Freeview, the organisation which promotes and oversees terrestrial television in the UK has turned 20 years old. Terrestrial TV in the UK is home to around 80 channels (albeit not all are available in all areas).
Freeview first launched in 2002, and has progressively developed over the years. The platform led to the end of analogue TV broadcasts in the UK, with the completion of the digital switchover occurring in 2012 (incidentally when Freeview turned 10 years old). The platform has helped to bring high definition (HD) broadcasts to more households, and Freeview is now found in 18 million homes across the UK.
Newer, ‘smart’ internet connected devices marketed under the Freeview Play banner since 2015 also have access to a variety of on-demand catch-up services including BBC iPlayer, CBS Catch-up Channels UK, and UKTV Players. Freeview have revealed that there is now 60,000 hours of on-demand content available via Freeview Play devices.