This category includes online based streaming services such as TV Player and Pluto TV, along with connected TV platforms such as BT TV and TalkTalk TV, which combine terrestrial channel line ups with additional channels delivered via broadband.
ViacomCBS has unveiled the brand for its premium content streaming service, which will be called Paramount +.
The service will include movies, original content, premium scripted series, kids, comedy, entertainment, reality, and specialist factual content.
It has not been confirmed if and when the service will come to the UK. The global role out will begin in 2021.
An additional £22 million is being invested into the UK Government’s broadband voucher scheme. This subsidises the cost of installing high speed internet connections to homes and businesses in rural areas of England.
This will benefit streaming services, as more people will have broadband capable of accessing these services.
£90 million worth of vouchers have already been issued since May 2019.
The BritBox streaming service has been added to Freesat. The app is now available on the latest generation of 4K compatible receivers. Availability on older devices is not known.
An internet connection is required to use the app.
BritBox allows users to access archive and premium content from the BBC, ITV, Channel 4, and Channel 5 on-demand, for a monthly subscription.
A man has been jailed for two years after selling devices to allow illegal access to premium streamed content.
The man from West Yorkshire sold 2,500 such devices, with accompanying illicit subscriptions, between 2015 and 2019. He made £200,000 selling the devices on both ebay and through his website.
The devices allowed users to bypass subscriptions to premium sports, film, and TV content.
Ahead of the start of the new Premier League season of football this weekend, BT have made their BT Sport app available on more devices.
The app can now be found on Amazon Fire TV, Android TV, and Roku devices, enabling BT Sport customers with a valid subscription access on more devices.
BT Sport is also available through BT TV, Sky, TalkTalk TV, and Virgin Media, along with mobiles, and tablets. Samsung smart TV, Now TV, Sony PlayStation, Xbox, Google Chromecast, and Apple TV devices can also access the service.
Additionally, for 4K devices, BT Sport Ultimate shows content in 4K with High Dynamic Range (HDR), offering enhanced picture quality.
With Covid-19 still forcing matches to be played behind closed doors, it has been confirmed that all September Premier League football matches will be shown live on TV.
Sky and BT Sport had already selected to show 17 matches, with a further 11 to also now be shown. Of these, Sky will show a further six, BT Sport will show a further three, with Amazon Prime and the BBC to show one each.
The BBC have confirmed that they will be showing Leicester City’s home fixture against Burnley, on 20th September (2020) with kick-off at 7pm.
It has not been confirmed if more Championship, League 1, and League 2 games will be televised.
Pluto TV is now available on web browsers, opening up the service to users of desktops, laptops, and other devices without a dedicated app.
Pluto TV announced the development yesterday (Monday 7th September 2020), with the move further expanding the number of devices that can access the service.
Pluto TV is an advert supported platform allowing users to stream over 100 channels for free. Most channels are based around a particular programming strand or series, emulating a traditional TV channel, and most are unique to Pluto TV.
Pluto TV is owned by ViacomCBS, who also own free-to-air Channel 5, and premium channel MTV.
Virgin Media has added YouTube Kids to its V6 TV platform, allowing a child friendly platform for streaming Youtube videos.
The app can be set for different age groups, allowing parents to customise the experience so it is appropriate to their children.
The app is available to Virgin Media subscribers with the newer V6 box. Users of the previous generation Tivo box will not have access to the app at this time.
American football league National Football League (NFL), and ViacomCBS have agreed a three year deal that will see NFL coverage on ViacomCBS owned Channel 5. Coverage will launch on the 13th September.
The deal sees the return of Monday Night Football live on free-to-air TV. A new Sunday morning magazine programme called NFL End Zone will also air at 11.30am each Sunday, and will be filmed in a different US location each week.
The deal will also see NFL content air across MTVs digital platforms in the UK, with MTV also being owned by ViacomCBS.
Channel 5 was previously an NFL broadcaster from 1998 to 2009.
Netflix has made some of its original content available for free, without the need to sign-up for an account.
Available only via desktop, laptop, or Android web browsers, the content is preceded by a 30 second long skip-able advert.
Titles available include some episodes of series including Stranger Things, Elite, When They See Us, and Love Is Blind. Additionally, some movie titles are also available, including Bird Box and The Two Popes.
