LG’s 2021 TVs will support Freeview Play

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The UK's core catch up services were frustratingly missing from last year’s LG TVs

Freeview Play
(Image credit: LG)

LG has struck a deal for its 2021 TVs to come with Freeview Play support, meaning that every model will have the full complement of catch-up apps that UK users expect, including BBC iPlayer, BBC News, BBC Sport, ITV Hub, All 4 and My5.

The news is a welcome return to normality after LG and Freeview Play took a break from one another last year, leaving LG's otherwise excellent 2020 OLEDs without any of the major catch-up apps at launch.

The South Korean company has since been playing catch up, working on a fix for disappointed customers, but the pace has been glacial with BBC iPlayer, BBC News and BBC Sport added 4 months after launch and ITV Hub coming to select models only at the end of last year. There's still no update on when (or even if) these 2020 TVs will get All 4 or My5. 

Despite this frustrating turn of events, Freeview Play still managed to have its most successful sales year ever in 2020, becoming the UK's fastest-growing TV platform with over 9 million total users.

Speaking about the re-inclusion of the on-demand service on its 2021 models, LG said: “Freeview Play gives viewers access to over 95% of the nation’s favourite TV. There's over 30,000 hours of on-demand TV, including over 750 box sets, all for free.

“Alongside over 85 live channels, Freeview Play on LG provides nine on-demand players; BBC iPlayer, ITV Hub, All 4, My5, UKTV Play, CBS CatchUp Channels UK, Horror Bites, STV Player, and BBC Sounds”.

With the launch of some of LG's most anticipated 2021 OLED, QNED Mini LED and NanoCell 4K TVs around the corner, the company seems keen to give users plenty of reasons to buy. 

SEE MORE

LG 2021 TV lineup: everything you need to know

Compare that with the full Samsung 2021 TV line-up

And take a look at what there is to offer in the Sony 2021 TV line-up too

Mary Stone

Mary is a staff writer at What Hi-Fi? and has over a decade of experience working as a sound engineer mixing live events, music and theatre. Her mixing credits include productions at The National Theatre and in the West End, as well as original musicals composed by Mark Knopfler, Tori Amos, Guy Chambers, Howard Goodall and Dan Gillespie Sells. 

1 Comment Comment from the forums
  • Friesiansam
    What Hi-Fi? said:
    The South Korean company has since been playing catch up, working on a fix for disappointed customers, but the pace has been glacial with BBC iPlayer, BBC News and BBC Sport added 4 months after launch and ITV Hub coming to select models only at the end of last year. There's still no update on when (or even if) these 2020 TVs will get All 4 or My5.
    The easy solution is just to buy a Samsung QLED instead.
    Reply