What is the Role of the Forces Network (BFBS)?

The British Forces Broadcasting Service (BFBS) or Forces Network informs, entertains, connects and champions Service personnel and their families.

What Services Does the Forces Network Provide?

Services provided by the Forces Network include:

• BFBS TV is a unique mix of the best of current British TV available to all those serving overseas. BBC One and ITV are alongside live sport from Sky and BT, with additional top-flight action on the BFBS Sport channel, and twice weekly editions of The Forces Sports Show.
  • Movie premieres, high-end drama and comedy are sourced from more than 40 UK broadcasters, and worldwide producers such as Channel 4, Amazon and Hollywood can be found on BFBS Extra, along with daily editions of Forces News. From The Great British Bake Off to F1 British Grand Prix, enjoy TV favourites and top sporting action, even if you’re overseas or at sea.
• BFBS TV Player is for serving personnel posted overseas with access to a good internet connection who can now enjoy 22 TV channels via the BFBS TV Player plus catchup TV for the previous 24 hours. The BFBS TV Player is accessed via a Defence Gateway account using iPhone, iPad or Android apps and on PC or laptop browsers.
• Forces TV provides daily editions of Forces News and extended features can be found on Forces TV and are at the heart of a schedule of military-themed documentaries and classic entertainment series such as Knight Rider and Battlestar Galactica. Forces TV is available in the UK on Sky 450, Freesat 165, Virgin 277, Freeview/YouView 96, and overseas via BFBS TV channel 09.
• FORCES RADIO combines great music and entertaining shows with forces news and features. In the UK, BFBS Portsmouth is on the DAB+ service in the Portsmouth area and Forces Radio BFBS is on FM, DAB+, the BFBS Radio app, Sky 0211, Freesat 786 and at www.forces.net across the country. There is a new station at UK NSF Bahrain which has recently gone on air, and Forces Radio BFBS is also available live on board HM Ships via MiPlayer. Personnel and families can also listen overseas on FM and online.
• MiPLAYER delivers thousands of hours of live and catch-up TV, training materials, electronic newspapers and magazines to RN and RFA ships, operational deployments, and across locations with limited or no internet connectivity. MiPlayer is also available at UK NSF Bahrain.
• FORCES Live Events (CSE) provides innovative, high-end events and live entertainment for military personnel, their families and veterans. For more information go online to www.forces.net/live-events. The team also invite applications for CSE funding – for beneficiary criteria please email cse@ssvc.com
• FORCES Cinemas has a circuit of cinemas overseas and in the UK, including The Seahawk Cinema at RNAS Culdrose. In addition, the Movie Machine is an 80-seater mobile cinema for service communities based in the UK. This unique facility turns from a HGV lorry into a fully-equipped heated and air-conditioned digital cinema, showing the latest movies in 2D and 3D. It has provided entertainment at many bases in the UK. For more info email movie.machine@bfbs.com.
• CINELINK from FORCES Cinemas is exclusively for HM Forces and their families based in the UK, overseas, remote locations and operational theatres. Films are available 6 weeks after cinema release, licenced for one month with unlimited screenings for a fixed fee. Movies are received either electronically via automatic download or USB stick, and the portable Cinelink box can be self-installed via a TV or projection equipment. For more info see www.forcescinemas.com/cinelink.

Useful Information

• BFBS: http://www.bfbs.com/.
• Get BFBS: www.getbfbs.com.
• Services Sound & Vision Corporation (SSVC): https://www.ssvc.com/.
• Forces TV/Radio etc.: https://www.forces.net/.