CONNECTED VISION
Watch this space for the future of television
After years of speculation about the future of terrestrial television in the United Kingdom, the government has published a long-awaited media Green Paper. It offers something both more significant and less dramatic than many expected. There is no announcement of a date to switch off digital terrestrial television. The government considers 2034 or 2044 as future milestones for television distribution. The document opens a consultation on how public service media should evolve as audiences increasingly watch television online.
The Green Paper recognises that “people are increasingly going online for their content, as global video platforms continue to grow and traditional broadcast viewing is declining in the UK”. Among younger audiences, video sharing services have already overtaken both streaming and broadcast television.
Rather than focusing on preserving traditional broadcasting, the paper proposes supporting the BBC’s transition “from a traditional public service broadcaster, once rooted in linear television and radio channels, to a public service media entity, fit for the platform age”.
The government says it will work with the BBC and other public service media providers to develop “a strategic response to the opportunities and challenges presented by the digital world”. It wants to establish the BBC as “a trusted, public values leader in new technology”, develop “a public service platform strategy”, and “future-proof broadcast services”.
The document highlights Freely, launched in partnership by the BBC, ITV, Channel 4, and Channel 5, allowing viewers to stream live and on-demand television over broadband without an aerial or satellite dish. It describes this as an example of public service media providers adapting together as more people access content through streaming rather than digital terrestrial television.
Those looking for a timetable for turning off digital terrestrial may be disappointed. The Green Paper is exactly that: a consultation. It poses questions rather than providing firm answers and leaves significant policy decisions for the future.
The paper does outline two possible planning horizons. One reflects the current policy framework, with existing digital terrestrial television arrangements extending to 2034, while an alternative scenario considers continuing those services until 2044 to allow a more gradual transition. The consultation seeks views on these options rather than proposing a definitive switch-off date.
In doing so, the consultation keeps open the principal options advocated by different parts of the industry, inviting views rather than signalling a preferred direction.
There is little reference to particular technologies or standards, like DVB-I. The document talks extensively about platforms, connected devices, streaming services, and public service media, but remains largely technology neutral about how those services should be discovered and presented to viewers.
That may prove to be an opportunity rather than a weakness. If the future of television is defined less by transmitters and more by trusted services available across connected devices, then the challenge becomes one of discovery, navigation, and interoperability rather than simply distribution.
The era of broadcast television is not ending overnight. The Green Paper makes one thing clear: government thinking has shifted from protecting traditional channels to ensuring that public service media continues to reach audiences wherever and however they choose to watch.
Beyond the question of when, or whether, digital terrestrial television might end, the Green Paper suggests that the bigger policy challenge is discovery rather than distribution. Questions of prominence, navigation, and trusted public service media on connected platforms receive at least as much attention as transmission networks. For an industry increasingly defined by streaming, that may prove to be the more consequential debate.
Watch this space: a new strategic direction for UK media – green paper and public consultation is published by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport and is available from the government web site.
TF1 now on Netflix in France
TF1 channels and programmes will now be available on Netflix in France. The distribution partnership was announced a year ago. It integrates TF1 programming within the Netflix experience. The agreement is the first of its kind between Netflix and a major free-to-air broadcaster.
Netflix members in France will be able to watch live broadcasts from TF1, TMC, TFX, TF1 Séries Films, and the 24-hour news channel LCI. That will include coverage of major live sporting events, but not the football World Cup.
“I’m thrilled to see this groundbreaking partnership with Netflix come to life,” said Rodolphe Belmer, the chief executive of the TF1 Group. “Netflix subscribers will now get to enjoy the very best of TF1 television like never before.
“By combining our programming with the power of Netflix’s recommendations, we will reach new audiences together and open up new opportunities for our advertisers.”
Greg Peters, the co-chief executive of Netflix, said: “Our partnership with TF1 brings together two strong, complementary content offerings in a world-class user experience, delivering even more entertainment value for our members in France.”
He has also said that Netflix will look to add more traditional broadcasters to its platform, using this deal to learn how such partnerships worked best.
The TF1 group is a leading French media company, reaching 60 million monthly viewers through its broadcast channels and serves 38 million users on its TF1+ streaming service.
The distribution deal gives Netflix subscribers in France access to one of the largest television programming libraries in the country, while offering TF1 an additional way to reach viewers.
TF1 will retain responsibility for programming, advertising sales and rights management, while Netflix supplies distribution, the product experience and its recommendation technology. Financial details of the relationship have not been disclosed.
It is a model that has been carefully viewed by media companies in Europe since it was announced. It could provide a template for future deals with other broadcasters.
Fox in Roku house
Fox Corporation will acquire Roku in a deal that values Roku at around $22 billion. The transaction will combine the sports, news, and entertainment programming of Fox, plus the Tubi online service, with the Roku platform, which has more than 100 million active households.
The companies say it will create a scaled next-generation media and technology company positioned at the intersection of two of the most important forces reshaping video consumption: the enduring primacy of live sports and news, and the continued rise of online video.
They say they are committed to continuing to operate Roku as an open, partner-friendly platform and to the continued ubiquitous distribution of Fox programming.
Fox previously acquired Tubi in 2020 as a standalone online video service, supported by advertising and available across multiple devices.
“This is a defining moment for FOX, and a natural extension of the deliberate and focused strategy we have been executing for nearly a decade,” said Lachlan Murdoch, the chief executive of Fox Corporation. “Today, we take the next step: bringing together the most valuable live content portfolio in video consumption with the preeminent streaming platform through which America watches it.”
Anthony Wood, the founder and chief executive of Roku, said: “Over the past two decades, we’ve built Roku into the leading TV streaming platform, reaching more than 100 million households globally and reshaping how people discover and enjoy entertainment. I’m incredibly proud of what our team has built, and the combination with FOX is an extraordinary opportunity to accelerate our vision, scale faster and innovate more aggressively for viewers, partners and advertisers.”
With this transaction, Fox is buying its way into online distribution, with an established user interface and operating system available on millions of devices and displays.
It is a platform that carries competitors like Netflix and Disney. The obvious question is not whether Fox will favour its own services, but how it demonstrates that it does not.
Between them, Tube and the Roku channel command over 5% of all television viewing in the United States, with Fox accounting for over 7%. The combined company will become the third-largest player by share of viewing in the United States.
The deal, which is subject to regulatory approval and closing conditions, would give existing Fox shareholders around 73% of the combined company, with Roku shareholders having 27%.
Anthony Wood, a pioneer of the digital video recorder, founded Roku in 2002. He was hired by Netflix to develop an online video product, but it was never launched. Netflix transferred the project to Roku and took a 15% equity stake in the company. Roku launched a project, originally known as the Netflix Player. As demand grew, Roku added support for other services, like Hulu and Amazon Prime. Within six years, the company sold more than 10 million devices and now has over 100 million active accounts around the world.
He will continue to have a role in the combined company and will join the Fox board of directors.