The merger of Freesat and Digital UK, the company which facilitates the provision of Freeview TV services, has now been completed.
Plans to bring the two entities together were first announced in February by Digital UK shareholders ITV, BBC and Channel 4. The move sees Digital UK acquire all shares in Freesat from BBC and ITV.
The broadcasters say the merger will “help ensure viewers continue to have access to a range of high quality, free-to-view TV services in the UK and benefit from a more streamlined approach to technological innovation and product development.”
Jonathan Thompson, Digital UK’s current CEO, will lead the combined entity while Alistair Thom will leave his role at CEO of Freesat.
Thompson said: “I’m delighted to be heading up the new entity and am very much looking forward to leading the development of free-to-view TV in the UK over the coming years.
“Freeview and Freesat are both major success stories for the UK’s TV industry and wider society, enabling the public policy goals that underpin public service broadcasting, allowing access to high quality TV for free, for all.”
Thom said: “I depart with a real sense of achievement for the Freesat I leave behind.
“It was my absolute pleasure to lead the transformation of the business, putting it on the path of consistent revenue growth through becoming vertically integrated, developing a Direct to Consumer proposition and establishing relationships with the biggest global SVOD players and Consumer Electronics businesses.
“I’m excited about what Freesat can bring to Digital UK and everything that a joined up free-to-view platform ecosystem can deliver for UK consumers.”