Talking Pictures TV, the popular nostalgia channel available on Freeview and Freesat, looks set to take a big leap into the world of streaming.
While their current streaming offering, TPTV Encore, is limited to web browsers and Freeview’s Red Button service, an expanded streaming app could bring their beloved catalogue of classic British films and TV shows to a much wider range of devices.
While the channel hasn’t made an official statement yet, a recent announcement from their technology partner, Accedo, strongly hints at exciting developments on the horizon.
What is Talking Pictures TV?
Launched in 2015 by Noel Cronin, his daughter Sarah Cronin-Stanley, and her husband Neill Stanley, Talking Pictures TV has become a runaway success story in British broadcasting.
The channel specialises in vintage British films, TV series, and documentaries, catering to viewers who crave the golden age of cinema and television.
Initially available on Sky, the channel quickly expanded its reach. It joined Freesat in 2017 and made its Freeview debut in 2018, significantly broadening its audience.
Today, Talking Pictures TV reportedly boasts an impressive viewership of around 6 million viewers per week, a testament to how much Brits love classic content.
Talking Pictures TV is currently available on Freeview Channel 81, Sky Channel 328, Virgin Media Channel 445, Freesat Channel 306, and YouView Channel 82.
TPTV Encore: The First Step into Streaming
With viewers slowly moving from linear channels to streaming, Talking Pictures TV dipped its toes into the streaming world with TPTV Encore, in December 2021.
This service, available via the channel’s website and through the Red Button on Freeview (only if you have a Freeview device connected to the internet), offers a selection of content for catch-up viewing, with adverts.
While a welcome addition, TPTV Encore has been somewhat limited in scope and accessibility compared to major streaming platforms, as it only includes a limited library, and – most importantly – it’s not available directly on any of the popular streaming devices.
The Future: A Full-Fledged Streaming Service?
Now, it appears Talking Pictures TV is ready to take a giant leap forward in the streaming space.
While the channel hasn’t released official details or launch dates, the announced partnership with global video solutions provider Accedo offers some tantalising clues about what’s in store.
Accedo specialises in developing and managing video streaming platforms for companies around the world. They’ll be using their technology to help Talking Pictures TV create a new streaming service that works across a wide range of devices.
According to Accedo, this will enable Talking Pictures TV to deliver “unique user experiences across web and mobile as well as an extensive portfolio of streaming devices“.
This expanded device support is set to include iOS, Android, Apple TV, Android TV, Fire TV, Samsung, and LG – a significant upgrade from the current web-only offering.
Chris Parsons, Director of Talking Pictures TV Encore Ltd., highlighted the flexibility of the new platform: “We are impressed with Accedo’s advanced design tools that will allow us to adapt to market demands without spending weeks or months making changes.
“The flexibility of the platform also allows us to address audiences’ needs as our service matures.”
Joe Foster, Director of Business Development at Accedo, added further weight to the expansion plans, stating: “Talking Pictures TV curates a streaming service with exciting growth ambitions on the back of a successful legacy service.”
He also mentioned the ability to bring “multi-screen user experiences to life with minimal time-to-market”, hinting at a potentially swift rollout once plans are finalised – though the actual launch may depend on many other factors other than the technological ones.
The Nostalgia Wave Continues
Talking Pictures TV’s streaming ambitions come at a time when nostalgia-focused channels are experiencing a surge in popularity.
Just this month, newcomer Rewind TV announced its expansion to Freeview, joining channels such as Talking Pictures TV and That’s TV to bring classic content to a broader audience.
It’s interesting to see that at a time when we’re drowning in new content – with streaming giants like Netflix and Disney+ churning out fresh series faster than we can binge them – there’s still a massive appetite for the classics.
Then again, streaming services are more popular with younger viewers – and it remains to be seen whether they, too, will be fans of classic British entertainment.
We’ve reached out to Talking Pictures TV for more details, and will update this article if they choose to respond.
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Excellent news, wonderful home grown channel.
Splendid, one of the best channels on TV, especially as there’s so much poor new content elsewhere.