As part of a process that it says will lead the evolution of free services in the streaming age, Digital UK - the parent company of DTT service Freeview and sister free satellite twin Freesat - is now to operate under the name of Everyone TV.
Everyone TV is a joint venture owned and supported by the BBC, ITV, Channel 4 and Channel 5 with the latter joining as a member in late 2021. Freesat merged with Digital UK in the same year with the UK’s two free-to-view TV services now under the leadership of one organisation.
As Digital UK, the organisation was originally set up to manage and deliver the digital switchover (DSO) from analogue TV signals to Freeview. The rebranding is said to be part of a plan to ensure everyone in the can enjoy high quality TV across satellite, terrestrial and internet delivery and better reflect the company’s mission to champion free TV for all.
The name change is also said to reflect a revised mandate for the organisation: to lead the evolution of free, universal, high-quality television, in a way that protects and strengthens the social glue provided by Britain’s broadcasting heritage. Freeview and Freesat, which together offer 100% coverage of the nation and serve 18 million British homes, will retain their consumer brand identities.
To herald the next chapter in the company's history, there will be a new top-tier of directors at Everyone TV under CEO Jonathan Thompson. Other members of the management team include chief commercial officer Deep Halder, formerly head of TV retail & content services at Samsung UK; chief technology officer Orf Warr, formerly CTO of Channel 4; and chief product officers Sarah Milton, formerly Digital UK COO and Carl Pfeiffer, formerly head of distribution and platform partnerships at Channel 4.
Commenting on the move Thompson said: “Among our tasks in the years ahead is defusing a threat to universality that could catch the industry by surprise. From the Queen’s funeral to the victorious England women’s football team, shared moments of sorrow and joy, drama and poignancy, are currently brought into every British home simultaneously by our world-leading television industry. But that could be lost in a fragmented future world of TV viewing. We at Everyone TV will lead the evolution of free television services in the UK so that universality - in all senses of the word - remains a fundamental principle.”
As Digital UK, the organisation was originally set up to manage and deliver the digital switchover (DSO) from analogue TV signals to Freeview. The rebranding is said to be part of a plan to ensure everyone in the can enjoy high quality TV across satellite, terrestrial and internet delivery and better reflect the company’s mission to champion free TV for all.
The name change is also said to reflect a revised mandate for the organisation: to lead the evolution of free, universal, high-quality television, in a way that protects and strengthens the social glue provided by Britain’s broadcasting heritage. Freeview and Freesat, which together offer 100% coverage of the nation and serve 18 million British homes, will retain their consumer brand identities.
To herald the next chapter in the company's history, there will be a new top-tier of directors at Everyone TV under CEO Jonathan Thompson. Other members of the management team include chief commercial officer Deep Halder, formerly head of TV retail & content services at Samsung UK; chief technology officer Orf Warr, formerly CTO of Channel 4; and chief product officers Sarah Milton, formerly Digital UK COO and Carl Pfeiffer, formerly head of distribution and platform partnerships at Channel 4.
Commenting on the move Thompson said: “Among our tasks in the years ahead is defusing a threat to universality that could catch the industry by surprise. From the Queen’s funeral to the victorious England women’s football team, shared moments of sorrow and joy, drama and poignancy, are currently brought into every British home simultaneously by our world-leading television industry. But that could be lost in a fragmented future world of TV viewing. We at Everyone TV will lead the evolution of free television services in the UK so that universality - in all senses of the word - remains a fundamental principle.”
