Freely Update: Watchlist Coming To Freeview’s Successor

This post may contain affiliate links*

Remember Freely? The streaming platform that’s being positioned as the future of Freeview in the UK?

While you might not be using it yet (it’s still limited to 2024-2025 TV models), the service is steadily evolving, and this week marks an important milestone – the addition of a proper ‘My List’ feature.

The new watchlist, rolling out to all supported devices this week, lets you select up to 50 of your favourite titles from across Freely’s catalogue.

These selections can come from any of the (currently) 11 different players on the platform, and they’ll appear in a dedicated rail right on your homepage – meaning no more endless scrolling through menus or repeatedly searching for specific shows.

Freely: The Road So Far

For those who haven’t been following Freely’s journey, the platform launched in April 2024 as the broadband-based successor to Freeview and Freesat.

Freely collage

Developed by Everyone TV (the same folks behind Freeview and Freesat), it’s designed to be a unified streaming platform that combines live TV channels with on-demand content from various UK broadcasters, all accessible without the need for an aerial or satellite dish – at least for the channels that are available via streaming.

At its heart is a combined Electronic Programme Guide (EPG) that brings together streaming channels, over-the-air and on-demand content in one place.

This means you can seamlessly switch between watching live broadcasts and catching up on shows from services like BBC iPlayer, ITVX, and Channel 4, with and without an aerial.

The initial launch felt, let’s be honest, a bit half-baked. The platform started with just the five main broadcasters (BBC, ITV, Channel 4, Channel 5, and STV), with many Freeview channels missing (unless you connect an aerial – which defeats the purpose of a broadband-based service).

Furthermore, Freely was only available on select 2024 Smart TV models from manufacturers like Hisense and Vestel.

It later expanded to Amazon Fire TV-powered televisions in autumn 2024 (but again, only to televisions – not to Fire TV sticks), and got a boost when UKTV joined the party with channels like U&Dave and U&Drama.

Things are hopefully looking brighter for 2025 though. Just last month, Freely announced a significant expansion coming in early 2025, adding eight new live-streaming channels (including TRUE CRIME, LEGEND, and PBS America) and four new on-demand players to its lineup.

Freely 8 new channels amc pbs gbnews

This will bring its total offering to over 40 streamed live channels, with 74,000 hours of on-demand content – though quite a few smaller Freeview channels are still missing.

Freely’s New ‘My List’ Feature

For anyone who’s used Netflix, Disney+, Prime Video, or practically any other streaming service out there, a watchlist or favourites feature is a basic necessity that’s been around for years.

While it’s somewhat peculiar that Freely launched without this fundamental feature, it’s finally here – and it works pretty much exactly as you’d expect.

The My List feature allows you to save up to 50 programmes from any of the 11 players available on Freely.

Your selected shows appear in a dedicated rail on the Browse homepage, making it easy to pick up where you left off or keep track of shows you want to watch later.

Freely My List

While the 50-show limit might seem a bit restrictive compared to other services, it’ll probably be enough for most households – unless you have a big family that watches quite a lot of TV.

How To Use Freely’s My List:

To add a programme:

  • Select the show you’re interested in
  • Head to its information screen
  • Click the “+ Add to My List” button

Freely Add to my List

To view your saved programmes:

  • Press the Freely button on your remote
  • Select “Browse” from the top menu
  • Look for your dedicated My List rail

Removing items is just as simple – just go back to the show’s information screen and click “Remove from My List”.

The platform promises that My List is just the first step towards greater personalisation, with “many more exciting updates and features” planned for later this year. 

Want to stay updated on the latest Freely news and features? Don’t forget to Subscribe to our free newsletter.

5 thoughts on “Freely Update: Watchlist Coming To Freeview’s Successor”

  1. If the masses are stupid enough to adopt Freely they will be giving up the options to record there favourite shows or skip the ads forever!

    Don’t do it folks or you’ll regret it.

    Reply
    • I agree that not being able to record is a concern, even though I am stupid enough to adopt Freely. But in the long term, we’ll have no choice anyway, as Freeview, Freesat, and Sky Satellite, will be shut down.

      As for ad-skipping, who knows, maybe Freely, or individual services, will one day allow that for a fee. I think I.T.V.X already does that, like some pay services already do.

      Reply
  2. Whilst people continue to moan about the switch to streaming, it’ll soon become the norm.
    Once Freely exists as an app on mobile and streaming devices it will truly begin to flourish. Right now it’s still finding its feet, working out how it’s going to exist and sustain the volume of data it needs to consistently stream, all for ‘free’ (or rather the cost of the licence fee & advertising revenue.)
    I’d gladly use it if it were an app – we are already a fully streamed household – but EveryoneTV’s decision to bake it into TV operating systems is genuinely irritating. At the moment we stream free-to-air TV on demand via the appropriate apps. We pay for ITVX Premium and Channel 4+ so get everything we want from those channels ad-free. This is the key thing that viewers need to get used to – if you don’t want ads then you’re going to have to pay for it. The days of recording so you can fast forward through them are coming to an end. Get used to it.

    Reply
  3. Any sign of the queues of viewers looking to upgrade to an inferior product that doesn’t record, enable FF through adverts, or have the same number of channels as it’s predecessor?

    Having just spent a grand on a new Samsung smart TV, plus having a 4K Fire Stick, this so called ‘upgrade’ is unavailable to me. So I’ll have to stick to my reliable YouView box that does what most people want.

    Reply

Leave a Comment

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

man watchin streaming tv on tablet

Get Cord Buster's Free UK TV Streaming Cheatsheet

FREE

Subscribe To Our Newsletter

Get TV And Tech News

Get Bonus Streaming TV Guide