FREEVIEW watchers have received a new channel on their boxes this week in the latest TV guide shake-up.
The free service is used in 16million homes across the country, with more than 100 channels available.
Pokémon among the shows on the channel[/caption]
Freeview operator Everyone TV – which is a joint venture between major broadcasters including the BBC and ITV – routinely update the channel list.
This comes about because of networks closing or making changes to their offering.
There were nine big changes to Freeview in January.
Fortunately, this month there aren’t quite so many.
The headline difference is the arrival of a new channel to keep the kids entertained.
Viewers will now find POP+1 on their boxes.
The channel is home to big hits including Pokémon Ultimate Journeys: The Series, Miraculous: Tales Of Ladybug and Cat Noir, and Ethan Gamer Plays Roblox.
POP+1 is an hour time-shift of the main POP channel, allowing you to catch anything you missed an hour later.
The channel can be found on Freeview number 212.
Other changes you can expect on Freeview this month also affect Quest.
The channel is set to receive a big boost to its sports coverage from the end of the week as a result of Eurosport’s closure.
Eurosport 1 and Eurosport 2 are closing down in the UK after 35 years on air.
Owners Warner Bros Discovery are moving much of its content to TNT Sports.
But some free programmes will continue to be broadcast on Quest instead.
This is expected to include the MotoGP Sprint race, a new weekly cycling show, as well as highlights of the Giro d’Italia and La Vuelta a España.
WBD Sports Europe chief Scott Young has said “parts” of the Tour de France will be shown on Quest too.
More channel closures ‘inevitable’
An industry expert told The Sun that more channel closures are likely in 2025 and beyond.
“This is inevitable, more broadcasters will cull broadcast/linear TV channels as viewers are flocking to streaming services,” Paolo Pescatore from PP Foresight said.
“The big TV switch off is around the corner, with all programming set to be delivered via the internet.
“Viewers are now spoilt for choice with how and where they watch the TV shows they love across a range of connected devices.
“To respond, broadcasters need to be prepared and work more closely with telecom providers to ensure a seamless experience for users.”
Image credit: Getty
More channel closures coming
Later in the year, Freeview users face another sad loss to the service.
Local channel Notts TV is closing down after ten years of broadcasting.
The much-loved station serves Nottinghamshire, as well as other parts of the East Midlands including Leicester and East Derbyshire.
It’s run by Nottingham Trent University (NTU) with experienced producers and journalists working alongside students.
But the university has announced that it will not seek to renew its broadcasting licence with the regulator Ofcom, which expires in November this year.
Which channels could be axed next?
Analysis by Jamie Harris, Assistant Technology and Science Editor at The Sun
The BBC announced in 2022 that CBBC and BBC Four would disappear as traditional linear channels in a few years and go digital only via iPlayer.
However, the pair may have had a bit of a reprieve for now, after the BBC’s head of children’s programmes, Patricia Hildago, recently said “it’s really important… that if children still need us on a linear network, we’re going to be there for them”.
When Channel 4 announced the closure of The Box and other music channels it owned in January, the broadcaster hinted that more could come.
At the time the company said it was proposing to “close small linear channels that no longer deliver revenues or public value at scale, including the Box channels in 2024 and others at the right time”.
So which could the “others” be? It really depends what Channel 4 considers “small” but its other channels include More4, E4, E4 Extra, Film4 and 4Seven.
Changes are available now[/caption]
