Arqiva is to stand down as a shareholder in Digital UK, the company behind Freeview.
Last month it was reported that the transmission company was reluctant to invest further in Digital UK’s Freeview Plus, the HbbTV-based hybrid platform.
In a statement, Digital UK said for the remaining shareholders, the BBC, ITV and Channel 4 it was “an opportunity for greater collaboration in how viewers find and enjoy the best of public service programming in the connected world”.
Arqiva will stand down from Digital UK and DTV Services Ltd., the marketing body for Freeview in March 2021, but will continue to provide infrastructure and transmission services to the UK’s DTT services. This includes the running of the Freeview EPG.
“I would like to take this opportunity to thank Arqiva for all their support for Freeview over the years. They have been an important and valued partner to Digital UK, and without them Freeview would not have been the British success story it is today,”said Jonathan Thompson, CEO, Digital UK.
The partners are committed to keeping Freeview as a competitive and open hybrid TV platform.
“While we have stepped down as shareholder, we believe in the platform’s future and will continue to deliver and invest in the infrastructure and related services required to provide a wide and growing range of services to our media customers,” said Shuja Khan, Chief Commercial Officer, Arqiva.
Freeview launched in October 2002, Freeview Play made its debut in 2015.
