Digital TV News

ITV Player coming to Freesat

Monday 30 November, 2009

By Seamour Rathore - seamour@consumerchoices.co.uk

Subscription-free digital TV service Freesat will add the ITV player in the first half of next year as Freesat users await the imminent arrival of the BBC iPlayer.

Freesat high-definition (HD) customers are in for a TV on-demand boost, as some will get the BBC iPlayer on 7 December and the ITV Player next year.

A full roll-out of the iPlayer on Freesat HD should happen in phases in the New Year under the plans.

Freesat has also said it will host the ITV Player by the first half of 2010 – so viewers will be able to watch some of the highest-rated programmes on TV such as Coronation Street when they want, on their digital TV.

Jon Ingram, operations director at Digitalchoices.co.uk, said: “Freesat has a much smaller base than Freeview currently.

“Market-leading TV on-demand services such as these will make the public think twice about which non-subscription platform they sign-up for. Virgin Media (www.virginmedia.com) has hosted the BBC's iPlayer and the ITV Player for some time now, and the services have proved very popular with its customers.”