Key Takeaways

• Freely is where UK free TV is heading. It now carries around 70 live channels, has passed 2 million weekly users and is forecast to reach 10.5 million homes by 2034.

• You don’t need a Freeview multiplex slot to launch. IP-delivered channels join through a Freely Content Provider agreement with Everyone TV, with no dependency on terrestrial capacity.

• Timing matters. Apply for your channel number between eight and four weeks before launch, and expect around two weeks for Everyone TV to allocate it once your application is complete.

• The technical bar is high. Channels must meet Everyone TV’s delivery specifications, so most broadcasters work with an approved technology partner to handle encoding, packaging and delivery.

For years, getting a channel onto UK free TV meant buying multiplex capacity on Freeview or satellite space on Freesat. Freely changes that. It streams live channels over broadband, straight into the TV guide, alongside BBC One and ITV1.

That opens the door for broadcasters, content owners, local TV and FAST channel operators who could never justify the cost of terrestrial distribution. But the process is still new, and there’s very little practical guidance out there.

This guide walks through how Freely works, who can launch, what you need in place and how to make money once you’re live.

What is Freely?

Freely is a free streaming TV platform launched in April 2024 by Everyone TV, the organisation behind Freeview and Freesat. Everyone TV is jointly owned by the BBC, ITV, Channel 4 and Channel 5.

Freely brings live channels and on-demand content together in one TV guide, delivered over Wi-Fi. Viewers don’t need an aerial, though a Freely TV can combine streamed channels with terrestrial ones if an aerial is connected. It’s built into new smart TVs from brands including Hisense, and is also available through set-top boxes.

The platform is growing fast. Freely passed 2 million weekly users in 2026, and Everyone TV’s forecasts put it in 10.5 million UK homes by 2034, on track to overtake Freeview.

Why launch a channel on Freely?

• Prominent, trusted placement: Your channel sits in the same guide as the UK’s biggest broadcasters, not buried inside a standalone app.

• No multiplex costs: IP-delivered channels don’t need terrestrial or satellite capacity.

• Addressable advertising: Streamed channels can use server-side ad insertion to replace broadcast ad breaks with targeted ads and higher CPMs.

• Future-proofing: As UK TV shifts towards IP, channels that build a Freely audience now will be better placed when the broadcast switch-off debate moves on.

Freely channel types: which route is right for you?

Everyone TV’s channel numbering policy recognises a few different ways a channel can appear on Freely. Knowing which one applies to you shapes everything else.

For most new launches, the IP-delivered route is the one to focus on. It’s the simplest path onto the platform and doesn’t tie you to terrestrial capacity.

How to launch a channel on Freely: Step by step

Step 1: Check your channel is eligible

Before anything else, make sure your channel meets Everyone TV’s core requirements. These include:

• Appropriate licensing: Your channel or channel provider must be appropriately licensed. For most channels this means an Ofcom licence, and Everyone TV engages with providers directly on what applies.

• Minimum broadcast hours: Channels must broadcast at least six hours a day or 42 hours a week of audio-visual content. A static slate doesn’t count.

• Content and quality standards: Everyone TV has said its bar for content partners is high, covering quality, UK regulatory requirements and how ad loads are managed.

• A clear genre: Every channel is placed in a genre category such as Entertainment, News, Children’s or Shopping, which decides where it sits in the guide.

Step 2: Start the conversation with Everyone TV

Everyone TV runs confidential pre-application discussions with channel providers about channel number availability and the process. Use them. Speculative requests without a confirmed genre and launch date won’t be considered, so go in with a clear plan.

For IP-delivered channels, you’ll need a Freely Content Provider agreement with Everyone TV. This sets out the commercial and technical terms for carrying your channel.

Step 3: Get your technical delivery ready

This is where most of the work sits. Your stream has to meet Everyone TV’s technical specifications for IP-delivered channels, which can change over time.

In practice, that means acquiring your channel feed, encoding and normalising it, packaging it into DVB-DASH, and delivering it through a CDN that can handle national audiences. You’ll also need to think about DRM, monitoring and 24/7 support, because a live channel that drops out in the nation’s TV guide is very visible.

Unless you have an in-house streaming engineering team, this is the step where a technology partner saves the most time.

Step 4: Arrange your EPG schedule data

Viewers need to see what’s on. Everyone TV requires arrangements for providing schedule data to the guide, known as a schedule provider agreement. Make sure your scheduling and metadata workflows can supply accurate listings before launch.

Step 5: Apply for your channel number (LCN)

Your logical channel number (LCN) is the number viewers use to find you. Apply to Everyone TV between eight and four weeks before your planned launch date. Applications inside four weeks will still be processed, but your date isn’t guaranteed.

Your application should show that your channel meets the eligibility criteria and state which genre category you think fits best. Once a complete application is in, Everyone TV usually allocates an LCN within two weeks.

One thing to watch: if you don’t launch within eight weeks of your specified launch date, the LCN can be withdrawn.

Step 6: Plan how you’ll make money

Don’t leave monetisation until after launch. The big opportunity on Freely is server-side ad insertion (SSAI), which stitches targeted ads into the live stream so each viewer can see a different ad break.

For channels that also broadcast on Freeview, SSAI can replace standard broadcast ads with addressable IP ads, either for a whole centre break or spot by spot. That’s a genuine uplift on the same content. Read our guide to the best SSAI providers for more.

Step 7: Launch, measure and grow

Once you’re live, keep your channel inside the rules. You can take a break in broadcasting for up to 12 weeks in any rolling 12-month period, but going beyond that risks losing your LCN. Track viewing, ad performance and uptime, and use the data to build your case for better positioning in future reorderings of the guide.

Where will my channel appear in the Freely TV guide?

Freely’s guide is organised into genre categories, each with its own range of channel numbers. The first slots go to public service channels, including local TV at LCN 8 or 9 depending on the nation.

New non-public service channels are normally given the next available number at the end of their genre category. Channels from the same family can often sit side by side as a pair, and Everyone TV reorders the guide every three to five years, so audience performance matters over time.

How much does it cost to launch on Freely?

There’s no single published price. Everyone TV may levy charges for the allocation and use of LCNs, and the Freely Content Provider agreement sets out commercial terms.

Your other main cost is technical delivery: encoding, packaging, CDN, DRM and support. Compared with multiplex capacity on Freeview, IP delivery is usually far more accessible for smaller and newer channels.

How Simplestream helps you launch on Freely

Simplestream is a Freely technology partner and was one of the first non-PSB providers to deliver live IP channels to the platform. We’ve helped broadcasters bring more than a dozen channels onto Freely.

Our fully managed service covers ingest, encoding, packaging, monetisation, DRM, CDN and analytics, with 24/7 UK-based support. Channels keep 100% of their revenue.

Fast, compliant onboarding

We take your channel from almost any source and format, normalise and encode it, package it into DVB-DASH to meet Freely’s delivery specifications, apply your tags and deliver it through our CDN as standard.

SSAI on Freely

Simplestream supports server-side ad insertion on Freely live streams. For the CBS AMC Networks UK Channels Partnership, that means broadcast ads on True Crime, Legend and their sister channels can now be replaced with dynamic, addressable IP ads. Read the story.

Proven with local and national broadcasters

We launched London TV, Birmingham TV, KMTV, Latest TV Brighton, Liverpool TV and Leeds TV on Freely with fully managed IP distribution and SSAI. We’ve also powered Freely launches for AMC Networks International UK, PBS America, GB News and QVC. See how we launched local TV on Freely.

Channels built from your library

No linear channel yet? Channel Studio lets you build one from your VOD library and live events, ready for Freely and FAST platforms.

Ready to put your channel in every UK household? Talk to Simplestream about launching on Freely.

FAQs

Can any channel launch on Freely?

Not automatically. Channels need to be appropriately licensed, meet minimum broadcast hours, satisfy Everyone TV’s content and technical requirements and sign a Freely Content Provider agreement.

Do I need to be on Freeview to launch on Freely?

No. IP-delivered channels can join Freely without any terrestrial capacity. If you are already on Freeview, your streamed version can usually share the same channel number.

How long does it take to launch a channel on Freely?

The LCN process itself runs to a few weeks: apply eight to four weeks before launch, and allocation usually takes around two weeks. Technical onboarding and contracts add to that, so plan ahead.

What format does Freely use?

Freely channels are delivered as DVB-DASH streams that meet Everyone TV’s technical specifications.

Can I run ads on my Freely channel?

Yes. With SSAI, you can insert targeted ads into your live stream or replace broadcast ad breaks with addressable IP ads.

What’s the difference between Freely and Freeview?

Freeview delivers channels through an aerial. Freely streams them over broadband, with live and on-demand content in a single guide.

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