Services like Netflix, Amazon Prime, Disney Plus and NOW mean that you can watch many TV shows and movies, old and new, whenever you want.
But if you don’t feel like cutting the cord completely and still want to have access to some live broadcasts and terrestrial TV channels, you always have the option of Freeview TV.
As the name suggests, Freeview is free, but you will need an aerial and a TV licence to access it.
Freeview lets you watch 100 entertainment channels (including +1 channels) and 20 HD channels, as well as 10 children's channels (including HD channels), six news channels (including Sky News) and seven streamed channels.
Take a look at what's on Freeview at no monthly cost or contract:
In June 2022, Freeview removed a number of channels from its TV guide. The following channels you can no longer get on Freeview are:
FreeSports
CBS Justice
More4+1
PBS America +1
Forces TV
BBC NEWS HD
QVC HD
QVC Beauty HD
Quest HD
Although you won’t have access to the latest HBO shows with Freeview, you can still watch a mix of popular and top-notch TV.
This includes everything from nightly soap operas, reality contests like the Great British Bake Off and The Masked Singer, classics like Midsomer Murders and Call the Midwife and fantastic UK dramas like Sherlock and Broadchurch.
A lot of TV providers offer basic Freeview-only packages, which you can then supplement with monthly add-ons for premium sports and movie channels on rolling monthly contracts so you can sign up for short-term features. This includes BT TV and TalkTalk TV.
Another option for downgrading your TV subscription, while still accessing some live TV, is to sign up for a NOW Entertainment membership — which is the only way to watch Sky Atlantic (and, therefore, Game of Thrones) without a Sky subscription.
For less than £10 a month, you can watch 15 pay-TV channels, including many Sky channels on Freeview:
Sky Atlantic
Sky Max
Sky Witness
Sky Nature
Sky Comedy
Sky History
Sky Crime
Sky Documentaries
Sky Showcase
Peacock
MTV
Comedy Central
GOLD
National Geographic
SYFY
These TV channels can either be streamed live, or you can watch programmes from their catch-up and on-demand libraries.
Freeview has come built into almost all new TVs since around 2010. So if you've bought a TV in the last twelve years, you likely won't need a Freeview box in order to watch it.
However, if you'd like the opportunity to record, rewind and pause what you watch on Freeview, you will need need to buy a Freeview set-top box. Prices for those start at around £129, and you can get them on the Freeview website.
Need to watch a new episode or sports events live but don’t have access to the TV right now? It’s easy to watch live TV online no matter what device you’re using.
Learn moreThanks to digital TV, we have access to hundreds of channels and thousands of series available on-demand and in HD format. Learn more about what digital TV is and how to watch your favourite digital TV content.
Learn moreGreat TV isn't limited to shows from the US and UK. Here are some of the best international TV shows and where you can watch them.
Learn more