Freesat launches companion mobile app

UK free-to-air satellite operator Freesat has launched a new app that will let viewers plan what to watch and control their TVs from their mobile device.

Launched today, the free Freesat App is available to download on Apple iOS devices and will act as a companion to Freesat’s connected TV platform, Freetime.

Viewers will be able to use the app to browse programme picks for the week ahead, scroll back through Freesat’s backwards EPG, search for content, remotely set programmes to record, and launch on-demand programmes to play on their TV.

“The new Freesat App is, we believe, a game changer for the free TV market. January is naturally a popular month for staying in – so it’s perfect timing to make the most of all the great new TV programmes that are on via the Freesat App,” said Freesat managing director Emma Scott.

She added that the launch fits with Freesat’s “core goal” of opening up “fantastic subscription-free TV.”

Freesat’s Freetime service gives viewers access to on-demand services from all the main UK terrestrial broadcasters – the BBC, ITV, Channel 4 and Channel Five. It also offers set-top access to YouTube, with Scott telling DTVE that Freesat is currently talking to more on-demand content providers.

The Freesat app was developed in-house with support from London-based app design and development firm, Nice Agency. The initial release is for Apple devices only, but there are plans for an Android version to follow, said Scott.