VisionTV launches HbbTV App on Freeview
January 26, 2022
VISION247 has announced that VisionTV is now available with both HbbTV (Hybrid broadcast broadband) and MHEG Apps via the UK’s biggest TV platform, Freeview. Used in 18 million UK homes, Freeview gives access to 95 per cent of the nation’s most popular TV for free. VisionTV seamlessly and successfully went live as an HbbTV App on January 19th 2022 and can be found on Freeview channel 264.
VisionTV has been available in the UK since 2012. Before this launch, the platform could be accessed on MHEG compatible Freeview and Freeview Play devices and VisionTV’s website and via VisionTV Mobile Apps (iOS and Android). It is now additionally available on HbbTV compatible devices, allowing more Freeview and Freeview Play viewers to access VisionTV, which comprises 49 IP streamed channels from across the world, many of which are exclusive to VisionTV in the UK, completely free of charge. Channels include That’s TV, Spotlight, SportyStuff, CGTN, News Max, France24, Arise News, and much more Entertainment, News, Sports, Shopping, Christian and International channels. To access VisionTV via Freeview, viewers require a TV aerial and a compatible Smart TV or box connecting to the internet.
As outlined in Ofcom’s Media Nations 2021 report – “people in the UK have diversified their viewing with new types of services”. Further, the proportion of UK TV households that use their TV set to watch online or on-demand content and thus their TV is connected to the internet reached 79 per cent. (Source Ofcom Technology Tracker 2021).
VisionTV, across Freeview, Web & Mobile Apps has gone from strength to strength over the past few years. As an example of this, the hours viewed on VisionTV Freeview (MHEG), Web & Apps over the past three years increased from under half a million hours viewed in 2019 to just under 1 million hours viewed in 2020 and exploded to over 2 million hours viewed in 2021. With the expansion of VisionTV availability now as an HbbTV App, Vision247 Limited are expecting a tremendous amount of additional growth over the next few years and is forecast to achieve approximately 4 million hours viewing during 2022.
Hybrid broadcast broadband TV, also called HbbTV, is described as a “global initiative aimed at harmonising the broadcast and broadband delivery of entertainment services to consumers through connected TVs, set‐top boxes and multiscreen devices”, according to the HbbTV developers. The HbbTV specification is developed by industry leaders to improve the video user experience by enabling innovative, interactive services over broadcast and broadband networks.
“More than 18 million UK households access TV via Freeview, and this new development and evolution for VisionTV as an HbbTV App is a significant development and illustrates our commitment to meeting the changing media consumption needs of both our clients and viewers as well as keeping abreast with industry standards and technology. It will enable additional viewers the opportunity to discover a world of free to air TV channels from across the globe, at absolutely no cost to the viewer.” – declared Doris Ojo, CEO of Vision247 Limited.