Freely, the online video platform from Everyone TV in the United Kingdom owned by the BBC, ITV, Channel 4 and Channel 5, will be available on the next generation of televisions powered by the Roku operating system. Freely will become the default television guide on additional Sharp, JVC, and METZ models, and on Polaroid branded televisions.
Jonathan Thompson, the chief executive of Everyone TV, said: “Offering Freely on the Roku operating system is a major milestone for us, as we continue to expand reach for the free streaming platform.”
Despite being big in the United States, where it is the leading television platform for online video, Roku is less of a name in the United Kingdom, although its operating system is used on some models from brands like Sharp and JVC.
Richard Halton, the Roku country manager for the United Kingdom, and former chief executive of YouView, said: “Roku believes that all TV will be streamed. Together we will bring the best content discovery experience to viewers across the UK. We look forward to unveiling our new Roku TV models with Freely built-in, which will be available from UK retailers this summer.”
Freely is also available on televisions from Hisense, TCL, Panasonic, Philips, Toshiba, and others, including Amazon Fire televisions.
Freely is being presented as the online future of television in the United Kingdom, effectively replacing Freeview and Freeview Play, which together with Freesat reach over 15 million households in the country.
However, the two market leaders, Samsung and LG, that together account for about half of televisions sold in the country, have yet to show any intention to support Freely.