What is the Freeview channel guide?
Freeview is the UK’s free digital television service, delivering more than 85 TV channels and 30+ radio stations through a standard aerial — no subscription, no monthly fee. This guide lists every Freeview channel number for 2026, including HD channels, regional variants for Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, and recent channel changes. Scroll to the channel list below or skip to the FAQ for answers to common Freeview questions.
Quick facts:
- 85+ TV channels nationwide
- 12 channels broadcast in HD
- 6 transmitter multiplexes (PSB1, PSB2, PSB3, COM4, COM5, COM6)
- Channel 100 = Freeview Play on-demand
- Free forever — no monthly subscription, ever
Single-channel TV guides
For a full daily schedule, what’s on tonight and how to watch each channel, see our dedicated channel guides:
BBC: BBC One · BBC Two · BBC Four · CBBC · CBeebies
ITV: ITV1 · ITV2 · ITV3 · ITV4
Channel 4: Channel 4 · E4 · More4 · Film4 · 4seven
Channel 5: Channel 5 · 5USA · 5Star · 5Action
UKTV: Dave · Drama · Yesterday
Warner Bros. Discovery: Quest · Really
GREAT! network: GREAT! Movies · GREAT! Action · GREAT! Romance · GREAT! TV
Film, arts & factual: Talking Pictures TV · Legend · Blaze · Sky Arts · That’s TV
The full Freeview channel list (UK, 2026)
The table below lists Freeview channels by their Logical Channel Number (LCN) — the position they appear at on your Freeview TV or box. Numbers below are the standard UK national lineup. Some positions vary by region and transmitter; see the Regional variations section further down.
Channels 1–10: The mains
| LCN | Channel | Operator | HD |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | BBC One | BBC | ✅ |
| 2 | BBC Two | BBC | ✅ |
| 3 | ITV1 (STV in Scotland, UTV in Northern Ireland) | ITV / STV | ✅ |
| 4 | Channel 4 (S4C in Wales) | Channel 4 | ✅ |
| 5 | Channel 5 | Paramount | ✅ |
| 6 | BBC Three | BBC | ✅ |
| 7 | BBC Four | BBC | ✅ |
| 8 | ITV2 | ITV | — |
| 9 | ITV3 | ITV | — |
| 10 | ITV4 | ITV | — |
Channels 11–30: Entertainment, factual, drama
| LCN | Channel | Operator |
|---|---|---|
| 11 | More4 | Channel 4 |
| 12 | E4 | Channel 4 |
| 13 | Film4 | Channel 4 |
| 14 | 4seven | Channel 4 |
| 15 | ITV1 +1 | ITV |
| 17 | Really | Warner Bros. Discovery |
| 19 | U&Dave | UKTV |
| 20 | U&Drama | UKTV |
| 21 | 5USA | Paramount |
| 24 | ITVBe | ITV |
| 25 | U&Yesterday | UKTV |
| 26 | E4 +1 | Channel 4 |
| 28 | 5Star | Paramount |
| 29 | 5Action | Paramount |
| 30 | E4 Extra | Channel 4 |
News & weather (channels 100–110)
| LCN | Channel | Operator |
|---|---|---|
| 100 | Freeview Play (on-demand portal) | Freeview |
| 101 | BBC News | BBC |
| 102 | BBC Parliament | BBC |
| 103 | Sky News | Sky |
| 105 | GB News | GB News |
| 107 | TalkTV | News UK |
Films, documentaries & specialist
| LCN | Channel | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 81 | Talking Pictures TV | Classic British and Hollywood films |
| 82 | Together TV | Charity / community programming |
| 91 | That’s TV | Music and lifestyle |
| 92 | GREAT! Movies | Free movies channel |
| 93 | GREAT! Action | Action films |
| 94 | GREAT! Romance | Romance films |
| 95 | Sony Movies | Films |
Kids’ channels
| LCN | Channel |
|---|---|
| 200 | CBBC |
| 201 | CBeebies |
| 202 | POP |
| 203 | Tiny POP |
Shopping & lifestyle (channels 35–80)
QVC, QVC Beauty, Ideal World, JewelleryMaker and similar shopping channels sit in this range. Music channels including Now 70s, Now 80s, Now 90s and Vintage TV are also here, along with religious and community broadcasters.
Important: Freeview channel numbers are reviewed and reorganised periodically. The lineup above reflects the standard UK national positions in 2026, but regional variations and operator changes do happen. Always check the on-screen Freeview guide on your TV for the latest layout in your area, or use Freeview’s channel checker at freeview.co.uk/channel-checker.
How Freeview channel numbers work
Freeview uses a system called Logical Channel Numbering (LCN). Each channel is allocated a permanent number on your TV’s channel list, regardless of which transmitter or multiplex it broadcasts on. The numbering follows broad genre groups:
- 1–9 — main public-service broadcasters (BBC, ITV, Channel 4, Channel 5 and HD variants)
- 10–30 — entertainment and drama
- 30–60 — lifestyle, music, shopping
- 70–95 — films, classics, niche
- 100–110 — news and on-demand portal
- 200+ — kids, education
- 600+ — radio stations
- 700+ — interactive and text services
Channels are added, removed and renumbered when broadcasters launch, close or merge. After any major change, Freeview pushes a retune signal that prompts your TV to re-scan automatically. If your TV doesn’t catch it, run a manual retune from the channel-setup menu.
Regional variations
Freeview is broadcast slightly differently across the four UK nations and several major regions. The big ones to know:
- Scotland — Channel 3 carries STV (or STV2), not ITV1. STV runs Scottish news, sport and a handful of locally commissioned shows.
- Wales — Channel 4’s slot at LCN 4 carries S4C, the Welsh-language broadcaster, in mid-Wales and west Wales coverage areas.
- Northern Ireland — Channel 3 carries UTV, ITV’s Northern Ireland franchisee, with NI-specific news at lunchtime and 6pm.
- English regions — BBC One and ITV1 split into 14+ regional sub-feeds for local news bulletins (BBC London News, ITV News Anglia, BBC Look North and so on). Channel position stays the same; only the news content changes.
Scottish, Welsh and Northern Irish viewers should check the on-screen Freeview guide on their TV for the correct local channels — STV, S4C and UTV programming differs significantly from the rest of the UK lineup.
Recent Freeview channel changes (2024–2026)
The Freeview lineup is constantly evolving. Notable recent changes:
- 2024 — UKTV rebranded its entertainment channels with a “U&” prefix: Dave became U&Dave, Drama became U&Drama, Yesterday became U&Yesterday, and Alibi and W became U&Alibi and U&W on Sky and Virgin (W is not on Freeview). Channel positions stayed the same.
- 2024 — Launch of Freely, a streaming successor to Freeview Play that delivers the same free-to-air channels over broadband. Freely-certified TVs from Hisense, Panasonic, Bush and others started shipping from early 2024.
- 2024 — GB News consolidated its position on channel 105.
- 2023 — Closure of several BT-owned channels and reorganisation of the COM7 multiplex.
- 2022 — BBC Three returned to Freeview at channel 7 after a six-year hiatus as an online-only service.
For the night’s actual programmes, see tonight’s Freeview TV guide — updated daily with our top picks across all the main channels.
Freeview vs Freeview Play vs Freely
A common source of confusion. Here’s how they differ:
- Freeview — the underlying broadcast service. Pulls TV channels through your aerial. Free, no internet needed. Works on any Freeview-compatible TV or set-top box.
- Freeview Play — Freeview plus on-demand. Adds BBC iPlayer, ITVX, Channel 4 streaming and My5 directly into your TV’s guide, accessed via channel 100. Requires internet.
- Freely — a 2024 successor service. Delivers the same free-to-air channels over broadband rather than an aerial, plus integrated on-demand. Useful for homes with poor aerial reception or no aerial point. Currently available on Freely-certified TVs from Hisense, Panasonic, Bush, JVC and others.
If you have a TV bought in the last 5 years, it almost certainly supports Freeview Play. Freely is newer and only on certain models from 2024 onwards.
How to find missing or new Freeview channels
If a channel you used to receive has disappeared, or you’ve heard about a new channel that hasn’t shown up:
- Run an automatic retune. Menu → Settings → Channel Setup → Automatic Tuning. Takes 5–10 minutes.
- Check your aerial. Smaller “relay” transmitters only carry around 18 channels. Check coverage at freeview.co.uk/coverage using your postcode.
- Try a manual retune. If automatic tuning misses channels, run a manual retune and let the box re-scan from scratch.
- Check the channel hasn’t closed. Free-to-air channels do shut down. Recent closures include several BT Sport, AMC and similar channels that exited the Freeview platform.
For persistent technical issues — picture freezing, sound dropping, channels not retuning — Freeview’s official help section at freeview.co.uk/help covers most common faults.
Frequently asked questions
How many Freeview channels are there in the UK?
Freeview offers more than 85 standard TV channels and 12 HD channels in 2026, plus 30+ radio channels and the Freeview Play on-demand portal on channel 100. Around 70 channels are available everywhere; the rest depend on your transmitter and aerial.
What channel is BBC One on Freeview?
BBC One is on Freeview channel 1 across the UK. Scottish viewers get BBC One Scotland, Welsh viewers get BBC One Wales, and Northern Irish viewers get BBC One Northern Ireland — all on channel 1.
Why has my Freeview channel moved?
Freeview channel numbers (LCNs) are reorganised periodically when new channels launch, old ones close, or operators rebrand. Recent examples include UKTV’s Dave and Drama becoming U&Dave and U&Drama in 2024, and the closure of the COM7 multiplex in 2022 which removed several HD channels. Run an automatic retune on your Freeview box to update.
Are all Freeview channels HD?
No. As of 2026, around 12 channels broadcast in HD on Freeview, including BBC One HD, BBC Two HD, ITV1 HD, Channel 4 HD, Channel 5 HD, BBC Three HD, BBC Four HD and BBC News HD. Most other channels remain SD.
What’s the difference between Freeview, Freeview Play and Freely?
Freeview is the broadcast service delivering free-to-air TV through an aerial. Freeview Play adds on-demand streaming from BBC iPlayer, ITVX, Channel 4 and My5 to Freeview-certified TVs. Freely, launched in 2024, delivers the same channels over broadband — useful for homes with poor reception.
How do I scan for missing Freeview channels?
Go to Menu → Settings → Channel Setup → Automatic Tuning. The scan takes 5–10 minutes and adds any channels that have launched, closed or moved since your last retune.
Why don’t I get all the Freeview channels?
Freeview broadcasts across six transmitter multiplexes. Smaller relay transmitters only carry three of them, giving roughly 18 channels. Larger main transmitters carry all six for the full 85+ lineup. Check your postcode at freeview.co.uk/coverage.
Last updated: May 2026. Channel numbers correct at time of writing — verify against your Freeview box or freeview.co.uk/channel-checker for the latest lineup in your area.
See also: tonight’s Freeview TV guide · About TV Radar · Contact us
