Short answer: the legitimate IPTV services you can buy in the UK are Sky Stream, Virgin Media's TV Stream, EE TV and Sky's contract-free Now, plus free services such as Freely that need nothing but a TV licence. The monthly price is only half of what you're buying: the other half is the contract length, the price rises written into it, the equipment and what happens when the deal ends. The non-obvious catch is that the cheapest-looking deal is often the one with the longest lock-in and the steepest post-contract price, so the number to compare is the total over the whole term.
At a glance
Buying UK TV in 2026
| Most flexible | Now: monthly, cancel any time |
| Usual contract | 24 months (Sky Glass hardware up to 48) |
| Price rises | Must be stated in £ at sign-up |
| Compare | Total cost over the term, plus the price after it |
| Don't forget | TV licence (£180) for any live TV |
What's actually for sale
Searching for "IPTV services to buy in the UK" brings up two very different markets. One is the mainstream pay-TV companies, which now deliver most of their TV over broadband. The other is unlicensed channel bundles sold through websites and social media, which are illegal to sell and increasingly prosecuted. This guide is about the first.
Sky Stream delivers Sky's channels and apps over any broadband connection through a small puck, with no dish. Sky Glass is a Sky television with the same service built in.
Virgin TV Stream is Virgin Media's broadband-delivered TV box, sold with Virgin broadband.
EE TV, formerly BT TV, runs on an Apple TV 4K box with EE broadband.
Now is Sky's contract-free service, sold in monthly memberships on devices you already own.
For what each costs in total against Freeview and Freely, see our guide to UK live TV without Sky.
The services compared
Advertised starting prices in September 2026. These change frequently and depend on add-ons and promotions.
| Service | From | Term | Needs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sky Stream | About £15/month | 24 months, or 31-day rolling at a higher price | Any broadband |
| Sky Glass | About £14/month for the TV, plus Sky TV | TV over 24–48 months | Any broadband |
| Virgin TV bundles | About £36/month including broadband | 24 months | Virgin broadband |
| EE TV | About £10/month on top of broadband | 24 months | EE broadband |
| Now | £7.99 Entertainment, £9.99 Cinema, £34.99 Sport month | Monthly | Supported device |
The headline numbers are close together. The differences show up in the details below.
Price rises: the 2025 rule
For years, UK TV and broadband contracts included annual price rises of "CPI inflation plus 3.9%", so customers couldn't know what they'd pay in year two. Ofcom banned that practice from 17 January 2025. Since then, any price rise built into a new contract must be set out in pounds and pence when you sign.
What it means in practice: most providers now state a fixed increase each April, for example a few pounds a month. That figure is in the contract summary you receive before agreeing.
How to use it: add the stated rises into your total. A £20 deal that goes up £3 each April costs more over two years than a £21 deal with no rise.
If a provider raises prices beyond what's in your contract, you generally have the right to leave without penalty. Check the notice you receive and the provider's terms.
Contract length and lock-in
24 months is standard for Sky, Virgin and EE. Leaving early usually means paying an early termination charge, often most of the remaining monthly fees for the services you're leaving.
Rolling options exist. Sky Stream can be taken on a 31-day contract at a higher monthly price. Now is monthly by design.
Add-ons can have their own terms. A sports or cinema pack may be monthly while the base package is 24 months, or vice versa. Ask specifically.
Hardware can outlast the TV contract. Sky Glass TVs can be paid off over up to 48 months, separately from the Sky TV subscription. If you cancel the TV service, the TV payments continue.
Equipment: rented, bought or your own
Who owns the box matters when you leave.
Sky Stream pucks and Virgin boxes are generally loaned and must be returned when you cancel, or you may be charged.
EE TV's Apple TV box comes as part of the package; check the terms for whether it's yours at the end and what happens if you leave early.
Now uses your own devices, from smart TVs to streaming sticks, so there's nothing to return.
Set-up and activation fees of around £20 to £30 are common. They're easy to miss in the headline price.
When the deal ends
The biggest cost in UK TV is often what happens after the minimum term. Promotional prices end, and the "out of contract" price can be much higher. For some Virgin bundles, comparison sites have noted post-contract prices of well over £100 a month.
Ofcom requires providers to tell you before your contract ends, and to show you their best available deals for you. That notice is worth reading rather than filing.
What to do: put the end date in your calendar. A month before, check what new customers are being offered and ask your provider to match it, or switch.
Cancelling and switching
Cooling-off period. Contracts taken out online or by phone normally have a 14-day cooling-off period.
Switching broadband. Ofcom's One Touch Switch process means the new provider can arrange the switch for you in most cases, rather than you having to cancel first.
TV that depends on broadband. If your TV service requires the same company's broadband, as EE TV and Virgin's do, switching broadband usually ends the TV too. Sky Stream is different: it works on any broadband, so you can change internet provider and keep it.
Complaints. If you can't resolve a problem, after eight weeks, or sooner with a deadlock letter, you can take it to the provider's approved alternative dispute resolution scheme free of charge.
A checklist before you sign
Before agreeing to any UK TV contract, get clear answers to these:
1. What is the total cost over the full minimum term, including stated price rises and fees?
2. What will it cost per month once the term ends?
3. Does it require that provider's broadband?
4. Which add-ons are monthly, and which are locked in?
5. What equipment must be returned, and what happens to hardware payments if you cancel?
6. Does it include the channels you actually watch, or just the ones in the advert?
A seller that can't answer these, or offers "lifetime" access or a year of every channel for a small one-off payment, isn't a legitimate provider. Our guide to judging an IPTV service before you pay explains the warning signs.
Quick answers
What IPTV services can I legally buy in the UK? Sky Stream and Sky Glass, Virgin TV Stream, EE TV and Now, plus free services such as Freely.
Which UK TV service has no contract? Now is monthly with no minimum term. Sky Stream also has a 31-day rolling option at a higher price.
Can my TV provider raise prices mid-contract? Only as stated in pounds and pence in your contract for deals taken out since January 2025. Otherwise you can usually leave penalty-free.
Can I keep Sky Stream if I change broadband? Yes. Sky Stream works on any broadband provider.
Do I still need a TV licence? Yes, for any live TV and for BBC iPlayer. It costs £180 a year from April 2026.
What happens when my TV contract ends? Your price usually rises to the standard rate. Providers must notify you and show their best deals; compare and renegotiate.
Is there a cooling-off period? Normally 14 days for contracts taken out online or by phone.
Prices are advertised starting prices at the time of checking, exclude most add-ons and change often. Contract terms differ between providers and offers, so read the contract summary before agreeing. Checked September 2026.