The popularity of streaming services has made many of us cut the cord on large TV packages, and instead opt for a combination of streaming subscriptions and Freeview TV.
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.
Like the name suggests, Freeview is free, but you will need an aerial and a TV licence to access it.
What channels are on Freeview?
Freeview lets you watch 100 entertainment channels (including +1 channels) and 20 HD channels, as well as 10 children's channels (plus HD channels), six news channels (including Sky News) and five streamed channels.
Take a look at what's on Freeview at no monthly cost or contract:
- BBC ONE
- BBC ONE NI
- BBC ONE Scot
- BBC ONE Wales
- BBC TWO
- BBC TWO NI
- BBC TWO Wales
- ITV
- ITV Wales
- STV
- UTV
- Channel 4
- S4C
- Channel 5
- ITV 2
- BBC ALBA
- Channel 4
- Local TV
- Local TV
- BBC FOUR
- BBC Scotland
- ITV3
- Sky Arts
- QUEST
- E4
- E4
- Film4
- Channel 4+1
- QVC
- Really
- More 4
- Dave
- Drama
- 5 USA
- Ideal World
- Dave ja vu
- BBC FOUR
- ITV4
- Yesterday
- ITVBe
- ITVBe
- ITV2 +1
- E4+1
- 4Music
- 5STAR
- Paramount Network
- GREAT! movies
- ITV +1
- STV+1
- UTV+1
- Pick
- QVC Beauty
- QVC Style
- DMAX
- Quest Red
- CBS Justice
- GREAT! movies action
- Food Network
- HGTV
- Gems TV
- Channel 5+1
- Film4+1
- Challenge
- 4seven
- GREAT! tv
- TJC
- GREAT! movies classic
- TG4
- RTÉ One
- RTÉ Two
- 5SELECT
- Smithsonian Channel
- ITVBe+1
- ITV3+1
- ITV4+1
- GREAT! movies +1
- GREAT! tv +1
- GREAT! movies classic +1
- Blaze
- FreeSports
- TBN UK
- CBS Reality
- CBS Drama
- Horror Channel
- QUEST+1
- Quest Red+1
- Jewellery Maker
- Shopping Quarter
- Drama +1
- Yesterday+1
- NOW 70s
- NOW 80s
- TCC
- NOW 90s
- Clubland TV
- Blaze+1
- TalkingPictures TV
- Together TV
- PBS America
- Craft Store TV
- More4+1
- PBS America +1
- Country Music Entertainment
- TV Warehouse
- That's TV Gold
- Ideal Extra
- Create & Craft
- Forces TV
- Manchester TV
- Freeview
- BBC 1 Scot HD
- BBC 1 Wales HD
- BBC ONE HD
- BBC ONE NI HD
- BBC 2 Wales HD
- BBC TWO HD
- BBC TWO NI HD
- ITV HD
- ITV Wales HD
- STV HD
- UTV HD
- Channel 4 HD
- Channel 5 HD
- BBC FOUR HD
- BBC NEWS HD
- BBC Scotland HD
- QVC HD
- QVC Beauty HD
- RT HD
- QUEST HD
- CBBC
- CBeebies
- CITV
- CBBC HD
- CBeebies HD
- POP
- Tiny Pop
- POP Max
- Ketchup TV
- YAAAS!
- BBC NEWS
- BBC Parliament
- Sky News
- RT
- Al Jazeera Eng
- GB News
Series available on Freeview
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.
Adding TV channels to Freeview
A lot of TV providers offer basic Freeview-only packages, which you can then supplement with monthly add-ons for premium sport 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.
Do I need a Freeview box?
Freeview has come built into almost all new TVs from 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 Freeviw set-top box. Prices for those start at around £129, and you can get them on its website.