Freely, the BBC and ITV backed linear streaming service, claims to have seen “its biggest viewing day since launch” during the Word Cup but has declined to provide an actual number.
The service runs on selected TVs from mostly low and mid-market brands and offers linear channels and catch-up content from its backers, which also includes Channel 4 and 5, via broadband.
It was formed by the UK’s largest Free to Air broadcasters as a potential replacement for Freeview which could be switched off from 2034 under government proposals currently being consulted on.
Major TV makers such as LG, Samsung and Sony have so far declined to support the service which was available on 1m sets as of February.
Unlike their previous platforms Freesat, Freeview and YouView, the broadcasters opted to launch Freely on TVs first and only later approved set top boxes which let viewers watch it on existing TVs.
The initial focus on TVs meant access to the service was significantly more expensive than buying a Roku or Amazon Fire TV stick and streaming the same channels via the broadcasters’ apps on those devices.
Day to day responsibility for running Freely rests with Everyone TV, a company jointly owned by the broadcasters.
It has issued a press release highlighting BARB data showing that viewing of England’s three group stage games in 2026 in broadband-only TV households was 473% higher than in 2022.
However this growth includes viewing on Sky’s Glass and Stream products plus Virgin Media’s Stream box as well as Freely TVs and other devices.
The release also claims that during the World Cup, Freely “grew to more than two million monthly active users and recorded its biggest viewing day since launch”.
No figure was given to back up the “biggest viewing day” claim – which relates to Sunday 19th July when the final took place – and a spokesperson for the service said they were “not able” to provide one.