The same was said about BT/Openreach!
Moves to transition the UK’s free to air broadcasters to an all-streaming future have gathered pace with the latest 2035 seeing as tipping point and BBC is leading the charge, with other broadcasters following in the wind.
Plans to preserve the BBC for the next generation are its priority and involves among other things expanding its content credentials service Verify, taking control of the UK’s inevitable shift to IP. The BBC is already in talks, doing deals with Big Tech on AI to scale production and securing prominence for its channels on streaming services. The latter further includes a plan to develop a streaming media device dedicated to UK free to air channels.
The BBC is losing half a billion pounds a year to licence fee cancellations, non renewals and dodgers – and it’s getting worse. BBC said in it’s annual report, the number of TV Licences in force fell to 23.8 million, down from 24.1 million last year and continues to fall year on year. BBC iPlayer is booming, young viewers are abandoning traditional TV in droves, and the clock is ticking towards the 2027 Charter renewal that could reshape how we fund public service broadcasting forever. Recently it’s chairmain pointed towards future streaming on TV, And if one bradcaster goes they all will follow, as Com licences will be too expensive to maintain.
Whether Freeview stays or goes or even integrated, alot of the equipment with have today will become obsolete and you mart TV could be the command centre for free to air sevices.