BBC Sounds launches on Freesat

The BBC’s audio platform, BBC Sounds, has launched on Freesat.

Freesat, the UK’s free-to-air satellite TV platform, has added the app to its latest range of 4K TV boxes and a growing portfolio of apps. BBC Sounds offers access to over 80,000 hours of music, radio and podcasts, and makes it easy for listeners to tune into live radio, music and on demand programmes.

Podcasts are also a growing focus of BBC Sounds, with November seeing the launches of panorama programme I’m Not A Monster and season two of Grounded with Louis Theroux.

Alistair Thom, CEO, Freesat, said: “As the first lockdown hit and more of us began working from home for example, we saw a resulting change in listening habits as a greater number of our customers began to access radio content through our set top boxes. Customers now average 11.6 hours per month listening to the radio, up from just over 9 hours per month prior to the pandemic. That’s a significant rise in total listening.”

Above all we aim to offer the Freesat audience relevant content that we know they will find entertaining, engaging and informative. Therefore, with quality content and a rise in demand, it’s the perfect time to welcome BBC Sounds to our platform.”

This is the latest launch for BBC Sounds, which expanded to Humax Freeview Play devices in September. The service currently has around 3.5 million weekly users, approximately 10% of all digital listening via TV. That is equivalent to around 48 million hours per week.