Besides the BBC....? | TheaterFire

[-]

terryjuicelawson@reddit

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

[-]

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.

[-]

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.

[-]

zappahey@reddit

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

[-]

BuncleCar@reddit

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

[-]

No-Bid-4262@reddit

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

[-]

zappahey@reddit

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

[-]

BiscuitBarrel179@reddit

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

[-]

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.

[-]

Alicam123@reddit

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

[-]

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.

[-]

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.

[-]

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.

[-]

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.

[-]

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.

[-]

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.

[-]

FSL09@reddit

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

[-]

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.

[-]

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.

[-]

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.

[-]

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.

[-]

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.

[-]

Front_Scholar9757@reddit

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

[-]

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.

[-]

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.

[-]

Front_Scholar9757@reddit

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

[-]

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.

[-]

I_ALWAYS_UPVOTE_CATS@reddit

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

[-]

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.

[-]

I_ALWAYS_UPVOTE_CATS@reddit

Steady on mate sounds like you need a lie down.

[-]

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.

[-]

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.

[-]

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.

[-]

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.

[-]

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.

[-]

St2Crank@reddit

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

[-]

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”.

[-]

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.

[-]

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.

[-]

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.

[-]

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.

[-]

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.

[-]

oraff_e@reddit

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

[-]

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.

[-]

Southernbeekeeper@reddit

Yeah, I don't understand that at all.

[-]

Front_Scholar9757@reddit

Its an assumption Not my reasoning. See below.

[-]

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.

[-]

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.

[-]

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.

[-]

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.)

[-]

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.

[-]

Nevernonethewiser@reddit

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

[-]

Cameliablue@reddit (OP)

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

[-]

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

[-]

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.

[-]

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.

[-]

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.

[-]

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).

[-]

signol_@reddit

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

[-]

jamesckelsall@reddit

4od (or whatever it's called now)

It's just Channel 4 this week.

[-]

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

[-]

Palealedad@reddit

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

[-]

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.

[-]

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.

[-]

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. 🤷🏻‍♀️

[-]

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?

[-]

Simple-Warthog-9817@reddit

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

[-]

mralistair@reddit

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

[-]

Platform_Dancer@reddit

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

[-]

Skavau@reddit

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

[-]

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!

[-]

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.

[-]

manc_franc@reddit

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

[-]

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.

[-]

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.

[-]

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.

[-]

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 +.

[-]

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.

[-]

andycwb1@reddit

Mostly watch via FreeSat rather than apps.

[-]

Not-on_my_watch@reddit

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

[-]

shelleypiper@reddit

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

[-]

K0monazmuk@reddit

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

[-]

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.

[-]

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

[-]

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.

[-]

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.

[-]

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.

[-]

JustJoshwaa@reddit

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

[-]

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.

[-]

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)

[-]

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.

[-]

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.

[-]

fezzuk@reddit

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

[-]

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 😂

[-]

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.

[-]

If so, upvote this comment!

Otherwise, downvote this comment!

And if it does break the rules, downvote this comment and report this post!