No aerial, no dish, no man on the roof — every BBC and ITV channel anyway
If your aerial predates your children, this is the practical answer. BBC One in your own region, ITV1 through to ITV4, the +1s, the news channels, and 300 UK and Irish channels in total, all over the broadband you already pay for.
What is actually in the Big UK plan
Channel names follow the broadcasters' own. Trademarks belong to their owners and are used for identification only.
You still need a TV Licence. This is not a way around it.
The rule, without any hedging
A UK TV Licence is required by law to watch or record live television — including BBC and ITV channels streamed over the internet. Our subscription covers delivery, not licensing. If you do not hold a licence, sort that out before subscribing; nothing on this site changes that obligation.
What we do solve is a different problem: the aerial. Rooftop aerials corrode, communal systems in flats are unpredictable, and plenty of newer buildings were never wired for broadcast television in the first place. Once channels arrive over broadband, the roof becomes irrelevant.
IPTV against Freeview, iPlayer and an aerial swipe →
| BigBlog | Freeview | BBC iPlayer | |
|---|---|---|---|
| BBC & ITV live | All regions | If signal allows | BBC only |
| Sky Sports & TNT Sports | Included | No | No |
| World channels | 40,000+ on ULTRA+ | No | No |
| Hardware | Whatever you own | Aerial + tuner | Any device |
| Regional variants | Selectable | One region only | Home region only |
| One guide for everything | Yes, seven days | Yes | No |
| Cost | From £4.15/mo (24 months) | Free + licence | Free + licence |
Freeview and iPlayer are excellent if free-to-air television is all you want. We exist for households that also want sport, films and international channels in the same list.
Three ways to watch, easiest first
Firestick
Plug in, install one app, enter the login. Five minutes on any TV with an HDMI port — full guide.
Smart TV app
Samsung, LG and Android TV sets run a player natively. No extra box, one remote, one channel list.
Phone or tablet
Same login, useful in the kitchen or on a train. Two simultaneous streams are included.
BBC & ITV questions
Do I still need a TV Licence?
Yes. UK law requires a TV Licence to watch or record live television, including BBC and ITV streamed over the internet. Our subscription is a delivery service, not a licence, and we say so on the front of the site rather than in a footnote.
Can I choose a different BBC or ITV region?
Where the regional feed exists, yes — useful if you have moved but still want your home region bulletin, or if you follow local news from somewhere else entirely.
Is this the same as BBC iPlayer and ITVX?
No. iPlayer and ITVX are the broadcasters' own catch-up apps. We carry the live channels themselves alongside hundreds of others, with one guide and one remote. Most viewers end up using both.
What about Channel 4, Channel 5 and the news channels?
Included in the Big UK plan: Channel 4, E4, More4, Film4, Channel 5, 5STAR, plus the main UK news channels. The full UK and Irish line-up runs to roughly 300 channels.
Check your own region works tonight
Twenty-four free hours, full channel list, no card. Look up BBC One where you live and see how it looks on your screen.
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