When you look through the available channels on Freeview, you’ll see some Top Up TV channels. How can these be viewed on a Freeview box or TV set? Find out more.
Top Up TV Channels
If you have a Freeview box or TV set, you may see channels for:
- G.O.L.D
- Home (formerly UKTV Style)
- ESPN
- Sky Sports 1
- Sky Sports 2
You’ll find that you can’t access these, as they are subscription channels. So, how do you get to these?
These channels are subscription-only channels and are available to customers of Top Up TV, a company that provide extra content over the Freeview system.
Top Up TV: CLOSED IN OCTOBER 2013!
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Free YouView box with Sky Sports & Sky Movies?
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Get a free BT YouView box with your BT Broadband
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Want to get YouView without subscription?
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Top Up TV closed down at the end of October 2013 – We recommend YouView as an alternative – On-demand TV, hundreds of hours of content, plus catch-up TV. Available with or without contract!
Can I buy a subscription card to get G.O.L.D and Home on Freeview?
No. Let us explain why…
Until 2007, a company called Top Up TV sold a subscription service where if you had a suitable Freeview box, you could pay £7.99 a month and get 11 extra subscription channels using a special viewing card.
It all changed in 2007, when Top Up TV brought in a new service, Top Up TV Anytime. Instead of showing 11 extra channels, they now supply a special set-top box that has a built-in recorder. Overnight, Top Up TV sends a collection of TV shows over-the-air that your box records for you watch over the next seven days.
To get Top Up TV Anytime, you’ll need to buy a special Top Up TV Anytime box. This will give you 100 hours of extra shows per week. You can also get a box and subscription direct from topuptv.com – The box costs £70 (or £40 for a reconditioned box). You can also get Top Up TV Anytime boxes from Argos and Amazon.
As well as the downloaded TV shows, you’ll be able to access a very limited number of hours of live TV, currently:
- Channel 17 – G.O.L.D (6pm – 11:30pm)
- Channel 26 – Home (2pm – 4pm)
- Channel 34 – ESPN Sport (Extra subscription needed)
- Channel 41 – Sky Sports 1 (Extra subscription needed)
- Channel 42 – Sky Sports 2 (Extra subscription needed)
The Top Up TV Anytime box
Can I get GOLD and Home on Freeview?
The only way to get these channels on Freeview is to buy a Top Up TV Anytime box. Even then, you only get a few hours of those channels a day.
If you want these channels, consider a different TV service, such as:
 Sky Digital: Widest choice of channels. Received with satellite dish and set-top box.See our Sky page or go to www.sky.com/shop.
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 Virgin Media: Available to parts of the UK via underground cabling and a Cable TV set-top box.See our Cable TV page, or go to www.virginmedia.com |
 Available in parts of the UK via a special box that’s connected to your phone line.More on our TalkTalk TV page, or at talktalk.co.uk/tv |
Can I get Sky Sports on Freeview?
Yes – Either with a Top Up TV box or a BT Vision box:
Can I get ESPN on Freeview?
Yes – Either with a Top Up TV box, a BT Vision box, or on a Freeview box that has a suitable card slot. How to get ESPN on Freeview.
I have a Freeview box… why can’t I get these extra channels?
The only way to get GOLD and Home over Freeview is to get a Top Up TV Anytime box (see above). Existing Freeview TV sets and boxes, even those with card slots, can’t get these channels.
Don’t blame us – Blame Top Up TV, who stopped their subscription card service back in 2007.
I want more channels!
The channel options available on Freeview are quite limited. You might want to consider some of the other options:
- Sky – Widest choice of channels in the UK. You’ll need a satellite dish. See www.sky.com/shop.
- YouView – Freeview, plus hours of TV you can download over Broadband and watch on your telly – btvision.bt.com
- Virgin Media – If you’re in a cable TV area, get loads of extra channels. See www.virginmedia.com
- Freesat – Another satellite TV service, this one’s subscription-free. More on our Freesat page
- TalkTalk TV – Extra channels down a phone line (parts of UK only). More on our TalkTalk TV page
Links
- Channel comparison – See which TV service carries your favourite channel
- Digital TV forum – Discuss Top Up TV and TUTV Anytime
- Freeview
FAQ – Our page containing answers to common Freeview questions
and problems
yeah i was with topuptv for agood 4 years by then 1 year by with me having btbroadband then they offed a btvision box that is i left it was not bad
yeah i was with topuptv for a good 4 years then 1 year went by with me having btbroadband then they offed a btvision box that is why i left it was not bad
How can I get tv gold channel, I have a free view box, But I dont want to buy sky or cable.