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Everyone TV: Freely Product Launch

Strategic delivery for a national streaming platform backed by the UK’s major broadcasters

Use case

Everyone TV (formerly Digital UK) set out to launch Freely, the next-generation free-to-air streaming platform for UK viewers, blending traditional broadcast quality with IP-based content delivery.

The mission: bring the best of British television to as many homes as possible via smart TVs, seamlessly integrated with broadcaster content, stream stability, and modern UX expectations.

The challenge

Rapid program setup following company rebrand and office move
New streaming product targeting 27M+ homes
Multi-stakeholder delivery: broadcasters, software vendors, and manufacturers
Synchronising diverse timelines across product, software, test, ops, and commercial
Coordination of a large-scale go-to-market campaign for launch readiness

The solution

The consultant assignment

Embedded as external Software Delivery Manager
Reported into the senior leadership team
Led bi-weekly delivery and stakeholder meetings across content providers, software vendors, and manufacturer teams
Owned the high-level roadmap, integrating Jira timelines, test plans, and GTM requirements

The work

Scoped, coordinated, and sequenced software delivery across:
- Operator App development (via partner YouView)
- Broadcast stream integration
- EPG metadata and viewer identity management
Created master delivery roadmap in Roadmunk, integrating dependencies from BBC, ITV, Channel 4, and Channel 5
Ran critical stakeholder workshops:
- Data Strategy
- IP Streaming
- Metadata & ID Management
Managed service readiness alongside operational and test teams
Facilitated go-live and post-launch release cadence (Day 0, 30/60/90-day rollout)

Timeline

Engagement: 18 months (Feb 2023 to Aug 2024)
Milestones: 6 major delivery phases, leading to phased launches and expansion

Results and impact

Results and outcomes

Flagship Smart TV launch achieved

Successfully launched Freely on Hisense TVs in April 2024
Recently reached the milestone of 500,000 users

End-to-end delivery coordination

Supported the entire launch cycle across 18 months
Led the delivery of a future-proof OpApp architecture used by additional manufacturers (e.g. Vestel)

Industry recognition

Freely earned multiple broadcast innovation awards
Set the stage for expanded personalisation, FAST channels, and new platform integrations

Why this matters

This case reflects Ancast Intelligence’s ability to manage high-stakes, complex software and product launches within multi-entity environments. From strategy and planning to on-the-ground delivery and operational readiness, we helped turn Freely into a national streaming reality.