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The free streaming platform has added five new channels from AMC, after they were first announced nearly a year ago. The new channels cover everything from crime to reality TV.
For anyone unfamiliar, Freely is the streaming service run by Everyone TV — the same organisation behind Freeview and Freesat. It's set to overtake both by the end of the decade.
Freely works entirely over your broadband connection, so there's no need for an aerial or satellite dish. You get channels from the BBC, ITV, Channel 4, 5 and others in a single TV guide, and it's completely free to watch.
The new batch pushes Freely beyond 70 live channels, which is a pretty significant milestone for a platform that only launched in 2024.
Here's a rundown of what's arrived and where to find it all.
The newcomers in True Crime UK on channel 74, Evidence of Evil on channel 88, Bloodline Detectives on channel 89, Love After Lock Up on channel 73, and AMC Reality on channel 111. Instead of sitting together in a neat block, they're dotted across the guide between positions 73 and 111.
There is a decent mix here, too. True Crime UK is aimed at fans of real-life crime documentaries, with investigations, criminal cases and forensic evidence at the heart of its programming. AMC says its wider True Crime offering focuses on real cases and includes documentaries featuring detectives, forensic experts and witnesses.
Evidence of Evil and Bloodline Detectives take that crime focus further. The former centres on the evidence and investigative details behind criminal cases, while Bloodline Detectives explores how genetic genealogy and DNA evidence can help investigators identify suspects and solve cases. Both are particularly suited if you enjoy forensic and investigative documentaries rather than scripted crime dramas. AMC lists both among its UK streaming brands.
For something less crime-focused, Love After Lock Up brings reality TV into the mix. The series follows couples where one person is in prison, tracking what happens when they are released and the relationships have to adjust to life outside. You can also expect plenty of relationship drama, family tensions and uncertainty over whether the couples can actually make things work.
Finally, AMC Reality is the broadest of the newcomers. It's designed around reality programming, including relationship, dating, wedding and lifestyle shows.
It's not just AMC filling out the guide, either. Freely has had a busy year so far. Warner Bros. Discovery's channels — Quest, Quest Red, Food Network, DMAX, Really and TLC — came through early in the year.
ITV quietly added The Chase and Saturday Night Every Night on channels 65 and 66.
Then at the end of July came the biggest single drop Freely has seen — 11 Channel 5 spin-off channels landed in one go, including 5Cops, 5Movies, 5Crime, 5Medical and a dedicated Milkshake! channel for younger viewers.
For Freely's first 18 months, you needed a compatible smart TV from brands like Hisense, Panasonic or TCL.
However, if you don't have one of those TVs — like an LG or Samsung — specialised set-top boxes arrived that can plug into the back of nearly every telly to bring you the same experience.
The first Freely boxes — Manhattan Aero 4K TV streamer, Netgem Pleio, and Humax Aura EZ 4K TV recorder.
Each of these streaming boxes will plug into the back of any TV via an HDMI port. Since Freely runs over Wi-Fi, as long as you have a plug socket and a good connection, you can enjoy all the same features the service has to offer.
That means you can place your television anywhere in the house as long as it has a minimum 10Mbps connection, and that bad weather can't disrupt your latest boxset obsession, sports fixture, or movie night.
They're ideal if you're not ready to upgrade your telly but still want to take advantage of all of Freely's latest offerings. Plus, new research suggests aerials could be retired in 2034. If you're considering adding one to the back of your telly, we've measured up how each of their unique features may suit your streaming needs.
