"UK's Freeview Service Faces Uncertain Future as Digital Viewing Habits Shift Online"
The UK's long-standing free-to-air television platform, Freeview, has been a staple for nearly a quarter of a century, providing access to live television broadcasts across the country for no charge. However, with digital viewing habits rapidly shifting online, the service is facing an uncertain future.
According to industry leaders, including public service broadcasters (PSBs) such as the BBC, ITV, Channel 4, and Channel 5, which jointly own Freeview through Everyone TV, the platform's days are numbered. They argue that by 2034, it will be no longer viable for broadcasters to continue bearing the costs of digital terrestrial television (DTT), with a tipping point expected within the next few years.
The report suggests that by 2035, there will still be around 1.8 million homes dependent on Freeview, but with the number of households using broadband expected to increase to over 16 million, the returns from showing TV commercials to such a small audience will become uneconomic compared to broadcasting costs.
However, campaigners argue that millions of people who rely on Freeview will be left behind. Many do not want the extra cost of a monthly broadband subscription or prefer the easy-to-use interface. Lynette, 80, a grandmother from Kent, said she found streaming services such as Netflix difficult to navigate and preferred the simplicity of Freeview.
Campaigners have launched an online petition, "Save Freeview," which has already gathered nearly 100,000 signatories. Dennis Reed, founder of Silver Voices, expressed concerns that the government's proposed switch-off will leave vulnerable viewers behind, while a spokesperson for the Future TV Taskforce countered that the transition to internet TV could help close the digital divide once and for all.
The UK's public service broadcasters are reportedly in favor of switching off Freeview by 2034. According to new research, an awareness campaign and action on digital inclusion could mean only 330,000 households would ultimately need to be helped to make the change. However, some question whether this may result in a pyrrhic victory for PSBs, as Silicon Valley rivals such as YouTube increasingly win over viewers.
With an estimated 7% of UK households no longer owning a TV set and instead choosing to view video content on other devices, concerns are growing about the impact of digital viewing habits on traditional television services. As YouTube's viewer base continues to grow, it seems clear that the trend is only going in one direction – towards internet-based TV – and that Freeview's future remains uncertain.
The UK's long-standing free-to-air television platform, Freeview, has been a staple for nearly a quarter of a century, providing access to live television broadcasts across the country for no charge. However, with digital viewing habits rapidly shifting online, the service is facing an uncertain future.
According to industry leaders, including public service broadcasters (PSBs) such as the BBC, ITV, Channel 4, and Channel 5, which jointly own Freeview through Everyone TV, the platform's days are numbered. They argue that by 2034, it will be no longer viable for broadcasters to continue bearing the costs of digital terrestrial television (DTT), with a tipping point expected within the next few years.
The report suggests that by 2035, there will still be around 1.8 million homes dependent on Freeview, but with the number of households using broadband expected to increase to over 16 million, the returns from showing TV commercials to such a small audience will become uneconomic compared to broadcasting costs.
However, campaigners argue that millions of people who rely on Freeview will be left behind. Many do not want the extra cost of a monthly broadband subscription or prefer the easy-to-use interface. Lynette, 80, a grandmother from Kent, said she found streaming services such as Netflix difficult to navigate and preferred the simplicity of Freeview.
Campaigners have launched an online petition, "Save Freeview," which has already gathered nearly 100,000 signatories. Dennis Reed, founder of Silver Voices, expressed concerns that the government's proposed switch-off will leave vulnerable viewers behind, while a spokesperson for the Future TV Taskforce countered that the transition to internet TV could help close the digital divide once and for all.
The UK's public service broadcasters are reportedly in favor of switching off Freeview by 2034. According to new research, an awareness campaign and action on digital inclusion could mean only 330,000 households would ultimately need to be helped to make the change. However, some question whether this may result in a pyrrhic victory for PSBs, as Silicon Valley rivals such as YouTube increasingly win over viewers.
With an estimated 7% of UK households no longer owning a TV set and instead choosing to view video content on other devices, concerns are growing about the impact of digital viewing habits on traditional television services. As YouTube's viewer base continues to grow, it seems clear that the trend is only going in one direction – towards internet-based TV – and that Freeview's future remains uncertain.
back in 2005... it was so lowkey cool 
and now we're all about streaming services like netflix 
anyone else miss that simplicity? anyway, i heard they're trying to save freeview but honestly, if it's just gonna cost more money, why bother? can't we just all use the same wifi connection or something? and btw, have you guys seen those new samsung foldable phones? 
. They're all about saving costs but they forget that there are people like Lynette who genuinely can't be bothered with streaming services and just want a simple way to watch their fave shows 
. And what's going to happen to these vulnerable viewers? Are we really expecting them to just magically get broadband and start watching internet TV? 
Come on, let's not forget that some people need a bit of help adapting to change.
the UK needs to adapt to modern tech, like everyone else 
2034 sounds about right for a transition, maybe they should just make it optional instead of forcing people to pay extra for broadband 
it's not like streaming services are taking off because old folks can't handle the interface, it's all about choice and accessibility 
I mean who needs a fancy broadband subscription when u can just watch ur fave shows on YouTube? 
and btw what's up with all these ppl who dont wanna give up freeview cuz it's easy to use 
Lynette's grandma vibes are everything 
but let's be real PSBs r just tryna save money and get ahead of the game 
we gotta support them on this one 
They keep saying that internet TV will close the digital divide, but what about people who can't afford broadband or don't know how to use it? 
.