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United Kingdom - London | February 18, 2025
ITV, the largest commercial broadcaster and streamer in the UK, has taken a significant step forward joining the launch of Freely, a streaming platform that delivers free live and on-demand TV from major public service broadcasters in the UK. Supported by Akamai’s suite of content delivery and security solutions, ITV is transforming the way audiences enjoy free TV, all without the need for aerials or satellite dishes.
The changing landscape of TV in the UK
Public service broadcasters like ITV are seeing rising demand for streaming services in the UK. Freely is part of that evolution — an all-in-one platform where viewers can access top TV shows, both live and on demand, from a variety of UK broadcasters. This is a major shift toward making free TV more accessible and interactive for users, while keeping pace with the growing dominance of streaming.
The Freely platform is integrated directly into smart TVs, eliminating the need for additional hardware or app switching, and offering a seamless way for users to enjoy content. Whether you’re pausing and resuming live TV or exploring a new series, Freely is designed to simplify and enhance the user experience.
The role of Akamai
ITV’s long-standing partnership with Akamai — now spanning more than 15 years — was critical in bringing Freely to life. Akamai provides ITV with an array of cloud-based solutions that ensure a smooth, secure, and scalable streaming experience. For Freely, ITV leveraged Akamai’s content delivery network (CDN), web application and API protection (WAAP), and bot management solutions to deliver a reliable service to millions of viewers across the UK.
For a project of this scale and importance, we knew we needed a partner with extensive experience in the broadcasting industry. Akamai has been a trusted partner of ITV for years, and we continue to rely on their expertise and robust solutions to ensure a flawless streaming experience for our users. Akamai’s deep understanding of our needs, and their ability to adapt their services to the unique demands of the broadcast world, made them the ideal choice to support the launch of Freely
Paul Kane, Director of Technology, Content Supply & Distribution at ITV
Akamai’s CDN enables seamless delivery of high-quality video streams, ensuring that ITV’s content reaches viewers quickly, regardless of location or peak traffic times. This is essential for maintaining a high-performance streaming service during live events or popular shows, where concurrency can skyrocket.
Looking to the future
Akamai’s edge computing solutions and continuous innovation in areas like low-latency streaming and high-performance media delivery open the door to even more exciting possibilities. These advancements will allow ITV to continue leading the charge in transforming the broadcast industry while ensuring the scalability and future-proofing of Freely.
We view Freely as a game changer in how public service broadcasters in the UK will engage with their audiences moving forward. Akamai’s consistent support will allow us to continually push the boundaries of what’s possible with IP streaming
Vinay Gupta, Senior Technology Consultant at ITV
Freely marks an important milestone for ITV and the broader UK broadcast industry. With Akamai’s backing, ITV is delivering a next-generation streaming platform that offers all the benefits of free TV while keeping pace with the digital age. As Freely continues to expand and innovate, Akamai will remain a key partner in ensuring its success.