Freesat announces new Freetime partnership with Vestel

World’s third largest TV manufacturer to install Freesat’s award-winning Freetime on its new range of smart TVs and set top boxes

• Freetime features include Roll Back TV guide, all major On Demand players and programme recommendations through Showcase on TVs and set top boxes

Vestel, a major player in the consumer electronics industry, and Freesat, the subscription free TV service, have announced a strategic partnership to provide Freesat’s Freetime service via satellite on a range of Vestel’s new smart TVs and set top boxes. The third largest TV manufacturer in the world, Vestel makes TVs for a variety of major Japanese and European brands as well as own brand TVs sold by major UK retailers including Argos, Tesco, Asda and Sainsbury’s.

Owners of the new Vestel manufactured TVs and set top boxes will be able to use Freetime to roll-­‐back the TV guide for the past seven days, access all the major On Demand services including BBC iPlayer, ITV Player, 4oD, and Demand 5, and watch Showcase, Freesat’s great programme recommendation service. The Freesat mobile companion app will also work in conjunction with the Vestel Freetime range, offering the ability to plan, record and manage programmes to watch and directly control the TV.

Freetime has been extremely successful since launch in September 2012, with Freetime boxes now accounting for over 40% of all Freesat set‐top box sales.

As the biggest volume supplier to major retailers such as John Lewis and Dixons, the Vestel agreement increases even further the number of viewers that will be able to enjoy the Freetime service.

Emma Scott, Freesat’s Managing Director, commented: “We are extremely pleased to be able to announce today’s partnership with Vestel, which further builds on the strong momentum for our award‐winning Freetime service. This is an exciting time for us – we announced the Freetime Panasonic VIERA TVs range last month and we look forward to extending our reach further with Vestel. Through the new agreement, viewers will be able to enjoy Freetime on a whole new range of leading brands.”

Iskender Diker, Vestel’s Commercial Director, commented: “The television market needs a free smart TV platform that retailers can buy to sell under their own brands. The own brand TV market represents more than 50% of the UK TV market, which makes this partnership between Freesat and Vestel so vitally important. Retailers need to be able to sell high quality TVs with great TV services like those offered by Freesat. Consumers are quite savvy – they don’t need to pay for what’s free.”