Film Four might go free-to-air on Freeview

6th December 2005

Channel 4 Chief Exec Andy Duncan is apparently considering putting Film Four free-to-air on Freeview and removing the additional subscription charge on satellite and cable as well. This would change Film Four from having 400,000 subscriptions to being in about 16m homes with digital TV.

Freeview is in over 5 million homes now, and it must be tipping the balance towards advert-funding and away from subscription-funding. Freeview has the additional benefit for Channel 4 that Film Four would have a higher share of viewing than on the pay-TV platforms, because there's a lot fewer channels on Freeview.

Channel 4 recently won the auction for an additional Freeview "slot" for about £11m or £12m, and Film Four could fill this slot.