Surprise removal of nine Freesat channels

[dutchman]

Freesat users have suddenly lost access to nine channels with content spanning classic entertainment, movies and children’s programmes

• Narrative Entertainment’s GREAT! network of channels, including GREAT! movies affected.
  
• POP, Tiny POP and POP Max dropped. Tiny POP was already due to leave next month.
  
• Leaves Freesat users with just three movie channels.

The plug was pulled on nine Freesat channels on Wednesday morning. All channels operated by Narrative Entertainment were removed from the Freesat channel list.

Affected channels includes GREAT! tv, which showcases classic entertainment series including Murder, She Wrote, M*A*S*H and The Avengers. GREAT! action, movies and romance offered viewers a variety of films while POP, Tiny POP and POP Max offered children’s entertainment programmes.

The channels were withdrawn without prior warning. At the time of publication, GREAT! movies was still promoting its old Freesat channel number on its website.

▶ The full list of channels removed from Freesat – 7th February 2024

• GREAT! tv
  
• GREAT! tv+1
  
• GREAT! action
  
• GREAT! movies
  
• GREAT! romance
  
• GREAT! romance+1
  
• POP
  
• Tiny POP
  
• POP Max

Of the above channels, it had already been announced that Tiny POP would be closing, not just on Freesat, but all traditional TV platforms next month.

As part of a move to online-only distribution, Tiny POP will also leave Sky, Freeview and Virgin Media by 20th March 2024. It will continue to be broadcast on streaming platforms.

Narrative Entertainment justified the move as reflective of changes in the way younger viewers access content.

Impact on Freesat users

The loss of the channels is significant for Freesat viewers. It leaves them with just three movie channels on the list: Film4, Film4+1 and Talking Pictures. And within the children’s genre, there is now only CBBC and CBeebies.

Narrative Entertainment has been approached for comment.