It’s a relative newcomer, but Freely appears to be taking the UK by storm. This free streaming service only launched back in 2024, but it’s just hit a major milestone that could give Freeview, Sky and Virgin something to worry about. Freely has confirmed that it surpassed one million weekly users during the Christmas period – that’s double the figure it announced last September.

This update makes Freely the fastest-growing TV platform in the UK in 2025.

“Surpassing one million weekly users is an exciting milestone for Freely, signalling that there is audience demand for a simple way to stream live British TV and discover great on demand shows – all in one place,” said Jonathan Thompson, CEO, Everyone TV.

“Freely was the fastest growing TV platform in 2025, showing the power of the UK’s public service broadcasters working together to make brilliant British TV easy to discover and stream. It’s a great start to 2026 as we continue to build momentum, putting the nation’s favourite channels and stories front and centre in the streaming age.”

Of course, it’s still got some way to go before it can match the might of Sky and Freeview, but with more people switching to streaming and cutting down on subscription fees, Freely could catch up pretty quickly.

Not heard of Freely before?

This platform is actually owned by the same team behind Freeview, but it has one major difference as it’s powered by a broadband connection rather than an aerial. That makes it really easy to install.

Freely also comes packed with features, including being able to pause live content and getting recommendations for new things to watch. There’s a full TV guide included along with a mini guide and the ability to reverse time using the clever backwards guide.

At launch, Freely was only available on a select number of TVs, but there are now a vast number of screens that feature this platform including models made by Hisense, Panasonic, Bush and Sharp.

A new puck, called Pleio, was also recently launched, bringing Freely to any TV.

Want to know more? Read everything you need to know about Freely here.