UK Government Considers Ending Terrestrial TV Broadcasts by 2034

The UK Government will publish a Green Paper in the coming weeks that sets out proposals to move free-to-air television from terrestrial broadcasts to broadband delivery. Freeview currently reaches about 16 million homes, or roughly 60 percent of UK television households. The document will also address Freesat, the satellite-based free-to-air service.

Under existing rules, traditional over-the-air broadcasts are guaranteed only until 2034. Ofcom is examining whether that deadline should be extended. A 2024 Ofcom report found that viewing of broadcast television via digital terrestrial television has declined.

The regulator noted that broadcasters have raised concerns about the rising cost of maintaining digital terrestrial television and satellite distribution as audiences move to streaming.

Broadcasters including the BBC, ITV, and Channel 4 have supported a transition to internet delivery, stating that maintaining broadcast signals for fewer viewers is becoming expensive. A spokesperson for the Broadcast 2040+ campaign said forcing households onto broadband to watch basic television would impose new costs and create exclusions.

The group estimated that underwriting broadband costs for those who cannot pay could reach £1 billion per year. According to the House of Commons Library, 17 percent of UK households relied solely on digital terrestrial services for television in 2023.

2024, the BBC, ITV, Channel 4, and Channel 5 launched Freely, a streaming service that delivers live free-to-air channels over broadband without requiring an aerial. Channel 4 has closed five of its Freeview channels and directed staff to consider streaming before approving new commissions.

5 million ITVX Premium subscribers by 2026. The last DTT licence consultation ended in February 2021. No deadline has been set for the current review.