Yes, it’s that time of the month again – Freeview update time – and this month, we’re saying goodbye to three channels, including a films channel and Create & Craft, which has gone into administration, while also seeing some channel number shuffling.
December’s changes have come earlier in the month than usual – probably because there’s a certain holiday you might have heard of later this month…
The changes have already started to roll out, but as always, most viewers will need to retune their Freeview devices for the correct new numbers and channels to fall into place (some devices do this retune automatically – see our recommended Freeview recorders here).
Freeview, which started its life back in 2002, is the United Kingdom’s terrestrial television platform. It provides free-to-air TV channels and radio stations (via a Freeview aerial – see the ones we recommend), including more than 80 standard and HD channels. You can watch it on any supported TV, or by using a set-top Freeview box.
To watch Freeview via broadband, you’ll need one of the subscription-based devices like Sky Stream or Virgin Media Stream (though not all Freeview channels are available on these devices).
See our full Freeview guide here.
Freeview Channel Moves:
Two channels are changing places this month:
- Tiny Pop is moving from Channel 208 to Channel 206
- Pop Player is moving from Channel 212 to Channel 208
Freeview Channel Closures
It’s not all good news – as Freeview viewers are losing three channels this month:
Create & Craft (Channel 85)
Create & Craft, the UK’s dedicated arts and crafts channel, has unfortunately ceased broadcasting after falling into administration.
The channel, which had been a fixture on Freeview for many years, offered craft tutorials, demonstrations, and shopping opportunities to creative enthusiasts across the country.
Pop Max (Channel 206)
Pop Max, which was the last remaining aerial-only channel from the POP children’s channels collection on Freeview, is going away.
While other POP channels continue as streaming-only options on the platform, this closure marks the end of traditional broadcast children’s programming from the POP network on Freeview (though some of its content will be part of the group’s streaming platform – POP Player, which is now on Channel 208).
Filmstream (Channel 257)
In a surprising move, Filmstream is departing from Freeview just months after its March 2024 launch.
This streaming-only channel, which was only available on connected Freeview devices that support streaming channels, offered viewers a specially curated selection of independent world cinema gems and classic movies.
While it’s leaving Freeview, film enthusiasts can still access Filmstream’s content through other streaming platforms, including Plex Channels.
If you missed November’s changes (when Great! Mystery launched) – you can find them here.
Retune Your Freeview Device
Whenever Freeview changes take place, some people need to retune their Freeview devices – otherwise, channel numbers and names won’t be correct, and changed channels won’t update properly.
Some devices do a retune automatically, but others might require a manual retune for this week’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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why is pop max leaving free view it was the best kids channel on why take it away
Freeview should be what it says, the name says it ALL FREEVIEW,, FREEVIEWING NO LICENCEFEE FOR OVER 75 YEAR OF AGE
A lot of the channels don’t have subtitles so can’t watch them