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Freely is expanding its free on-demand and live TV channels next year – and one of them is a cinephile’s dream

A close up of the Freely on-demand menu on a smart TV
(Image credit: Freely / Future)

Freely is a one-stop streaming service that offers UK consumers a wide variety of on-demand and live TV viewing, and its extensive catalog of channels is growing even more.

Starting in 2026, Freely will bring 10 new channels to its library, including Blaze, Bloomberg News, True Crime UK, AMC Reality, Movie Channel, as well as a slew of channels catered to different UK locations – for example, London TV, Liverpool TV, etc.

In addition to Freely’s next wave of free channels, ITV and Channel 5 are tipped to launch their own subsidiary channels, grouping specific programs into one easy-to-access channel. This will likely emulate Channel 4’s own channels in Freely, which landed just a few weeks ago, including 4Reality, 4Life, and 4Homes – but there’s one new channel in particular that could be perfect for cinephiles.

TV showing the logo of Freely

Freely comes as a built-in app to a number of different smart TVs including FireTV, Hisense, Bush, Panasonic, Sharp, Toshiba, and more (Image credit: Freely)

Among Freely’s next era of titles is Talking Pictures TV, which you can currently access on Freeview Channel 82, Sky 328, Virgin Media 445, Freesat 306, and YouView 82. Known for its 24-hour playback of vintage and classic British movies and television shows – think John Wayne’s Brannigan (1974) and the original Thunderbirds series – the free channel has grown increasingly popular in the free-to-air broadcasting realm, and will find a new home on Freely next year.

Though it’s only been around for just under two years, Freely has emerged as one of the leading free streaming services for viewers and is considered a serious competitor against other UK rivals Free Sky and Virgin TV – both of which are established entertainment services.

With that said, it’s clear that in spite of Freely’s already wide range of free channels, it’s only just getting started and is always looking for ways to expand and grow its services.

Since the announcement, CEO of Everyone TV, Jonathan Thompson, has shared his excitement for the company’s next venture, stating, ‘this latest round of content partners marks another step forward for Freely as we scale up the platform for viewers and partners alike’.

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Rowan is an Editorial Associate and Apprentice Writer for TechRadar. A recent addition to the news team, he is involved in generating stories for topics that spread across TechRadar’s categories. His interests in audio tech and knowledge in entertainment culture help bring the latest updates in tech news to our readers. 

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