Exclusive first look at new Sky rival that will let you stream TV for free
If the latest Sky TV price hike news has got you thinking about changing your current plan, a new service could offer a much cheaper solution. In fact, when the recently announced Freely platform launches in the spring it will be totally free to watch and you won't have to sign up for any long-term contracts either.
This upcoming way to tune into telly has been created by the team at Everyone TV - that's the same firm behind Freesat and Freeview. What makes Freely different is the way live and on-demand shows will be beamed to screens with homes using their broadband rather than an aerial or satellite dish to stay entertained.
That puts Freely in direct competition with Sky's latest Glass TV and Stream box which also both use the web rather than over-the-air signals.
Of course, Freely won't offer the same premium sports or blockbuster movie coverage as Sky but it will include over 70 live channels plus a swathe of on-demand content that’s all free.
Freely TV Guide (REACH PLC)Although it won't arrive in UK homes until the spring, Mirror Online has been one of the first to see this service in action and it appears pretty impressive.
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A quick look at the TV Guide shows a simple but information-packed UI that also appears very easy to navigate. From the Guide, it will be simple to find additional things to watch, more episodes of favourite shows and recommendations linked to things you already enjoy viewing.
To make things even faster, there will also be the introduction of a new MiniGuide which pops up each time you switch channels - this will make it more seamless to find related live or on-demand content
Another nice bonus is a dedicated Freely button which will be part of compatible remote controls. Tapping this will bring up a Browse option which shows recommended shows and movies from all of the biggest TV providers.
Freely TV launch (FREELY)The demo we saw looks pretty effortless and the web connection means there’s no need for aerials to be drilled into the chimney or an ugly dish stuck to the walls.
Along with showing off what's to come, Freely has also announced another partnership with a TV manufacturer. Vestel has more than 20 TV including Toshiba, Bush, and JVC and will now be featuring the new streaming service on its screens meaning there will be no need for a separate set-top box. Vestel now joins Hisense by announcing Freely compatibility.
Speaking about the news, Sarah Milton and Carl Pfeiffer, Joint Chief Product Officers, Everyone TV said: “It’s clear the way people are watching TV is changing, with more audiences switching over to a broadband only connection.
"We’ve built Freely around the needs of British audiences, bringing them the freedom to choose how they want to watch, with all their favourite shows from the UK’s leading broadcasters all in one place for free. We’re really proud of what we’re launching with Freely and are excited about bringing major enhancements like the MiniGuide to viewers as Freely launches in Q2 this year.”
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