|
Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...
|
On June 17, 2026, the Federal Government of Nigeria launched FreeTV, a national digital television platform offering households free access to over 100 channels without monthly subscription fees.
The platform is part of Nigeria’s Digital Switch-Over (DSO) programme and is aimed at expanding access to digital broadcasting while supporting President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda.
According to a statement from the Presidency, FreeTV was designed to ensure that every Nigerian benefits from the country’s transition from analogue to digital television, regardless of location or income level.
The government stated that FreeTV will offer households access to over 100 national, regional and state channels featuring news, sports, movies, music, children’s programmes, educational content, and dedicated Yoruba, Hausa and Igbo language channels.
Nigerians will not be required to purchase new television sets to use the platform. Existing televisions will function with compatible DVB-T2 or DVB-S2 decoders, while households that already own compatible free-to-air decoders may not need to acquire new equipment.
The service will be delivered through satellite transmission, terrestrial broadcasting, and a dedicated mobile application, enabling access across urban centres, smaller towns, and rural communities, including locations previously outside earlier rollout phases.
Director-General of the National Broadcasting Commission, Charles Ebuebu, stated how Nigerians are going to benefit from it:
“With FreeTV, families across Nigeria can enjoy quality digital television without a monthly subscription, while our local content producers, technicians and young creatives gain new platforms and new jobs.”
The Federal Government maintained that the final analogue television switch-off remains scheduled for December 31, 2028, and has encouraged Nigerians to begin preparing by checking their decoder compatibility and downloading the FreeTV app.
