Everyone TV has announced that Freely has reached more than half a million weekly users.
A year since the launch of Freely, a strategic partnership between the main public service broadcasters (PSB) in the UK, a new report has revealed the platform is forecast to be the country’s biggest within the next five years.
Commissioned by Everyone TV, the research was carried out by Oliver & Obihaum and found that British audiences are continuing to turn to PSBs including BBC, ITV, Channel 4 and 5. As streaming grows throughout the UK, the report, ‘The Heart of the Nation: The enduring power of the national broadcasters’, indicated Freely is likely to provide the primary platform in the majority of homes by 2030.
Among its key findings, the report said:
- Audiences in the UK still overwhelmingly turn to British broadcasters for the TV moments that bring them together and matter the most, with shows like Mr Bates vs The Post Office and Gavin & Stacey among the most unforgettable programmes of recent years.
- National broadcasters best represent our lives on screen. More than half of participants stated PSBs were best at representing people like those in their family, compared with 27 per cent for subscription platforms and 13 per cent for video-sharing services such as YouTube and TikTok.
- PSBs best represent lower income households or those outside London. The survey found PSBs best represented 60 per cent of low income households, against 22 per cent and 14 per cent for streamers and video sharing platforms respectively.
- PSBs better connect viewers with others around the country. Four times as many people reported feeling more connected to people in every nation and region with PSBs than video sharing platforms.
Freely is already integrated into new smart TVs and will be available for ‘plug-in and stream’ devices later this year. The collaboration aims to combat digital exclusion by continuing to ensure all audiences can easily access free television in the streaming age.
Commenting on the results, Jonathan Thompson, CEO at Everyone TV, said, “With the majority of our users streaming-only, it shows that Freely is accomplishing what we set out to do – provide an easy and simple way for audiences to enjoy their favourite free TV shows all in one place as viewing habits shift. It has been great to see young audiences embracing Freely, with a way for them to easily stream their favourite shows from the BBC, ITV, Channel 4, 5 and more. We know from the new report released today, national broadcasters are still providing the TV moments that we remember and that best represent us. As more viewers switch to streaming, we’re proud to be delivering those all-important TV moments for audiences on Freely, for many years to come!”
Mark Oliver, chairman & senior advisor, Oliver & Ohlbaum Associates, added, “As we increasingly hear a narrative that ‘YouTube is the new TV’, the report we have published today plays an important role in setting out the actual facts. British audiences of all ages still favour the long-loved national broadcasters. Our research shows that, by some way, they continue to best represent audiences’ real lives, right across the UK, unite and connect us, and produce the most memorable TV moments, some with lasting impact on our society. Perhaps that is why the most watched programming still comes from our public service broadcasters and why audiences are making a choice to continue to connect over these shows in the streaming age.”
