Freesat opens up Freetime TV guide to international operators

UK free-to-air satellite platform Freesat has opened up its Freetime connected TV guide to terrestrial, cable and satellite TV operators, as well as electronics manufacturers, outside of the UK.

The new solution, dubbed Metaphor, will be deployed first by Italian free satellite operator Tivùsat for its new OTT service, Tivùon!, and will be available to other companies looking to integrate broadband on-demand services into their existing linear broadcast offerings.

Metaphor runs on a cloud-based service management platform and includes a companion app, available for iOS and Android, which can be integrated with the TV service.

The solution can be adopted as it is, or customised to fit specific operator requirements, said Freesat.

Freesat’s chief technology officer, Matthew Huntington, said the TV guide already offers a “fantastic user experience for our customers in the UK and I’m looking forward to offering manufacturers and operators the unique opportunity to take advantage of this award winning innovation.”

Freesat first launched its connected TV Guide in the UK in 2012 and it has since been adopted across TVs and set-top boxes through manufacturing partnerships with Humax, Panasonic, Vestel and Manhattan.