August is a big month for Freeview this year, bringing with it a long list of changes, with a major reorganization of the channel guide taking centre stage.
In response to the growing popularity of hybrid streaming channels, Freeview was running out of space for new channels of this type – therefore, 26 existing channels are now moving to new numbers between 250-299, making room for more streaming channels in the future.
Beyond this numbering overhaul, viewers can expect a mix of new Freeview arrivals and departures this month.
Three new hybrid streaming channels are joining the lineup, and some channels like Great! Real and NYX are bidding farewell to their standalone Freeview slots.
As always, these changes will require most viewers to retune their Freeview devices to ensure they have access to all the latest updates and channel positions.
Freeview, which has been around since 2002, is the UK’s terrestrial television platform. It provides free-to-air TV channels and radio stations (via a Freeview aerial), including more than 100 standard and HD channels. You can watch it on any supported TV, or via a set-top Freeview box.
To watch Freeview via broadband, you’ll need one of the new subscription-based devices like Sky Stream or Virgin Media Stream (though not all Freeview channels are available on these devices). Earlier this year, Everyone TV also launched Freely, which lets you watch SOME Freeview channels via broadband – but the channel lineup is still quite limited.
Also see our full Freeview guide.
New Freeview Channels
All the new Freeview channels launching this week are Hybrid streaming channels.
To watch streaming Freeview channels, you need a modern Freeview device that supports the HbbTV standard – most modern Smart TVs with Freeview Play, and Freeview Play set-top boxes (like the Manhattan T3-R and the new Manhattan T4-R, the Humax Aura and others) already support this standard.
Once your device is connected to broadband (AND to the aerial as well – hence the ‘hybrid’), you will be able to access these IP-only Freeview channels like normal channels through the electronic TV Guide.
The new connected channels are:
- Trailblazer, on connected Freeview Channel 253
- Odyssey TV, on connected Freeview Channel 256
- Global Arabic +, on connected Freeview Channel 283
Everyone TV did not provide any additional information about these channels other than their names and numbers – but we’ll update once more information becomes available.
Freeview Channels Shutting Down
A few Freeview channels have been removed this week:
Great! Real
As we reported yesterday, the short-lived factual and reality TV channel, which launched just five months ago, has ceased to broadcast on Freeview Channel 61. (and from Sky).
Curiously, there’s no official announcement from Freeview about its removal – and technically it still exists on Channel 61 – but it no longer broadcasts anything. Some devices will remove it after a retune.
While Great! Real has shut down, some of its content remains available elsewhere:
Several of its programmes have been moved to Great! Action, which is available on Freeview Channel 42.
Additionally, some of the shows are available on Great! Player, an on-demand streaming service for connected Freeview Play boxes, that includes content from across the Great! Channels’ library.
NYX
A channel dedicated to horror, that launched last year, has now been removed from Freeview Channel 289.
While the standalone channel is no longer available, NYX is now available as part of the Channel Box streaming platform, on Freeview Channel 271.
Talk TV / Seen On TV
These two channels were shut down a while ago – TalkTV became a streaming-only channel back in March (and is now available on Freeview Connected Channel 280), and the Seen on TV shopping channel ceased to exist a couple of months ago.
But this month, they’re finally being removed from the EPG (Talk TV DTT from Freeview Channel 237, and Seen on TV from Freeview Channel 79).
Freeview Channel Changes: The Big Reshuffle
As we previously reported, Everyone TV launched a consultation process in early May 2024 to address the growing demand for space to accommodate new hybrid streaming channels on Freeview.
The consultation proposed merging the ‘Text’ and ‘Streamed’ genres to create more room for these services. Following the consultation, Everyone TV decided to proceed with the merger.
Today’s Freeview channel reorganization addresses the rapid growth of hybrid streaming channels on the platform.
The previous ‘Streamed’ category (channels 260-299) had reached capacity, limiting further expansion. To solve this, Everyone TV has merged the underutilized ‘Text’ genre (250-259) with the ‘Streamed’ category, creating a new “Hybrid Streamed and Text” genre spanning channels 250-299.
This change effectively increases the available space for hybrid streaming services from 40 to 50 channel numbers.
However, it also means that quite a few channels are now changing places:
| Channel Name | Channel number | New Number |
|---|---|---|
| On Demand 365 | 265 | 254 |
| France24 | 266 | 255 |
| Al Jazeera English | 267 | 251 |
| Al Jazeera Arabic | 268 | 252 |
| Filmstream | 269 | 257 |
| Real Crime | 270 | 258 |
| MBC | 272 | 259 |
| ASHARQ NEWS | 274 | 260 |
| AL ARABIYA | 275 | 261 |
| Shots! | 276 | 262 |
| Alaraby Network | 279 | 264 |
| ROK | 280 | 265 |
| Revelation TV | 281 | 266 |
| GOD TV | 282 | 267 |
| 3ABN | 283 | 268 |
| AmazingDiscoveries | 284 | 269 |
| Together TV IP | 285 | 270 |
| NHK World | 286 | 272 |
| Newsmax | 287 | 273 |
| Amazing Facts | 288 | 274 |
| Mech+ | 290 | 276 |
| Nosey | 292 | 278 |
| Purpose Media | 293 | 279 |
| Talk | 294 | 280 |
| EXTREME CHANNEL | 295 | 281 |
| GINX TV | 296 | 282 |
As mentioned, all these channels are “Hybrid” channels, which means you can only get them on supported Freeview devices that are connected to broadband.
Channel Rebrands
Several channels have changed their names (and focus) this month.
- That’s Memories has changed to That’s TV 3 on Freeview Channel 71
Just two months ago, we told you about the brand-new “History and Culture” channel from the makers of That’s TV.
Well, that’s gone – and That’s Memories has now transformed into the third iteration of That’s TV, focusing – again – on retro music and entertainment programmes, as well as a few retro shows such as Yes, Prime Minister and The Thick of It.
In addition:
- That’s 80s has changed to That’s Melody on Freeview Channel 75
- That’s 80s MCR has changed to That’s Melody MCR on Freeview Channel 77
- That’s 90s MCR has changed to That’s Rock MCR on Freeview Channel 78
- That’s Memories MCR has changed to That’s TV 3 MCR on Freeview Channel 88
Retune Your Freeview Device
As always, when Freeview changes take place, most people need to retune their Freeview devices and TVs – otherwise, channel numbers and names may be incorrect, and new channels will not show up.
Some devices do this retune automatically, but others might require a manual retune for this month’s changes to update correctly.
You can find more information on how to retune your device, on Freeview’s retuning help section.
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I got a feeling Freely is not the future for television as Freeview has more streaming services than Freely, i’ve got perfect good television and has all the services i wish for, i’m just waiting for what new technology is round the corner which i believe is 5G Broadcast which is being tested in Europe at the moment, i won’t be in a hurry to go out and by a new television at present.
Hd channels only see please .Lets see if any of the crap channels would take that up.
Wow!!!! From the headline I expected B I G changes, but for us “traditional” viewers (BBC, ITV, C4/5 and UKTV (now U& apparently) looks like no change but nevertheless being nagged to “retune” and rejig favourites. I have to say (echoing Colin and G Retired) that its all a bit of a mess. The headlong charge (…and probably will eventually be a ££ charge!) into broadband delivery may suit the broadcasters but it all seems a bit haphazzard. Where is OFCOM? …about as effective as OFWAT and OFGEM?
Love BBC iPlayer, but less so the others requiring widely differing user interfaces, clunky software, frequent updates, delays to start up and change programmes etc etc.
OK I’m an old phogey but still pay my licence fee, and it especially hurts now they chopped the pensioner free licence. I fondly remember the days of rotating the dial of my AM radio, instant access to hundreds of stations and no fiddling with presets or favourites, we just had sticky tape on the dial marking the stations! Simple, quick, cheap and efficient. Is there a modern equivalent?
So frustrating, I edit the channel list to delete the crap reality and celebrity shows and every couple of weeks have to retune and they all come back. Grrrr
So many channels to not watch.
I’ve always been dismayed at the necessity to ‘retune’ Freeview devices every time there is a change to the channel line-up. We never have to do this with satellite receivers.
Another thing I find odd is broadcasters having to have separate channels for SD and HD (and UHD). Why cannot we have all channels broadcasting at the highest definition they can manage and our devices ignore the extra information if they cannot handle it. (This technique is used on FM and digital radio for stereo programs – if your set cannot handle the ‘stereo’ information it is ignored)
What a mess…with this and Freely. Looks like no joint up thinking.
Sounds like the should have evolved Freeview Play by streaming the channels on DTT and allowing either aerial or broadband to be used.
We now have lots of channels streamed on Freeview play not on Freely, how was that allowed to happen?