https://rxtvinfo.com/2025/upbeat-arq...eviews-future/
[EXTRACT]
Broadcast infrastructure company Arqiva has posted an upbeat assessment of its TV business, which includes the operation of two national multiplexes delivering over 30 live Freeview TV channels to UK homes.
In what could be Freeview’s last decade before the UK moves to an all-streaming environment, Arqiva’s latest financial report confirmed it has renewed distribution contracts with a number of broadcasters, keeping services on Freeview into the 2030s.
Earlier this year, technical upgrades to one of Arqiva’s multiplexes increased its channel-carrying capacity. This has enabled the return of children’s channel Pop – previously available only via streaming on Freeview – and the launch of Hobbycraft TV. By summer 2025, Arqiva reported 97% utilisation of its Freeview capacity.
It appears that linear TV is fairly secure until 2035. Arquiva is happy with the extra channels it is providing, but actually the number of channels is less important than the content on those channels and how many viewers them.
I was looking through the Freeview channels the other day. I doubt many watch most of them.
The government expects to make a decision on the future of Freeview early next year.