The next chapter for Freeview
October 2015
Overview
Freeview Play is the next chapter in the evolution of the UK’s most
popular TV service providing complimentary on-demand content to
the core broadcast TV service
“A new free service built into TVs and set-top boxes that lets you watch live TV and catch up
all in one place. There’s a scroll-back programme guide to help you find shows you’ve missed
over the last week and access to the UK’s most-watched TV Players – BBC iPlayer, ITV Player,
All4 and Demand 5 * – with more coming soon.”
Freeview is the trusted brand to drive sales and growth
Free and unbundled service
Open and collaborative
Adopting international standards
*Channel 5 to be added soon to scroll back TV guide. Demand 5 player is already available via the apps page
News Update
Panasonic and Vestel will be the first manufacturers to launch TVs featuring the Freeview Play
connected TV service. Panasonic’s Freeview Play TVs are available now
Humax will be the first to launch Freeview Play set-top boxes with Manhattan to follow in 2016
Freeview has re-branded with a new look to support the launch of Freeview Play delivering its
biggest ever TV advertising campaign
Strategic Rationale
Evolution of Freeview
• Consumer-focused offer
• The platform remains compelling
An evolving hybrid service to ensure
Freeview remains the UK’s largest TV
platform
Market Opportunity
The Freeview brand helps drive mass market sales
More than 100m Freeview TVs and boxes sold over last 13 years
13m units Freeview HD sold
High level of consumer trust and awareness
DTT is UK’s leading platform – watched in 19 million homes (in 10 million of them,
it’s the only TV service)
Platform forecast to grow over next 10 years
Development Priorities
The aim is to create a hybrid IP/DTT proposition that offers
viewers a consistent and easy-to-use connected TV service
Freeview Play:
A new, open technical specification which embraces Freeview HD and HbbTV 2.0
A consolidated cross-platform metadata stream
Consumer-focused rules and guidelines for user interface and content presentation
Multi-million pound advertising campaign from Freeview
A simple and manageable test regime
Gives viewers a scroll-back TV Guide
Gives access to catch up and on demand – from BBC, ITV, Channel 4 and Channel 5 *
*Channel 5 to be added soon to scroll back TV guide. Demand 5 player is already available via the apps page
Technical Specification & Test
Builds on Freeview HD
D-Book Part A incorporating DVB-T2
Base-lined against HbbTV 2.0
• DRM
• EPG
• Advertising
Common hybrid standard
Fit-for-purpose test regime
Broadcast
HbbTV
EPG
compliance
Player
compliance
Consumer Demand
Freeview Play will integrate the most popular
on-demand services with broadcast TV
Demand for connected television is growing: latest research suggests more than half of UK
homes (56%) had a TV connected to the internet, either via a set-top box or a smart TV, by
the end of 2014 (1)
•
A full Freeview Play proposition will make it more likely that people will use catch up
Research shows that a catch up service from Freeview is big news
•
•
•
•
(2)
Exciting for customers
Adds value to the Freeview brand
Shows viewers that there’s more available for free than they thought
Gives people another reason to choose Freeview
Free catch up makes people question pay TV
(2)
• In research, discussion of a Freeview Play proposition made even loyal pay-tv fans question the
value of their contracts
(1)
(2)
Ofcom Communications Market Report 2015
Freeview Market Proposition Research, The Nursery, Jun 2014
Freeview Play is live and ready to work with new partners
– talk to us today
Product rules and guidelines for manufacturers and content providers are
available
Panasonic, Vestel, Humax and Manhattan already signed up – other expressions of
interest welcome
Test, Compliance and Assurance regime at advanced stage of development
Watch Freeview’s heavyweight promotion on TV and via their website
Summary
Combines catch up TV, on-demand services and live television, enabling viewers to watch what they want,
when they want
Common technology standard offering a scalable hybrid proposition
The service will seamlessly blend DTT with IP content
All products will meet the existing Freeview HD standard
The connected specification is based on open international standards
Free from subscription and compatible with existing broadband services
Features the UK’s most-watched TV Players - BBC iPlayer, ITV Player, All4, Demand 5*
Programme search via a scroll-back programme guide as well as dedicated apps page
Partnering with multiple manufacturers to produce new range of TVs and set-top boxes available at
different price points and enabled by accessing any existing or new broadband service
*Channel 5 to be added soon to scroll back TV guide. Demand 5 player is already available via the apps page