Media regulator Ofcom has paved the way for Freeview to carry subscription-only services, giving the green light to proposals for paid-for services on the hugely popular platform.
The industry watchdog said that there was no longer a “compelling reason” to bar subscription services from broadcasting on the service, which was previously restricted to carrying free-to-air broadcasts in an attempt to foster growth and viewer take-up.
Freeview is jointly owned by ITV, Channel 4, the BBC, British Sky Broadcasting and Crown Castle, which is now part of National Grid.
Freeview’s latest estimates show 10 million boxes have now been sold, while Ofcom state that 6.5 million use the service as their only source of digital TV (see Freeview Sales Pass 10 Million).
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