Celebrating Excellence in British TV Innovation: YouView and Freely shine at HbbTV Awards 2024

The 12th HbbTV Symposium and Awards, held in London on 14th November 2024, celebrated the pioneers of connected TV technology. Among the event highlights was the success of Freely as the pioneering new service securing four prestigious awards.

Commissioned by Everyone TV and developed by YouView, Freely launched in April on leading smart TVs and is transforming the way viewers access and enjoy television. Free live channels and on demand programmes from BBC, ITV, Channel 4, Channel 5 and more are accessed from the TV’s main guide without the need to plug in the aerial.
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YouView and Everyone TV jointly won the award for ‘Best Use of HbbTV for Content Discovery.’ The judges praised the platform's ability to address challenges of service fragmentation and limited searchability, a feat made possible through cooperative innovation across all parties involved. YouView's role as the technology partner played a vital part in this success.

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“We’re thrilled to have won this prestigious award, a result of the successful collaboration with our partners at Everyone TV and a demonstration of YouView’s pedigree in designing, developing and delivering great TV experiences.”

^{Sion Wynn Jones, Director of Product, YouView}

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There was more success for Freely with Everyone TV winning awards across several categories, including Best Marketing or Promotion of an HbbTV-Based Service, and the Judges’ Award: HbbTV Newcomer of the Year.

We are humbled to have been involved and this achievement not only celebrates the evolution of digital TV but also reaffirms the importance of cultural storytelling in British TV with Public Service broadcasting and free TV at its heart.

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As YouView reflects on this achievement, the focus remains on innovation and collaboration to ensure British audiences continue to enjoy TV experiences that are immersive, simple to use and accessible to all.

For more information on the awards and winners, visit the HbbTV Symposium and Awards website.

For more information on Freely, visit the Freely website.

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