Services like Netflix, Amazon Prime, Disney Plus, and NOW mean you can watch many old and new TV shows and movies whenever you want.
But if you don’t feel like cutting the cord completely and still want to watch some live broadcasts and terrestrial TV channels, you always have the option of Freeview TV.
As the name suggests, Freeview is free, but you will need an aerial and a TV licence to access it.
TV deals
Take a look at the latest TV packages on Uswitch.
What channels are on Freeview?
Freeview lets you watch 100 entertainment channels (including +1 hour channels) and 20 HD channels, as well as 10 children's channels (including HD channels), six news channels (including Sky News) and seven streamed channels.
Take a look at what's on Freeview at no monthly cost or contract:
| Channel number | Channel name | Genre |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | BBC ONE | Entertainment |
| 1 | BBC ONE NI | Entertainment |
| 1 | BBC ONE Scot | Entertainment |
| 1 | BBC ONE Wales | Entertainment |
| 2 | BBC TWO | Entertainment |
| 2 | BBC TWO NI | Entertainment |
| 2 | BBC TWO Wales | Entertainment |
| 3 | ITV | Entertainment |
| 3 | ITV Wales | Entertainment |
| 3 | STV | Entertainment |
| 3 | UTV | Entertainment |
| 4 | Channel 4 | Entertainment |
| 4 | S4C | Entertainment |
| 5 | Channel 5 | Entertainment |
| 6 | ITV 2 | Entertainment |
| 7 | BBC ALBA | Entertainment |
| 7 | Channel 4 | Entertainment |
| 7 | Local TV | Entertainment |
| 8 | Local TV | Entertainment |
| 9 | BBC FOUR | Entertainment |
| 9 | BBC Scotland | Entertainment |
| 10 | ITV3 | Entertainment |
| 11 | Sky Arts | Entertainment |
| 12 | QUEST | Entertainment |
| 13 | E4 | Entertainment |
| 13 | E4 | Entertainment |
| 14 | Film4 | Entertainment |
| 15 | Channel 4+1 | Entertainment |
| 16 | QVC | Entertainment |
| 17 | Really | Entertainment |
| 18 | More 4 | Entertainment |
| 19 | Dave | Entertainment |
| 20 | Drama | Entertainment |
| 21 | 5USA | Entertainment |
| 22 | TJC | Entertainment |
| 23 | BBC THREE | Entertainment |
| 24 | BBC FOUR | Entertainment |
| 25 | W | Entertainment |
| 26 | ITV4 | Entertainment |
| 27 | Yesterday | Entertainment |
| 28 | ITVBe | Entertainment |
| 28 | ITVBe | Entertainment |
| 29 | ITV2 +1 | Entertainment |
| 30 | E4+1 | Entertainment |
| 31 | E4 Extra | Entertainment |
| 32 | 5STAR | Entertainment |
| 33 | 5ACTION | Entertainment |
| 34 | GREAT! movies | Entertainment |
| 35 | ITV +1 | Entertainment |
| 35 | STV+1 | Entertainment |
| 35 | UTV+1 | Entertainment |
| 36 | Pick | Entertainment |
| 37 | QVC Beauty | Entertainment |
| 38 | QVC Style | Entertainment |
| 39 | DMAX | Entertainment |
| 40 | Quest Red | Entertainment |
| 41 | Legend | Entertainment |
| 42 | GREAT! movies action | Entertainment |
| 43 | Food Network | Entertainment |
| 44 | HGTV | Entertainment |
| 45 | Gems TV | Entertainment |
| 46 | Channel 5+1 | Entertainment |
| 47 | Film4+1 | Entertainment |
| 48 | Challenge | Entertainment |
| 49 | 4seven | Entertainment |
| 50 | GREAT! tv | Entertainment |
| 51 | Ideal World | Entertainment |
| 52 | GREAT! movies Christmas | Entertainment |
| 53 | TG4 | Entertainment |
| 54 | RTÉ One | Entertainment |
| 55 | RTÉ Two | Entertainment |
| 56 | 5SELECT | Entertainment |
| 57 | Smithsonian Channel | Entertainment |
| 58 | ITVBe+1 | Entertainment |
| 59 | ITV3+1 | Entertainment |
| 60 | Drama +1 | Entertainment |
| 61 | GREAT! movies +1 | Entertainment |
| 62 | GREAT! tv +1 | Entertainment |
| 63 | GREAT! movies Christmas +1 | Entertainment |
| 64 | Blaze | Entertainment |
| 65 | That's TV (UK) | Entertainment |
| 66 | TBN UK | Entertainment |
| 67 | CBS Reality | Entertainment |
| 68 | RealityXtra | Entertainment |
| 70 | QUEST+1 | Entertainment |
| 71 | Quest Red+1 | Entertainment |
| 72 | Jewellery Maker | Entertainment |
| 73 | HobbyMaker | Entertainment |
| 74 | Dave ja vu | Entertainment |
| 75 | Yesterday+1 | Entertainment |
| 77 | NOW 80s | Entertainment |
| 78 | TCC | Entertainment |
| 79 | EarthxTV | Entertainment |
| 80 | Clubland TV | Entertainment |
| 81 | Blaze+1 | Entertainment |
| 82 | TalkingPictures TV | Entertainment |
| 83 | Together TV | Entertainment |
| 84 | PBS America | Entertainment |
| 85 | Create & Craft | Entertainment |
| 87 | NOW 90s | Entertainment |
| 88 | Classic Hits | Entertainment |
| 89 | ITV4+1 | Entertainment |
| 90 | TV Warehouse | Entertainment |
| 91 | Classic Hits MCR | Entertainment |
| 100 | Freeview | Entertainment |
| 101 | BBC 1 Scot HD | HD |
| 101 | BBC 1 Wales HD | HD |
| 101 | BBC ONE HD | HD |
| 101 | BBC ONE NI HD | HD |
| 102 | BBC 2 Wales HD | HD |
| 102 | BBC TWO HD | HD |
| 102 | BBC TWO NI HD | HD |
| 103 | ITV HD | HD |
| 103 | ITV Wales HD | HD |
| 103 | STV HD | HD |
| 103 | UTV HD | HD |
| 104 | Channel 4 HD | HD |
| 104 | S4C HD | HD |
| 105 | Channel 5 HD | HD |
| 106 | BBC FOUR HD | HD |
| 108 | BBC Scotland HD | HD |
| 109 | BBC THREE HD | HD |
| 110 | Channel 4 HD | HD |
| 201 | CBBC | Children's |
| 202 | CBeebies | Children's |
| 203 | CITV | Children's |
| 204 | CBBC HD | Children's |
| 205 | CBeebies HD | Children's |
| 206 | POP | Children's |
| 207 | Tiny Pop | Children's |
| 208 | Pop Player | Children's |
| 209 | Ketchup TV | Children's |
| 210 | Ketchup Too | Children's |
| 211 | YAAAS! | Children's |
| 231 | BBC NEWS | News |
| 232 | BBC Parliament | News |
| 233 | Sky News | News |
| 235 | Al Jazeera Eng | News |
| 236 | GB News | News |
| 237 | TalkTV | News |
| 250 | BBC Red Button | Text Services |
| 263 | Sonlife | Streamed Channels |
| 264 | VisionTV | Streamed Channels |
| 265 | On Demand 365 | Streamed Channels |
| 269 | Arise News | Streamed Channels |
| 271 | Channelbox | Streamed Channels |
| 272 | Asharq News | Streamed Channels |
| 273 | Al Arabiya | Streamed Channels |
| 274 | FailArmy | Streamed Channels |
| 275 | Celebration TV | Streamed Channels |
| 276 | Rok | Streamed Channels |
| 277 | UK RADIO PORTAL | Streamed Channels |
| 555 | Accessible TV Guide | IP Delivered Services |
| 601 | BBC RB 1 | Interactive |
| 670 | ADULT Section | Adult |
| 673 | ADULT smileTV3 | Adult |
| 674 | ADULT Babestn | Adult |
| 678 | ADULT Xpanded TV | Adult |
| 699 | ADULT Section | Adult |
| 700 | BBC Radio 1 | Radio |
| 701 | BBC R1X | Radio |
| 702 | BBC Radio 2 | Radio |
| 703 | BBC Radio 3 | Radio |
| 704 | BBC Radio 4 | Radio |
| 705 | BBC R5L | Radio |
| 706 | BBC 5SX | Radio |
| 707 | BBC 6 Music | Radio |
| 708 | BBC Radio 4 Ex | Radio |
| 709 | BBC Asian Net. | Radio |
| 710 | BBC World Sv. | Radio |
| 711 | Hits Radio | Radio |
| 712 | KISS FRESH | Radio |
| 713 | KISS | Radio |
| 714 | KISSTORY | Radio |
| 715 | Magic | Radio |
| 716 | Greatest Hits Radio | Radio |
| 717 | Kerrang! | Radio |
| 718 | Smooth Radio | Radio |
| 719 | BBC Local Radio | Radio |
| 719 | BBC R Scotland | Radio |
| 719 | BBC Radio Ulster | Radio |
| 719 | BBC Radio Wales | Radio |
| 720 | BBC Local Radio | Radio |
| 720 | BBC R n Gaidheal | Radio |
| 720 | BBC Radio Cymru | Radio |
| 720 | BBC Radio Foyle | Radio |
| 721 | BBC Local Radio | Radio |
| 722 | BBC Local Radio | Radio |
| 723 | talkSPORT | Radio |
| 724 | Capital | Radio |
| 725 | Premier Radio | Radio |
| 726 | BBC Solent Dorset | Radio |
| 726 | BBC Stoke | Radio |
| 727 | Absolute Radio | Radio |
| 728 | Heart | Radio |
| 729 | RTÉ RnaG | Radio |
| 730 | RNIB Connect | Radio |
| 731 | Classic FM | Radio |
| 732 | LBC | Radio |
| 733 | Trans World Radio | Radio |
| 734 | BBC Local Radio | Radio |
| 735 | BBC Local Radio | Radio |
Channels recently removed from Freeview
In June 2022, Freeview removed a number of channels from its TV guide. The following channels you can no longer get on Freeview are:
FreeSports
CBS Justice
More4+1
PBS America +1
Forces TV
BBC News HD
QVC HD
QVC Beauty HD
Quest HD
Series available on Freeview
Although you won’t have access to the latest blockbuster HBO shows with Freeview, you can still watch a mix of popular and top-notch TV.
This includes everything from nightly soap operas, reality contests like the Great British Bake Off and The Masked Singer, classics like Midsomer Murders and Call the Midwife and fantastic UK dramas like Sherlock and Broadchurch.
Adding TV channels to Freeview
A lot of TV providers offer basic Freeview-only packages, which you can then supplement with monthly add-ons for premium sports and movie channels on rolling monthly contracts so you can sign up for short-term features. This includes BT TV and TalkTalk TV.
Another option for downgrading your TV subscription while still accessing some live TV is to sign up for a NOW Entertainment membership — which is the only way to watch Sky Atlantic (and, therefore, Game of Thrones) without a Sky subscription.
Our best NOW deals
Want access to all the great content from Sky without signing up for a long-term contract? Stream what you want, when you want with our latest NOW TV & broadband deals on Uswitch.
For less than £10 a month, you can watch 15 pay-TV channels, including many Sky channels on Freeview:
Sky Atlantic
Sky Max
Sky Witness
Sky Nature
Sky Comedy
Sky History
Sky Crime
Sky Documentaries
Sky Showcase
Peacock
MTV
Comedy Central
GOLD
National Geographic
SYFY
These TV channels can either be streamed live, or you can watch programmes from their catch-up and on-demand libraries.
Do I need a Freeview box?
Freeview has been built into almost all new TVs since around 2010. So if you've bought a TV in the last twelve years, you likely won't need a Freeview box in order to watch it.
However, if you'd like the opportunity to record, rewind and pause what you watch on Freeview, you will need to buy a Freeview set-top box. Prices for those start at around £129, and you can get them on the Freeview website.
Broadband and TV deals
Take a look at the latest TV and broadband packages on Uswitch.
