for everyone. The data published provides strong evidence that this is the right direction of travel.

Commenting on the updated forecasts from 3 Reasons, Jonathan Thompson, Everyone TV’s CEO, said: “The way audiences engage with TV is changing and these updated forecasts reflect that clear direction of travel. It is vital that any future change in TV distribution is carefully planned and managed, that issues of connectivity and affordability are addressed, and that no viewer is left behind. Freely provides simple, trusted access to live, linear channels and on-demand content from our public service broadcasters and combines this with innovation that can benefit all audiences. It can be a gateway for people to safely and easily enter into an increasingly digital society and not be excluded.”

Rob Collier, Principal at 3 Reasons – MTM, added: “In a debate this important, we need to approach the issue as objectively as possible. Our role at 3 Reasons is to provide robust, well considered and independent forecasts grounded in the best available data, which can be used to inform critical TV infrastructure decisions.”

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Tags: DTT, Everyone TV, Freely, Freeview, IPTV