Besides the BBC....? | TheaterFire

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twmffatmowr@reddit

I primarily watch BBC shows as I'm a Welsh-speaker and S4C content goes on iPlayer.

I don't know of any Brits who watch RTE, ABC content etc from Ireland, Australia etc. unless they are on UK platforms. They are sometimes though - The Traitors Ireland was on iPlayer and Channel 4 has a lot of Australian reality tv shows on their platform.

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CMR1891@reddit

I’m in England. I watch stuff on RTE. I downloaded it to watch the abortion law debate in 2018 and I’m interested in things about the mother and baby homes. They also have some decent comedies on there and a good home renovation show that I like

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phoebsmon@reddit

Not that I'd ever break the law, but a lot of the IPTV streams of 'UK' TV are actually the Irish version. Probably quite a lot of people who would recognise that gas board advert (or the Hungry Jacks one for 3pm kickoffs). So I suppose they're unintentionally engaging with Irish telly.

Think I've watched S4C before for the women's football? Definitely used Alba for Scotland and it was very back and forth language-wise. But I doubt that's a common thing to do.

Now someone get me to Supervalu. I don't know why, just an urge.

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white1984@reddit

In Northern Ireland, we do see things on the RTE Player and TG4 Player as things like the Late Late Show, Home of the Year (a number of homes are in the North) and GAA sport because you can't see that on the BBC iPlayer. Also, some people take advantage that some programming from America comes a little earlier then in the UK.

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oraff_e@reddit

A lot of my (32F) friends actually refuse to pay for the tv license bc they don't like the BBC that much and pretty much exclusively watch streaming like Netflix or Disney+ if they do bother with short-form media.

I, on the other hand, pretty much exclusively watch iPlayer. I might turn to ITV if there's something of interest, or Channel 4 for Countdown/Cats Does Countdown (lol) or the occasional drama that they do so well. But mostly BBC.

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Front_Scholar9757@reddit

Im like your friends- no tv license just amazon & netflix!

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I_ALWAYS_UPVOTE_CATS@reddit

Refusing to support the BBC out of principle but then paying for Amazon is certainly a choice.

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BedaFomm@reddit

A lot of people have been brainwashed by Murdoch, who hates the BBC because they challenge his “media monopoly”. They happily pay hundreds for cable subscription (and STILL have to sit through stupid adverts), but object to the licence fee “on principle”.

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I_ALWAYS_UPVOTE_CATS@reddit

I do think it's stupid that you have to pay the licence fee even if you only watch commercial television, but honestly if you look at the quality and breadth of what the BBC puts out I think it's very good value indeed.

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crustisocs@reddit

It isn’t good value if you don’t want their content. It’s actual robbery and state media sponsorship

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I_ALWAYS_UPVOTE_CATS@reddit

Hence my first sentence.

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oraff_e@reddit

Plus BBC Radio and all the online offerings. It’s not just tv, and I think most people take a dislike to the BBC because of their journalism which is a stupid reason to not pay the license fee when you get so much more from it.

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Different-Use-5185@reddit

My main issue is with the tv licensing agency and their harassing and accusatory communication. I pay it because I see how much the beeb provides to me and see it as value for money. However i can see why people don’t take kindly to the way they try to get you to.

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oraff_e@reddit

Yeah, if it's not illegal to not have a tv license, there should be an option to opt-out if you know you definitely don't watch live tv. But the licensing agency aren't the BBC. I don't like them, but I wouldn't not pay it because of them.

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Clean-Bandicoot2779@reddit

The BBC is the licensing agency, they just outsourced most of it (to Capita if I recall correctly), and use a different name to distance themselves from it.

That said, I'm in the same boat as you - I wouldn't not pay it because of that. To my mind lobbying parliament is likely to be the more effective route if enough people do it.

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oraff_e@reddit

Thanks for the info, but I think you knew what I meant lmao

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JonTravel@reddit

I do think it's stupid that you have to pay the licence fee even if you only watch commercial television

The license fee contributes to the infrastructure that allows you to watch commercial television. Although they don't receive funds directly, they do benefit from the license fee indirectly.

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crustisocs@reddit

Is the principle of it. Why tf should I pay the license just to watch live tv which may not be bbc content? 15 quid per month for the privilege. Which is wild.

It’s not fit for purpose for how people view media in 2026. It is extremely out dated. I can understand a subscription service just for their content, but not an out right TV license for anything live

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townshatfire@reddit

Just checking that you know Murdoch has had nothing to do with Sky for some time now...

It's owned by Comcast and has been since 2018...

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BedaFomm@reddit

Yes I did know. But he continues to attack the BBC via his newspapers. Whether this is a hangover from his Sky ownership or just because they are more balanced than the Tory press, I couldn’t say.

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TheGloss73@reddit

Maybe because Amazon doesn’t try force you to pay for a tv licence even when you don’t watch it and have people come around to your house.

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ProsperityandNo@reddit

Perhaps he's a Scot who remembers the BBC and all of their filthy lies during our independence referendum as they pushed Project Fear and were wholly biased to the pro Union side. State broadcaster cunts.

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I_ALWAYS_UPVOTE_CATS@reddit

Steady on mate sounds like you need a lie down.

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Front_Scholar9757@reddit

Well I have prime for deliveries, amazon tv is included in that.

Nothing to do with principle - id happily pay for the BBC if they also had convenient shopping & the TV was a side to it.

Though I must say, the BBC arent exactly ethical either with their cover ups, biased reporting, and aggressive letters when a TV license isnt needed.

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me_version_2@reddit

This is the sort of logic that makes people think the education system is going to shit in the UK.

You’d pay for the BBC if it included shopping… what a time to be alive.

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Front_Scholar9757@reddit

Its a joke... seriously.

The way people are coming at me because I dont need a tv license is astounding.

I dont have a tv. I dont listen to the radio. Why would I pay?

I do pay subscriptions for services I do use (netflix & amazon).

I made a point that I pay for amazon for the shopping, tv is the added extra it just gives me. I wouldnt pay for amazon tv alone as its not great tbh. Hence the joke about the BBC...

Perhaps the education system should teach you to extract sarcasm from a comment.

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Spigsman@reddit

I don't think we can blame the BBC for those aggressive letters directly. It's sort of out sourced to a different company to chase the fees.

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Front_Scholar9757@reddit

We can blame them for the other points.

Besides, as stated, my reasoning is nothing more than the fact I simply dont need it. I dont have a tv, I dont watch their shows.

I mostly watch Netflix. I have amazon as ive got prime.

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St2Crank@reddit

Biased reporting? Got an example of what you mean by that?

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Southernbeekeeper@reddit

Yeah, I don't understand that at all.

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Front_Scholar9757@reddit

Its an assumption Not my reasoning. See below.

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AtebYngNghymraeg@reddit

I also have Prime for deliveries, but I can't remember the last time I watched anything on Prime Video. There's literally nothing on there that appeals to me.

Out of interest, do you listen to BBC radio at all? If so, how would you go about funding that if everyone stopped paying the licence fee because they don't watch BBC tv? Ads on Radio 3 would drive me mad! It's the reason I had to stop listening to Classic FM.

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TheGloss73@reddit

I’m curious why people still listen to the radio tbh

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Oshova@reddit

I did watch things on Prime Video, until they decided to start adding adverts into a paid service. Now I watch the same things without using Prime Video, but still pay for the service.

I get annoyed very quickly with ads on the radio as well. I basically only listen to Radio 1 or 5Live if I've not got a podcast or some of my own music on. Honestly it feels like they do an advert after every song sometimes, which just winds me up.

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Front_Scholar9757@reddit

No i don't listen to the radio & I also dont have a TV.

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Short-Shopping3197@reddit

I’d happily pay a few quid for the radio stations. The fact is though I don’t have to, I don’t watch live TV, and I wouldn’t pay the full license for them.

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wizpip@reddit

I don't have a licence but it's for a different reason - device discrimination. I only used to watch iPlayer on desktop, and they specifically limit iPlayer's resolution and bitrate to something worse than DVD, even though you can get most programmes in 1080p and some in 4K on smart TVs. I didn't think it was fair that I was paying the same price for something up to 20x lower resolution.

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JubileeBubilee@reddit

Hi, in the UK we traditionally had 5 terrestrial channels BBC1, BBC2, ITV, Channel 4 and 5Five. This developed into Freeview, where we have lots of free to view channels from the UK and International.

BBC iplayer is a streaming service with no adverts. ITV, Channel 4 and 5Five all have their own streaming services that can be accessed free, with adverts, or with a subscription for no ads.

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Alicam123@reddit

Don’t forget you need a tv licence for bbc iplayer but not the others (unless it’s live tv)

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Early-Orange-8043@reddit

BBC doesn't have any ads, that's why you need a licence for it. but why do they call it a licence, it behaves more like a subscription, it's like the pen licence you have at school, is it that use brits are just obsessed with licenceses?

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ItIsForMyArmpits@reddit

I think because it covers more than just TV and funds things in a way that would be impossible otherwise.

Some goes to channel 4, this helps nurture perhaps more experimental or alternative things that wouldn't be commissioned on a mainstream subscription channel, and also funds Welsh language stuff.

Radio too is financed by it, not busy the commercial 2 which does pop, but also 1 to cater and promote new music, 4 for comedy and education, 5 for sport etc. Can these all be catered for commercially? Possibly. But with out the profit motive, would they bother.

Then there's the world service. A certain section will knock BBC biased reporting, with reason sometimes, but it's the closest thing to impartial news in some countries and a useful teaching resource for English.

Then there's the educational stuff like BBC bite size.

It's asked to do a lot, I think it does ok, and a license and a remit, rather than a govt tax, helps distinguish it from a state controlled news agency like Tass. imo.

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0hca@reddit

I thinks it's the BBC that are obsessed woth the label of licence as it gives it an air of authority, suggesting the public must buy it.

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OsotoViking@reddit

Pen licence?

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Necessary_Umpire_139@reddit

Or programmes that were live, from what I remember anyway.

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Aromatic_Recipe_6733@reddit

Fun fact: Many homes, including much of my native Devon, never received channel 5 (until freeview/freesat) because the signal couldn't reach them.

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SnoopyLupus@reddit

I grew up in Bucks and Channel 4 was staticky to the point of being unwatchable when it started.

I think we were going off the Crystal Palace transmitter, so it’s a miracle we got anything TBF.

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BiscuitBarrel179@reddit

Not free to view if you want to watch the live broadcast. You need to pay £180 a year for the privelage

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breadandbutter123456@reddit

I love the bbc. Happily pay the licence fee too. Think it’s incredible value that people with vested interests are trying to undermine the bbc funding model to further their own financial interests.

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Cameliablue@reddit (OP)

I agree. As a Canadian I envy you guys for the BBC. I also love the radio programmes and all the great recipes! If I could snap my fingers and live in GB/become a Brit I would! :)

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zappahey@reddit

I'm old enough to remember when there were only 3 channels.

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EUskeptik@reddit

When I was a kid there were two. BBC & ITV.

BBC2 came later, then there were three.

-oo-

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BuncleCar@reddit

I remember just BBC, though other parts of the uk may have had ITV too in 1954

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No-Bid-4262@reddit

And I remember the Kangaroo cartoon used to promote the launch of BBC2 in 1964!

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zappahey@reddit

Touché, I wasn't quite born then. Just a couple of weeks too late.

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adamlbrown3@reddit

When I turn my telly on it gives me a screen full of different apps. Netflix, Disney, YouTube, iPlayer, Amazon, apple, itvx, paramount, a bunch of others. All of those provide standard on demand menus. I can also flick to the sky box which provides both live TV and on demand menus

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Early-Orange-8043@reddit

you also have Channel 4.

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SpectralDinosaur@reddit

The primary way we watch TV in the UK is... on TV, typically through a terrestrial aerial or satellite dish. Why would the primary way be through a bunch of apps that all require different accounts? What a hassle that would be.

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SouthCulture6230@reddit

My current list of streaming services is:

BBC iPlayer

ITVX

4

Now TV

Prime

Netflix

Paramount TV

Disney+

5

U

Crunchyroll

I got rid of cable about 2 years ago, got a really fast internet connection and switched to all streaming services. My 'perfectly legal and not set up for IPTV' firestick supplies anything I can't find on the various apps...

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headline-pottery@reddit

The ITVx and Channel 4 apps are a complete pain with logins and adverts. If there is an ITV or C4 programme I want to watch (rarely) then unusual wait for it to come to Netflix or Disney+.

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IndependentFun1745@reddit

Yes I like Scandinavian noir, french Italian stuff

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Dennyisthepisslord@reddit

Reddit is actually out of touch with the general public shock. Stuff like countryfile and even local news will get more eyes on it than most Netflix stuff

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Necessary_Umpire_139@reddit

God bless Granada news.

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loafingaroundguy@reddit

Are these the primary ways you watch TV in the UK?

I suspect the majority of people are watching TV via broadcast (radio) not via streaming. Terrestrial broadcast is available via Freeview, satellite broadcast via Sky or Freesat.

We can also get TV by cable (Virgin media) or by streaming over a broadband connection, which could also be cable or over a telephone line (in the process of becoming fibre for most people).

All of these transmissions options offer both BBC and ITV. All of them except Freeview and Freesat offer subscription TV channels.

ITVX is ITV's streaming service. It's not as comprehensive as the BBC's iPlayer, which is their streaming service.

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NaomiT29@reddit

I don't think most people tend to watch stuff on the equivalent of BBC iPlayer from other countries, though we may end up watching some of those shows if they go onto a streaming service (including iPlayer).

ITVX is just the OD app for ITV (channel 3), same as Channels 4 and 5 have their own OD apps, and there are some channels that are part of broadcasting groups that all come under one app, like all the U& channels. Honestly, I think most people probably still watch TV 'live' on whatever service it is they have, whether that is a paid cable service (or digital equivalent) or freeview/freesat, or recorded from live TV onto a DVR.

Streaming definitely has taken over a decent chunk of viewing for the general population, but the OD apps either come with tonnes of ads or you end up having to pay like 4 subscriptions just for those, on top of the dedicated streaming services like Netflix. Britbox did attempt to address that somewhat, but it was only BBC and ITV content and I don't think all that each individual service had to offer, so I don't think it ever really took off.

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GavUK@reddit

The main way people watch TV are Freeview (aerial), FreeSat (satellite), and Freely (internet), which offer many more channels (for free apart from the requirement for a TV licence) than the old analogue TV broadcasts used to here, including a number of international channels.

I don't know how many people do what we do, but we pretty much always record what we want to watch and watch those recordings, or for a few things we like on Netflix, NOW TV, or a couple of others we watch online, but again on demand, except for F1 on NOW TV we tend to need to watch it when they are 'broadcasting' it, as they aren't generally that good at putting up the on-demand versions in a prompt manner.

When we were on holiday recently (and sadly ill for most of it), we watched a fair amount of TV. However, since we weren't used to watching the things we like when they are being broadcast, we kept missing or struggling to find what we really liked watching.

There's some areas with cable TV, but I don't believe we had anywhere near the investment in cable TV or internet that America did, and now most of their coax and older fibre is effectively obsolete with the significant push to roll out modern fibre to most of the country. Partly this is being driven by the move to turn off the old telephone network - the backbone has long been fibre, but now home phones are/will be routed via Voice over IP - but also some other companies have rolled out their own competing fibre networks in various cities and areas, obviously concluding that they could do so in an affordable manner and expecting decent returns.

This growing access to fast very high bandwidth internet allows services like Freely, NOW TV, and other internet-only TV/film services to provide the same or better quality than HD broadcast channels, and many of the broadcasters have had a lot of their content available on-demand for many years. I believe that ultimately on-demand will become the primary way to consume content, particularly entertainment, with perhaps just news and special events being a reason to watch 'broadcast' content (be that over the air or via the internet), there are so many channels now (including the main ones) that are regularly broadcasting repeats that if people get fed up and stop watching those channels, it's likely that broadcasters will review whether they want to maintain the cost of all of their, usually multiple, broadcast channels or cut the number of channels and further encourage people to view their content online.

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DaddyStoat@reddit

RTÉ and ABC (Australia) are geoblocked in the UK, but RTÉ does have the Six One news unblocked, as well as a few other shows that attract international interest (they had the Late Late Toy Show unblocked last Christmas, for instance). Not many people, other than people originally from Ireland, watch them though.

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TarcFalastur@reddit

We get a lot (a LOT) of American shows syndicated through our channels. Many of the US streaming services are also available here - even stuff like HBO Max is starting to become available here.

Netflix has a few international shows on it, just like it has everywhere else most likely.

But no, Australian, European, Canadian even Irish shows are very rarely shown here.

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Alternative_Guitar78@reddit

Irish shows currently on the iplayer; Kin, Hidden assets, the young offenders, Mrs Browns boys, The walsh sisters, Leonard and hungry paul, normal people, and Derry girls on four. Apart from those (and probably some I've forgotten) yeah, there's very little. Oh, and there's the excellent Australian show Colin from accounts as well....

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TarcFalastur@reddit

In fairness half of the shows you listed were either made or part-made by British channels so it's not surprising that they are on British TV. But yes OK, fair enough for the others.

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Oshova@reddit

I find it funny that they're bringing over HBO Max, and that is now where you watch TNT Sports (what used to be BT Sport), because basically everything worth watching on there is already on Sky. Maybe it's a cheaper way to access HBO shows than paying for Sky/Now TV... I haven't looked, as I use Sky Sports so already have it all.

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Tennis_Proper@reddit

We regularly get Australian content.

As I'm typing this I'm watching season 2 of Deadloch.

Married at First Sight Australia is running right now.

From 1986 to December last year, we had Neighbours near daily.

There's way more than you realise once you start looking for it.

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TarcFalastur@reddit

Fair enough! Where's it on? I've never seen any of it but maybe I just don't look at the sane channels.

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Tennis_Proper@reddit

Married at First Sight is on Channel 4, since you're fixating on our mainstream UK channels. There's a broadcast around 7:30pm Mon-Thu, or you can stream it afterwards.

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FSL09@reddit

Deadloch is on prime. I've watched a few other austrailian crime shows on prime as well

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TarcFalastur@reddit

Fair enough, though I'd argue that Prime is the streaming servuce which has least claim to consider itself tv broadcasting. They're just a shop which happens to let you receive some of the things you bought in real time.

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FSL09@reddit

Prime is the streaming service that I am less likely to browse and just pick something to watch, I tend to use it when I've heard about something I want to watch and that is the only streaming service showing it.

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C2H5OHNightSwimming@reddit

Deadloch is one of the best shows ever, I was crying with laughter. Class of '07 is also really good, but I had to pirate it because it wasn't available to stream anywhere.

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albertohall11@reddit

There is a lot of European drama on Netflix if you look for it. I find I tend to enjoy it more than most American stuff and ahead of the more formulaic U.K. drama series.

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JohnCasey3306@reddit

I don't even watch native TV, let alone from other countries; it's just terrible these days.

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Upbeat_Branch_4231@reddit

I tend to watch the BBC, ITV and other terrestrial UK channels. We have quite a lot. I do also make use of "U" which is a UK channel on the Internet, and Prime for some films. Youtube is amusing and I can catch France 24, DW (Germany) and possibly CNN on there. But I have no need for US channels par se, as they are so poor in quality compared to the UK broadcasters.

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Cameliablue@reddit (OP)

Haha. I agree 100% about the quality. I grew up in Canada and we always got free US channels and that stuff is rubbish. Wish we got more UK shows. Right now on cable we've been getting Broadchurch, Hope Street, UK Traitors and an Alan Cummings Railway programme from Scotland (plus Coronation Street is long running in Canada).

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terryjuicelawson@reddit

Almost all channels have some kind of catch up function, people can either watch live or use those - a whole mix.

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ozaz1@reddit

I mostly watch content from UK Freeview channels (primarily BBC, ITV, and C4). I also subscribe to Sky Sports all year round, and occasionally TNT Sports (2 months per year).

Also occasionally subscribe to Netflix, Disney, HBO, etc when there is a specific series I want to watch. But I cancel as soon as I finish watching that series.

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RaggamuffinTW8@reddit

I watch some stuff on RTE as I used to date an Irish girl and I like some Irish shows.

My wife and I watch stuff on Portugal's RTP player as well, though mostly stuff that gets subtitles in Portuguese as it helps me understand. Amazing how many shows they just don't bother to subtitle.

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love_in_october@reddit

The primary way people watch is usually streaming on international services. There are a lot of UK TV channels, but a lot of people are going off live TV and the BBC entirely as the TV licence fee is often considered not worth it. (You can watch British TV without it so long as it isn't live and isn't BBC.)

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Stinkinhippy@reddit

Haven't watched broadcast tv in about 15 years.. it was all the same shite repeated every other day ad nauseum. Don't bother with their streaming services because then i'd need to pay their stupid license fee. Streaming services all the way.

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Nevernonethewiser@reddit

I don't think anybody has pointed this out yet, but ITV isn't Irish Television.

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Cameliablue@reddit (OP)

I thought ITV is for the UK, but if you're in Scotland they have STV instead. That was my understanding.

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TurbulentContext@reddit

Yes if you sign up for itvX and tell them you're in Scotland then some things will not be available on that app and you'd have to use the STV player app.

STV is effectively the local opt out for ITV1 so you would still need ITVX to catch up/stream any of ITV's other channels. So for example Coronation Street would show up on the STV player and Love Island would be on the ITVx player.

The vast majority of people I know just give a random English postcode so their ITVx offering is the full bhuna and then only use the STV player for the specific Scotland only programming like our election coverage or a rugby game or something.

In addition to the terrestrial streamers there's also U and NowTV. U is the steaming service for a bunch of channels that basically run through the archives of the other channels and show repeats but occasionally have their own original content.

Now TV is the streaming platform for Sky TV which is starting to produce more original content such as SNL UK but is chiefly the UK's version of Peacock and HBOMax

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Platform_Dancer@reddit

Scotland is the UK!...

Itv and stv are basically the same content with local news programmes for Scotland ... Many of the other UK regions also have local news versions - Ulster, Wales and several regions of England.

BBC also provides regional versions of BBC1 and BBC2 to include local news content to all UK regions.

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Cameliablue@reddit (OP)

Yeah, I know. I just thought they don't get ITVX and have to use use STV instead. But, as you said, I guess it's the same thing with just some different Scottish programming.

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tunaman808@reddit

I don't know about nowadays, but before iPlayer and all the other streaming stuff, it seemed like a third of all British TV was American shows & movies.

Soap operas as a genre are slowly dying, but Aussie soaps like Neighbours and Home and Away were quite popular in the UK once upon a time. In fact, I think Neighbours was canceled in Australia but continued when UK networks offered to pay for the next few seasons.

Neighbours was also were lots of Aussie actors got their start: Guy Pearce, Natalie Imbruglia, Russell Crowe, Kylie Minogue, Margot Robbie, Jason Donovan, Holly Valance and Chris & Liam Hemsworth, to name a few.

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jamesckelsall@reddit

In fact, I think Neighbours was canceled in Australia but continued when UK networks offered to pay for the next few seasons.

Nope.

It wasn't viable for the Australian broadcaster (Network 10) to continue funding it alone, but it still wanted to continue with the show. That was the year it switched from the BBC to Channel 5 - because the BBC didn't want in on a co-funding deal that would result in it paying triple the price it had been doing previously.

Channel 5 was co-funding it for a number of years (and was providing more funding than Network 11 for most of that time - but was also getting significantly more value, given the higher UK viewership), and it was Channel 5 that decided to end the deal in 2022.

Network 10 couldn't afford to continue it on its own, and the production company (Fremantle Australia) spent quite a while trying to make a deal with other broadcasters in an attempt to get one to agree to co-fund it with Network 10.

When Neighbours returned (on Amazon's Freevee), Network 10 was still involved, and was broadcasting it on their main channel (the Channel 5 co-production had been on a lesser channel).

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signol_@reddit

I probably watch more 4od (or whatever it's called now), mainly for comedy

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jamesckelsall@reddit

4od (or whatever it's called now)

It's just Channel 4 this week.

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Serious_Badger_4145@reddit

So you've got to pay tv licence to have access to TV including iplayer. Some people don't and just watch Netflix or something.

I mainly watch bbc iplayer (funded from the license fee) or channel 4 on demand (advert funded) i tend to avoid itvx as I find the adverts there particularly annoying. There's also uktv and a channel 5 one too

We don't have access to other countries versions of iplayer but bbc in particular imports a lot of stuff. I tend to watch Australian stuff on there. Channel 4 is better for subtitled stuff and I prefer the American stuff on there. Watch some French stuff regularly on there

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Palealedad@reddit

Netflix, Now TV, Disney, Prime, C4 Play (or whatever it's called), ITVX. Hardly watch BBC at all anymore.

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wildflower12345678@reddit

I almost exclusively watch programmes on catchup now. Its very rare I see anything as it is broadcast, but hubby insists on keeping up to date with the tv licence. I really don't understand why, when we could easily not watch anything live.

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The-Yellow-Badger@reddit

I generally watch everything on iPlayer, ITVX or Channel 4 streaming. I hate ads so watch there with a sub for ad-free.

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Alicam123@reddit

Not everyone in the uk has access to bbc iplayer a since you need a tv licence……. Which I declined to get, waste of money when you barely have time to watch anything. 🤷🏻‍♀️

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oraff_e@reddit

The great thing about iPlayer though is you can watch things on demand when you DO have time, you don't need to do appointment tv?

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Simple-Warthog-9817@reddit

I don't have iPlayer as don't pay TV licence. Watch YouTube on my phone, & dvds on my TV.

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mralistair@reddit

god people who don't pay for a TV licence will always bloody tell you about it... are you vegan as well.

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Platform_Dancer@reddit

I tend to wear my kaftan and sandals while eating brown rice in front of the tellybox...

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Skavau@reddit

Tbf, the poster is asking for how Brits interact with TV. That Brit doesn't.

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Platform_Dancer@reddit

I have an app that let's me watch Australian live channels and tbh 70% of the content is normal bbc / itv /channel 4 stuff so it's really like watching UK telly!

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bonshui@reddit

Pretty much the only TV I watch is rolling BBC News or Channel 4 News. I watched the new Scrubs series on Disney and occasionally watch the West Wing on Prime.

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manc_franc@reddit

Watched an Irish detective series called Blackshore on iplayer. That was awesome

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Orangesteel@reddit

I cut the cord seven years ago. No cable or aerial. Pay my licence and use iPlayer, Radio 4 and Jellyfin. Overall costs about the same, but no adverts and everything I want.

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HamsterTowel@reddit

I don't watch iPlayer as I don't have a TV licence. I don't watch TV and don't have a TV aerial. I only have subscriptions and they're for Netflix, Amazon Prime, and Disney +.

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Southernbeekeeper@reddit

Just to add in as you asked about foreign language content. Chanel 4 has a service called Walter presents which shows foreign language drama. This was originally shown on live TV but I think its all online these days.

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andycwb1@reddit

Mostly watch via FreeSat rather than apps.

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Not-on_my_watch@reddit

I prefer foreign films - german, japanese, thai, scandinavian etc - they make much better horror !

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shelleypiper@reddit

Not everyone has access to BBC iPlayer. You have to pay a licence fee to (legally) watch it.

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K0monazmuk@reddit

Not really no, I watch a lot of YouTube over these tv apps offerings and no paid subs.

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pjc50@reddit

Freeview and freesat have quite a lot of channels. People tend not to watch overseas TV directly, but a lot gets imported on to UK channels. Australian soap Neighbors was extremely popular for years.

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YouSayWotNow@reddit

I don't watch much on our terrestrial channels any more, though I do watch some.

I have Netflix permanently and intermittently sub for one or two months at a time with Disney, Apple, Paramount etc. to watch a bunch of stuff and then cancel.

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Derfel60@reddit

Most people i know use netflix and prime video for tv shows. People who use sky can also get hbo max or whatever their streaming service is called.

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SigourneyReap3r@reddit

I've only watched netflix, prime and Disney for like 10 years, only my parents and their pals pay a tv licence cos they watch BBC etc.

Or you get a dodgy stick.

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JustJoshwaa@reddit

iPlayer, ITVX, C4, 5, Netflix, Disney+, Hulu, Prime, Paramount plus Sky Atlantic and the like

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nerddddd42@reddit

We have something called a TV Licence over here - yearly fee to watch all live tv as well as BBC iPlayer. That being said, you can still watch them without this, just not technically legally.

Our live tv consists of a lot of channels, the BBC, ITV and Channel 4 all run 5+ channels themselves, with plenty of others to assist.

The majority of people watch a lot of stuff through regular streaming services (i.e. netflix, prime, disney), traditional live tv (cable) is becoming less popular, especially with younger people.

Live tv for the most part is probably 75% uk shows, 15% US and 10% other - we do get some australian shows such as Home and Away.

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calvortex@reddit

I won't pay the TV license any more so can't watch live TV or use iPlayer. I watch itv and C4 programmes on catch-up plus I chop and change streaming services depending on what I want to watch. I'll still be pausing my Apple TV sub to switch to HBO so I can finally watch GOT ( I refuse to pay sky's ridiculous prices too)

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OnrushingHen@reddit

Not everyone uses BBC services or live TV because of the TV licence bs. I know more people who use Netflix, Disney plus, Amazon Prime ect rather than traditional TV.

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BillWilberforce@reddit

Technically speaking in order to watch the iPlayer and any other LIVE streaming service you need to pay the BBC Licence Fee. Which is currently £180 per year. However you can on the iPlayer just select the option to say that you have a valid licence. And as long as you aren't signed in, using the same email address as you used to make the declaration that you don't need a TV license, then you're fine. The other services don't bother asking.

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fezzuk@reddit

Honestly cant remeber the last tkme i turned on my tv.

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Fuzzy_Possibility@reddit

There’s 5 sort of main channels that have been around longer than free view - BBC 1, BBC 2, ITV, Channel 4 and Channel 5 they all make there own programmes as well as show some from around the world. After that you have loads more which are on freeview / sky / virgin a lot have their own player as well where you can watch things on demand.

I pretty much watch things on demand or via recordings as I hate adverts 😂

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MrMonkeyman79@reddit

All the major uk channels have a streaming service, most with a free tier they also still broadcast through free view / satellite / cable etc.

We also have access to the main US streaming services who have a range of mostly US and UK productions and some other international TV.

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