ITVX, the new streaming service that’s replacing ITV Hub, brought with it the promise of live, streaming ITV channels that don’t require an aerial or a dish. However, if live TV on ITVX isn’t working for you – you’re not alone.
The “Live” section of ITVX – which streams live broadcasts of ITV’s linear channels (ITV1, ITV2, etc.), isn’t supported on most connected TV sets and Freeview Play devices – a problem it shares with the old ITV Hub.
This also means that ITVX’s new “themed” linear streaming channels (such as the one dedicated to Love Island, one for The Chase, Classic Films, and even a British Sign Language channel) – are also not available on most TVs and Freeview Play devices.
So while the live section is available on standalone streaming sticks/boxes like the Fire TV, Roku sticks, Sky Stream, Freesat and others (see the full list below) – it doesn’t work on most TV brands (except for Samsung) – or on Freeview Play boxes like the Humax Aura.
And even with Samsung – as we covered in the past – the app itself won’t work at all if you have an older (2016 and earlier) TV.
If you still want to watch ITVX’s live channels, and your TV doesn’t support it – there are a few workarounds. But this is disappointing news for many who don’t have decent aerial/satellite reception in their area.
What Is ITVX?
ITV’s new streaming app, ITVX, is a free-to-watch (with adverts) service that’s replacing the ageing ITV Hub app, and is available on most streaming devices and TVs sold in the UK.
ITV is aiming high with ITVX – more than just a “catch-up” service, it plans to be a streaming destination. The service launched with more than 10,000 hours of on-demand content, including 35 flagship shows, 200+ series and 250+ films.
While ITV is focusing heavily on the ad-supported free tier, ITVX also has a paid Premium tier, which removes all the adverts when you’re watching on-demand content (though they will continue to show up when you watch live content).
Premium tier subscribers also get access to the entire content library of BritBox (directly on ITVX, not on the BritBox app), which includes more than 4,000 hours of classic British shows and films.
The Premium tier currently costs £5.99/month or £59.99/year.
ITVX Live: Not Working On Most TVs
In addition to the on-demand content, some versions of ITVX also have a “Live” tab, that lets you stream all of ITV’s live channels via the app, as well as 20 “themed” ad-supported live channels that are dedicated to a single series or theme.
This is particularly important to viewers who don’t have good aerial reception for Freeview in their house, and don’t want to install a satellite dish (for Freesat) or pay for a TV subscription from Sky or Virgin Media.
The same is true for BBC iPlayer, for example, which – in addition to on-demand content, lets viewers watch the live, linear feeds of the BBC’s channels.
But ITVX, much like its ITV Hub predecessor, doesn’t support live channel streaming on Freeview Play devices and TV sets.
So, households with an LG, Panasonic, Phillips and other connected TVs – or with set-top Freeview Play devices like the Humax Aura or the Manhattan T3-R – won’t have the Live tab on their ITVX app, and won’t be able to watch ITV’s linear channels or the new themed channels via streaming.
You can still watch the on-demand content on ITVX – but not anything live. So, when there’s a big football match – you’ll be able to watch it on-demand once the game is done, but not live (if you have one of the affected TVs/devices).
One exception, where TVs are concerned is Samsung – if you have a TV model that’s newer than 2016, the standalone ITVX app on Samsung TVs does support live streaming.
The supported devices for live streaming on ITVX are, as of these writing:
- Amazon Fire TV
- Android TV
- Apple TV
- Freesat
- Roku streaming players
- NOW TV Streaming players
- Samsung Smart TVs
- Sky Glass
- Sky Stream puck
- Virgin Media players
- Xbox One/S/X and Xbox Series X/S
- iOS Phones/Tablets
- Android Phones / Tablets
- Web browsers
With Roku, note that the Live tab is available on Roku’s standalone players (such as the Roku Express and Roku Stick 4K), but not on Roku TVs (there are several models in the UK – from TCL, Hisense and more) – as those use the Freeview Play version of the ITVX app, which doesn’t support live streaming.
Which Live Channels Can I Watch On ITVX?
If your device supports live streaming on ITVX, the channels you can watch are:
- ITV1
- ITV2
- ITVBe
- ITV3
- ITV4
- CITV
- The “Themed” live channels, which will change periodically.
How Can I Still Watch Live Channels On ITVX?
If your device doesn’t support ITVX’s live streaming there are a couple of workarounds.
The easiest way is to connect one of the other supported devices (a streaming stick for example) to your TV, and run ITVX from there.
If you don’t have one – and don’t want to spend money on another device – you can try to use your Smart TV’s built-in web browser.
This feature isn’t available on all TVs – but if your connected TV has a web browser that lets you surf to any URL – you can use it to go to https://www.itv.com/, where you will get the web version of ITVX – which does support live streaming.
And lastly, don’t forget you can still watch ITV’s linear channels the old-fashioned way – with an aerial or a satellite dish – but obviously, that’s not applicable to every house.
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If the ITVx app on your TV doesn’t have the Live option you can still watch live TV by using your mobile phone ITVx app. View the live channel in full screen on your phone and then use the Cast option (top right corner) and choose your TV. This will launch ITVx on your TV and play the live channel. Not ideal but it works for me.
Omg never knew I could do this! Amazing thank you
I have spoken to ITVx, Roku and then Freeview Play on this matter. If you have a missing ‘LIVE’ button then it’s correct. You are on a TV (Roku or LG etc.) which has an digital ariel input for Freeview Play so you will get the live across the ariel input and you DON’T HAVE A CHOICE, thats how the ‘live’ service is delvered to these TV’s. The snazzy ITVx app you download on the tv is just for catchup services only you cannot live stream on them it won’t have the feature as it doesn’t need it (i.e NO LIVE BUTTON). You may think awww why? I can live stream other channels, my TV can work over the internet!. Freeview Play think its irrelavant to what you want really and told me I bought the wrong TV (horrible people didn’t like me because I have been doing IT for 30 years and asked specific questions). Now there are two versions of the app, you will get one for the TV’s one for sticks one has LIVE one does NOT, this is on purpose and the software is locked to the correct platform. They wouldn’t tell me why but probably it’s due to the way they deliver local lovely mind zapping adverts, anyway, fact : “if you have an ariel input you must use it for Freeview Play which receives all ITV channels and integrates with Freeview Play on the TV”. You have a bad or no digital ariel signal then “why do you have you a TV installed which requires it for freeview play as this will be the same for ALL live channels including channel 4 etc.?” (Their words) So Your Options : a) Sort your digital ariel and plug it in. b) Download Amazon Prime Video app (Roku), search channels purchase ITV catchup, at the time of writing their service still streams all the channels LIVE as well as catchup for £3.99 a month (you have to really scroll down to find it but works perfectly). c) Buy a stick insert into your not very smart TV, which will allows LIVE streaming of ITVx which I think is a joke d) Get Sky Stream (its a tiny puck which plugs into your TV) which is what I did works 100% internet across your wifi, no ariel,no dish and no more buggy ITVx app (thank god I really hate ITV anyway never watch it) as it just is part of my sky channel listing. The problem is people buy smart tv’s and don’t find out HOW live services are delivered they think they can stream all the channels via the internet, this is totally not the case unfortunately the only product I know which does this is the SKY TV’s and a couple of other systems. The freeview digital ariel input for ALL these devices is NOT a backup for the internet its the MAIN WAY YOU RECEIVE LIVE channels and if you don’t like it then change your TV for one that does like Sky Glass. But in the end I got rid of the Freeview Play Roku system. If you found this useful then click on my website below scroll down hop to my youtube channel and hit subscribe. I give help to people on there for their gaming PC’s as well as recorded gameplay, you may need me one day and its FREE!!! Any questions or problems email address on website (can’t put it here I will get spammed).
I have a 2021 model year Samsung TV which shows the ITVX app in the menu.. and I can access BUT no audio! All other streaming apps work perfectly well. Only ITVX has this problem.. do you have any thoughts (or experience) of this? Thanks.
You don’t seem aware that freeview doesn’t carry ITV 2 3 and 4 HD. Which is maybe why people would like to access them via the ITVx app. Not that this matters much since most of the programmes are rubbish, but it meant watching the football last night on SD, players all blurry smudges and all.
I wish they had never changed to Itvx they should have left it as it was I can’t even get the app on my bedroom TV as is an LG and I am 74 years old and can’t do all this new technology but it back to the way it was
Best to buy a Roku Express £19.99
Plug into spare HDMI port.
Works also on my 13 year old bedroom tv and turns it into a smart TV….
Quick cheap and easy.
And works
I have a fire stick and it still doesn’t work!
You need to download itvx app to the fire stick ,it works on mine
Do you have a live option?
A lot of people have used a TV aerials since TV started .
Internet has a long way to go to get to all corners of the uk.
Sky will shortly scrap the satalite
service will free sat go with that??.
I think ITV have made a mess of the launch of ITVX no native app is available on LG TVs and I have a 2021 model. Add the issue of live streaming and its a bit of a farce.
Agreed, I think ITVX is absolutely PANTS, so am moving away from it. BBC & Disney plus are the way forward until such point as they can get the live streaming back to ALL TV’s – Other channels can do it so why can’t they ?
One issue if you don’t have compliant TV’s is that in a couple of years it’s possible that linear TV (aerial) could be shut down or be very curtailed because the phone companies want more of the channels assigned to TV to be transferred to them for the 5g and later networks. Oftel are in discussions at the moment with the TV companies many of whom are non to happy about this. I think this should have been included in this article.
I also think that broadcaster’s like the BBC see internet transmission as far cheaper than traditional methods. Per an Ofcom report in 2014 it roughly cost £318 Million for traditional broadcast versus £79 Million for IP delivery, TV over internet will happen, remember the analogue switch off, if you still had an analogue TV it was game over.