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Screenshot  STV Player - TV you'll love for free | |
| Developer(s) | STV Group plc |
|---|---|
| Initial release | July 2009 |
| Operating system | Windows, Mac, Linux |
| Platform | Windows,macOS,Linux,iOS,Android,AirPlay,Amazon Fire TV,Android TV,Apple TV,Chromecast,Freesat,Freeview Play,Now,Roku,Sky Glass,Sky Go,Sky TV,Samsung Smart TV,Virgin Media,YouView[1] |
| Available in | English |
| Type | Television catch-up, archive, exclusive content, live broadcast |
| Website | www.stv.tv |
STV Player is avideo on demand service owned bySTV Group and available free-of-charge across the UK, online, on mobile and on all major TV platforms, includingSky Glass,Amazon Fire TV,Roku,Apple TV,Android TV,Freeview Play,Freesat andVirgin Media.
Officially launched in July 2009 following asoft launch the previous year, STV Player was initially established as an onlinecatch-up service for viewers of theSTV channel in Scotland.[2] The platform has since rolled out UK-wide[3] as an advertising-based video on demand (AVOD) service with a focus on international drama box sets.[4] In February 2019,STV Player+ was launched, allowing viewers with a monthly subscription to stream and download Player content withoutpre-roll or mid-roll advertising.[5]
In January 2021, after launching onSky Q in all four nations of the UK the previous month,[6] STV Player reported that its monthly active user base had grown by a fifth and online viewing on the platform had doubled year-on-year.[7] It was nominated for "best on demand service of the year" at theEdinburgh International Television Festival's annual awards ceremony in 2021.[8]
STV Player provides a combination ofChannel 3 network content such asCoronation Street,The Masked Singer andI'm a Celebrity...Get Me Out of Here!, home-grown productions such asScotland Tonight andTaggart, and international drama box sets includingThe Bridge,Janet King andIce. Channel 3 network content is not available to viewers outside North and Central Scotland, asITVX owns the rights to show this inITV plc regions.
In April 2020, STV announced plans to provide every episode of classic soap operaTake the High Road, produced by its production armSTV Studios between 1980 and 2003, on STV Player.[9]
A content deal with distributorBanijay in July 2021, described at the time as STV Player's "biggest ever",[10] brought over 1,200 hours of new drama and factual programming to the platform for viewers across the UK.
In January 2023, STV Player signed a deal with distributorAll3Media to become the first streaming service to provide every episode of classic soapBrookside since it was cancelled byChannel 4 in 2003.[11] Original cast membersClaire Sweeney andSunetra Sarker praised the decision to relaunch the show on STV Player.[12]
In April 2014, STV Player experienced downtime during its broadcast ofSalmond & Darling: The Debate—the first televised debate for the2014 Scottish independence referendum. STV had secured exclusive rights to the broadcast, and refused to offer it to any other broadcaster (including theBBC andSky News), while STV's networkITV did not choose to pick up the live airing of the debate across the rest of the UK (excluding theITV Border region), Unfortunately, a configration issue with a large scale third party providing content distribution for the event prevented audience members from watching parts of the broadcast. STV apologized for the issues, whileBBC Parliament aired the full debate broadcast the next day.[13]
The website usesBrightcove Flash technology, similar to those used by the services provided by theBBC andChannel 4. It is available on various operating systems, including Windows, Mac and Linux, and multiple web browsers, such asChrome,Firefox andSafari.
AnAndroid app was released on 9 September 2011,[14] andiOS on 22 December 2011.[15]
STV Player launched onFreesat in October 2016,[16] and onSky UK in November 2019.[17]
In December 2020, it was announced that STV Player would be installed onNow TV devices, automatically appear on the home screens for all users.[18] At the same time STV Player becomes available UK wide toSky Q customers.[19]
STV launched UK wide on theVirgin Media platform in June 2020[20]
