How much is IPTV in the UK?

The headline subscription price is what most people compare, but the real cost of IPTV has four parts: the subscription, the device you watch on, any fee for the player app, and the broadband it all runs over. Here's how each adds up, using our own prices as a worked example.

1. The subscription

Subscription prices depend on picture quality, how many screens can watch at once and how long you sign up for. Ours range from £11.99 for one month of HD Premium on one screen, up to £329.99 for three years of 4K Premium on four screens.

Comparing plans of different lengths is easiest on a monthly basis. Here's what our 12-month plans work out at per month:

Longer plans lower the monthly figure further: HD Premium for 36 months on 1 screen works out at £4.17 a month. Shorter plans cost more per month but commit you to less. See every price on our plans page, and our guide to subscription lengths for the trade-offs.

When does a longer plan pay off?

A longer plan only saves money if you'd really keep watching for most of it. This table shows how many single months each plan's price would buy on 1 screen. If you'll watch for longer than that, the longer plan is cheaper; if you might stop sooner, single months would cost less.

Extra screens are cheap by comparison: on a 12-month plan, a second screen adds £25.00 for the year on either package, about £2.08 a month.

2. A device

You may already own one. Many smart TVs, phones, tablets and computers can run an IPTV player. If you need something new, streaming sticks start at a few tens of pounds, while premium boxes such as Apple TV 4K or Nvidia Shield cost well over £100; Google's Google TV Streamer launched in the UK at £99. For 4K Premium, budget for a 4K-capable device. Our devices guide compares the options.

One thing to check before buying the cheapest stick: Amazon's newest Fire TV Sticks run Vega OS, which only installs apps from the Amazon Appstore and can't run several popular IPTV players. A cheaper device that can't run your player isn't a saving. Our Fire TV Stick guide lists which models work.

3. The player app

Many good IPTV players are free, such as VLC and IPTV Smarters Pro. Others charge the developer's own fee: some smart-TV players charge a one-off activation per TV, and some Android TV players sell an optional premium upgrade. Those fees go to the app developer, not your IPTV provider. See our player app guide.

4. Broadband

IPTV runs over your home broadband, so the connection is part of the cost. You don't need the fastest package, but you need enough stable speed for every screen: as a rough guide, around 10 Mbps per HD stream and 25 Mbps per 4K stream. Unlimited data is essential: an hour of HD can use several gigabytes.

The arithmetic is simple: a stream at 10 Mbps uses about 4.5 GB an hour, and a 4K stream at 25 Mbps about 11 GB an hour. Four hours of 4K an evening comes to well over a terabyte a month, which is why unlimited home broadband matters, and why watching on mobile data away from Wi-Fi gets expensive quickly.

Three example households

To make the numbers concrete, here are three common set-ups priced from our plan table. They assume the household already owns a suitable device and has unlimited home broadband.

A single viewer with an HD TV

One screen is enough, and an HD TV can't show 4K, so HD Premium is the sensible choice. Twelve months costs £64.99, or £5.42 a month. Starting with a single month first costs £11.99.

A couple with a 4K TV and a bedroom TV

Two people sometimes watching different things need two screens. With a 4K TV in the lounge and full-fibre broadband, 4K Premium on 2 screens for 12 months is £99.99, which works out at £8.33 a month for the household.

A family of four

With children watching on their own TV or tablet, four screens avoid arguments on busy evenings. If the broadband can't carry several 4K streams at once, HD Premium is the safer choice: 4 screens for 24 months costs £229.99, or £9.58 a month.

Costs to look out for elsewhere

When comparing providers, check whether the headline price is the whole story:

• Monthly prices that are really minimum terms. A low monthly figure may only apply if you pay for a year up front.
• Extra screens charged separately. Make sure you're comparing the same number of simultaneous screens.
• Renewal at a different price. Ask what happens at the end of the term.
• “Lifetime” deals. A one-off payment for an open-ended service is a warning sign, not a saving.
• Payment surcharges or unusual payment methods. Prefer methods that give you some protection.

Don't forget the TV Licence

If you watch or record any channel live as it's broadcast, through any service including IPTV, or use BBC iPlayer, you need a TV Licence. From 1 April 2026 a colour licence costs £180 a year, or £15 a month spread over a year. Check the full rules and concessions on the official TV Licensing website.

A year of TV, all in

Putting the subscription and the licence together gives a clearer picture of what a year of live TV costs. This assumes you already have a device and unlimited broadband:

Is IPTV worth it?

It tends to be good value when:

• you already have a capable device and decent broadband;
• you choose the package your setup can actually show (no paying for 4K on an HD TV);
• your plan's screen count matches how your household watches;
• you've tested the service on a short plan before committing longer.

It's less likely to suit you if your broadband is slow or unreliable, or you only watch free-to-air channels.

If you're weighing IPTV against an aerial or dish, read IPTV vs Freeview and satellite. And if price is your main concern, our guide to budget IPTV shows how to keep costs down safely.