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BBC Explores Freely-Enabled Streaming Stick to Modernize Free TV Access

The broadcaster is considering a simplified device to expand Freely's reach as it pushes for a national terrestrial TV switch-off strategy by the 2030s.

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Overview

  • The BBC is evaluating the development of a streaming device with built-in Freely capabilities to rival platforms like Amazon Fire Stick and Roku.
  • Freely, launched in 2024, delivers live and on-demand TV over broadband as a successor to Freeview, addressing the decline in linear TV viewing.
  • BBC Director-General Tim Davie has called for a coordinated government-backed plan to phase out terrestrial TV broadcasts in the 2030s.
  • No release date, pricing, or final design has been announced for the proposed device, which aims to simplify access for households without internet-based TV services.
  • A 2023 government report highlights potential digital inclusion challenges, with up to 1.5 million UK homes projected to still rely on aerial reception by 2040 without intervention.