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If you watch live television channels via Freely — you're in for a real treat. Channel 4 has become the first major UK broadcaster to launch streaming channels exclusively on the platform. Yes, that means you won't be able to find these free-to-air channels on Freeview or Freesat.
The fresh batch of channels cooked-up by Channel 4 are now available nationwide, so you can stream today.
For those who don't know, Freely launched in the UK earlier last year as a successor to Freeview.
Shop the latest Freely-powered Smart TVs from Currys
Sadly, there's currently no way to upgrade your existing Freeview-powered Smart TV to the all-new Freely experience. You'll need to buy a new model that's been built from the ground-up for this streaming-only experience, which lets you restart a show with the tap of a button, scroll backwards in time on the TV Guide to find an on-demand show from BBC iPlayer, ITVX, and others. Shop the latest Freely TVs from Currys, with prices starting from £129 and maxing out at £3,999
Built by the same team behind Freesat and Freeview, and backed by the UK's biggest broadcasters, including BBC, ITV, Channel 4 and Channel 5, Freely is designed to bring modern streaming capabilities to free-to-air television. It beams content via Wi-Fi connection rather than traditional aerial, which means you can place your flatscreen TV anywhere in the room as long as it has a minimum internet speed of 10Mbps.
This is similar to solutions like Sky Glass, Sky Stream, Virgin Media Stream, or the rebooted EE TV. Like these pricier options, Freely viewers can restart a show that's already airing with the push of a button, pause live television and rewind.
Following a free software update earlier this summer, Freely lets you scroll backwards in time on the TV Guide to access on-demand shows from catch-up services like BBC iPlayer and ITVX.
The new additions will only be accessible from Freely, not Freeview or Freesat
|CHANNEL 4 PRESS OFFICE
Freely isn't available as an update to existing Freeview or Freesat boxes. It's only available on newer hardware, which means you'll likely need to upgrade to a newer Smart TV to access it.
Hisense was the first brand to add support for Freely across its 2024 lineup of TVs, with the likes of Bush, Toshiba, Sharp, Panasonic, and Metz also switching from Freeview to Freely as the default way to watch free-to-air channels on their newest Smart TVs. The platform is also available on select Fire TVs as the default way to stream live television as well as some televisions powered by rival Roku.
The new streaming-only channels to launch from Channel 4 as as follows:
- 4Reality | Channel 67: Sometimes risqué, often funny and always entertaining. 4Reality from Channel 4 – the original home of the best reality TV – brings favourites across real-life drama, sass, romance and rivalry from Married at First Sight, Naked Attraction and First Dates to Made in Chelsea
- 4Homes | Channel 68: From massive mansions to amazing spaces, from places in the sun and DIY in chateaus, to homes in the best-of-British locations, 4Homes showcases all places great and small spanning shows such as Grand Designs, A Place in the Sun and Location, Location, Location
- 4Life | Channel 82: Real lives, real people (and real dogs too). And huge helpings of delicious food. Meet people doing amazing things – often in beautiful places. 4Life showcases the great content genres channel 4 viewers love including travel, food and animals, from The Dog House to Travel Man
The best part of these new additions? They're completely free. That means no subscriptions, no hidden costs — just more shows from Channel 4 and its partners to watch anytime over a broadband connection.
With these new additions, Freely offers over 50 live channels over Wi-Fi, alongside more on-demand shows than any streaming service in the UK. More channels are expected to join the line-up soon, the Freely team has teased.
Grace Boswood, Channel 4 Director of Technology and Distribution, told GB News: "We’re proud to lead the way among Britain’s broadcasters by enhancing Freely’s offering. The launch of our new streamed channels further accelerates our transformation into the streaming age as the world’s first public service streamer. It also continues our record of digital distribution firsts to benefit advertisers and viewers."
Channel 4 was the first UK broadcaster to develop its own Vision Pro app, offering an immersive new way to stream shows like Taskmaster, as well as its catalogue of award-winning comedies and documentaries
| CHANNEL 4 PRESS OFFICEThe decision to embrace emerging platforms like Freely is part of Channel 4's ambitious Fast Forward strategy to become a proper digital-first broadcaster by 2030. That date is when Freely is expected to overtake Freeview and Freesat as the primary way for UK households to access free-to-air channels.
As well as launching streaming-only channels on Freely, Channel 4 has experimented with exclusive shows for YouTube, as well as bringing complete boxsets to the Google-owned platform. They've also embraced cutting-edge tech by creating immersive environments based on hit shows like Taskmaster for Apple's Vision Pro.
With Freely, the redesigned Mini Guide offers extra information on the programme you're watching, a shortcut to additional episodes from catch-up services, and the ability to restart from the beginning with a single tap | FREELY PRESS OFFICE | GBN Jonathan Thompson, CEO, Everyone TV, said: "We’re delighted to be bringing audiences even more high-quality streamed content, in partnership with Channel 4.
"Freely already offers more shows than any major streaming service in the UK, without the expensive monthly subscription, and for the first time will now offer exclusive channels with entertaining shows from across the Channel 4 portfolio on 4Reality, 4Homes and 4Life – three fantastic channels you won’t find anywhere else!"
However, the industry-wide pivot away from aerials to Wi-Fi-only television is something campaigners have warned about, cautioning that millions could be left without access to live television channels.
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