PSBs to be streamed live and on demand via TVs with Amazon Fire
The company behind streaming platform Freely has struck an agreement that will see the PSBs’ live and on-demand services available on smart TVs using the Amazon platform.
Following the landmark deal, the BBC, ITV, Channel 4 and Channel 5-backed platform will be available on a wide range of next-gen smart TVs which use the Amazon Fire operating system from this autumn. It will also become the main TV guide across Amazon Fire TV smart TVs and smart TVs with Fire TV built-in.
Freely launched in April and offers a mix of live channels and on-demand content from the four founding broadcasters, as well as other free content such as UKTV’s channels, certain Sky and Warner Bros. Discovery channels, and more.
The Fire TV operating system will provide Freely on new Amazon Fire TV smart TVs including Fire TV 2-Series and 4-Series.
Jonathan Thompson, chief executive at Everyone TV – the company behind Freely - said: “A deal of this kind, between a technology giant and those working in the public interest, is remarkable. It represents a significant development in widening the availability of Freely and therefore ensuring UK audiences can access free TV well into the future.
“I am pleased Amazon sees the immense value that easy access to public service broadcaster and other free-to-view content brings to UK audiences. This is the beginning of a journey, bringing invaluable content to UK audiences and uniting what was an increasingly fragmented viewing experience.”
Amazon’s director of Fire TV Europe Emma Gilmartin said: “This new deal for Freely allows us to provide even more value to our customers by giving them easy access to the best free TV shows, films and live channels from UK broadcasters, alongside the great content they already enjoy on Fire TV.”
Freely’s operator Everyone TV has also entered new partnerships with smart TV provider TCL for 2024 4k smart TVs with Fire TV OS and Freely, and Panasonic smart TVs with Fire OS. The platform is already available through Toshiba, Sharp, Panasonic, Metz TVs, Bush and Hisense.
Freely allows audiences to switch between live channels and on demand content for free, removing the need for a dish or aerial.
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