UK broadcasters reap rewards of joint streaming platform, as audiences embrace linear streaming on Freely
New data shows UK audiences continue to choose British programming in streaming age
United Kingdom, 15.01.26: Everyone TV – the organisation leading the evolution of free TV in the UK – today announces that its free live and on‑demand streaming platform, Freely, surpassed one million weekly users across the Christmas week*. The new data released today shows accelerated growth, which has continued into the new year, doubling since the half a million users previously announced in September. This makes Freely the fastest growing TV platform in the UK in 2025*.
Backed by the BBC, ITV, Channel 4 and 5, the free streaming platform saw strong daily engagement over the festive period, with more than half (55%*) of its one million weekly users returning every day to stream their favourite Christmas TV.
For Freely users, two-thirds of whom stream all their TV content*, the public service broadcasters’ (PSBs) flagship linear channels remain popular. Freely provides easy access for British audiences to stream live TV, with BBC One, ITV1, Channel 4, 5 and ITV2 being the most popular live streaming channels over Christmas, highlighting that appetite for British TV staples remains strong in the streaming age.
Audiences also took advantage of access to the PSBs’ vast on demand libraries through Freely over the festive period, with the most popular shows streamed including high-octane dramas such as The Hunting Wives, Red Eye, and The Night Manager, soaps Coronation Street, Eastenders and Emmerdale and British TV favourites The Traitors, The Inbetweeners, Midsomer Murders and All Creatures Great and Small.
Viewing spiked on Christmas Day, with on demand streaming dominated by soaps, Christmas specials and classic festive films, as UK households continue to turn to the TV set for family entertainment. Classic British programming held the top streaming spots, among the most‑watched were Emmerdale, Coronation Street, EastEnders, The King’s Speech, Finding Father Christmas, Home Alone, Only Fools & Horses: Greatest Christmas Moments, Mrs Brown’s Boys – 2025 Specials, Strictly Come Dancing, and Amandaland: Christmas Special.
The PSBs each experienced a strong week for live streaming, further bolstered by the easy access to streamed channels Freely provides:
BBC One was the biggest channel on Christmas day, with BBC’s total share alone bigger than the whole SVOD market combined on Christmas Day on TV. The most popular BBC show on Christmas Day was The King’s Speech, closely followed by The Scarecrow’s Wedding with 4.3 million viewers.*
ITV saw increases in share of viewing year-on-year on both Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, with Coronation Street, Emmerdale, The Royal Variety Performance and The 1% Club as the most popular titles for TV viewing during the festive period. ITV's most streamed titles of the festive period include Emmerdale, Coronation Street, Red Eye and The Hunting Wives, which respectively topped Freely's list as the most streamed on demand shows on Freely, on Christmas Day and in Christmas week.*
Channel 4 recorded its biggest Christmas week for linear share since 2012 (7.3%), whilst also celebrating its biggest ever Christmas Eve for 16-34 share (15.9%), biggest ever Christmas Day ABC1 share (11.3%), and, Channel 4’s biggest Boxing Day share (9.2%) since 2002. Across Channel 4 streaming viewer minutes grew +48% YoY for Christmas week. The record festive viewing was driven by a range of hits including Big Fat Quiz of The Year, 24 Hours in Police Custody, The Great British Bake Off’s festive specials and Taskmaster Champion of Champions.*
Channel 5 delivered record festive viewing with All Creatures Great and Small Christmas special drawing 2.9m consolidated viewers on 24 December. Christmas Day share hit 6.4%, its highest since 2020, boosted by Pirates of the Caribbean: Curse of the Black Pearl. New Year’s Eve saw the channel’s biggest audience since records began, with 6.1% share (+23% YOY), and in Kids & Family, Milkshake! was the top destination for 4–7-year-olds in the final week of the year, at 22.1% share, led by favourites like Milo, Dora and Peppa Pig. In on demand, 5 streaming grew a record 34% year-on-year thanks to a slate of original drama and range of boxsets.*
Jonathan Thompson, CEO, Everyone TV, said: “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. 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.”
