Freesat Expands Red Button Interactive Offerings

Viewers in the UK on the Freesat free-to-air satellite platform can now enjoy the same Red Button interactive features as those watching Sky, cable operator Virgin Media, and the Freeview digital terrestrial service. This includes single-stream video and Sport Multiscreen, which was part of the original launch.

Ronald Bullen, service delivery manager for BBC Red Button, says that comments had been made about Freesat Red Button’s not being quite the same as on other platforms. “Now all Freesat viewers — broadcast and IP-connected boxes — will be able to access our single-stream video services as well as the Sport Multiscreen service,” he says. “This has links via existing scheduling tools that launch an MHEG application, allowing the view to be taken to our interactive streams and back again. It brings Freesat viewers a wider range of BBC Red Button video-based services.”

Sport Multiscreen on the Red Button is currently showing the Welsh International Open tournament.