8 Best Streaming Services for British TV

cord-cutting › best streaming services for british tv • April 15, 2024 • The Staff

It's true that American shows have long dominated screens around the world, but there's nothing quite like British TV. The deadpan humor, the infinitely clever dialogue, the fancy period dramas—it's hard to argue that these things, among others, are just better done on the other side of the pond. Fleabag, Sex Education, and Downton Abbey, just to name a few, have captivated viewers everywhere, and if you're one of those looking to stream more of the same: don't sweat, we got you covered.

Below, we list the best streaming services for British TV. It's a good mix of purely British services like Britbox and BBC Select as well as some you're likely already subscribed to like Netflix (home to The Crown and Black Mirror, as well as hidden gems like Lovesick and Top Boy) and AppleTV+ (home to surprise hit Ted Lasso, as well as critical darlings like Trying and Slow Horses). Read on to see the other services that made it to our list.

Our recommended five best streaming services for british tv:

Apple TV+ 7 days free trial	$9.99	Watch

Netflix No contract, cancel anytime	$6.99	Watch

Amazon Prime 30 days free trial	$8.99	Watch

Max No contract, cancel anytime	$9.99	Watch

BritBox 7 days free trial	$8.99	Watch

Apple TV+

Apple TV+ is an ad-free on-demand stream from Apple that costs $9.99 per month and is accessible in about 150 countries. The Apple TV+ app is accessible via Apple devices (iPhone, iPad, Apple TV or Mac) and Apple TV. While Android phones and tablets are not supported, you can access Apple TV+ via Android-powered TV devices like Chromecast. It can be accessed via web browser and supported by PC, as well as Roku devices, Amazon Fire TV devices, PlayStation, and Xbox.

Go to Apple TV+

Price: $9.99/month

Free Trial: 7 days

Device availability: Amazon Fire TV, Apple TV, iOS, Roku TV, Samsung TV

Features: annual subscription, Dolby Atmos, likely to work with a VPN, offline downloads, on-demand content, parental controls, picture in picture, up to 6 concurrent streams

Netflix

Netflix is an ad-free streaming platform that operates on a monthly, or annual, subscription. There are three pricing plans – Basic, Standard and Premium – and the one you choose will determine the number of devices that you can simultaneously use to watch Netflix, in case you want to share the account with someone else. There are three plans, though pricing differs from region to region. First up is the Basic plan, which allows you to watch on one device at a time. Upgrading to the Standard plan allows you to watch shows and movies, and download them for offline viewing, on up to 2 different devices at a time. The top-tier Premium plan lets you watch and download on up to 4 different devices, and comes with the options to watch videos in HD and Ultra HD. Once subscribed, you can watch movies and TV shows directly on your browser via Netflix.com. You also have the option of downloading the app on pretty much any mobile device, including iOS, Android, or Windows. The app also works on computers using Windows XP or later and Macs with OS X Tiger or later.

Go to Netflix

Price: $6.99/month

Device availability: Amazon Fire TV, Android, Android TV, Apple TV, Changhong, Chromecast, Haier, Hisense, iOS, LG TV, Nvidia SHIELD, Panasonic, Philips, PlayStation, Roku, Roku TV, Samsung, Samsung TV, Sharp, Skyworth, Sony, TiVo, Vestel, Vizio, Wii, Xbox

Features: 2 device log-ins, 4k-compatible, 6 device log-ins, ad-supported option, annual subscription, Dolby Atmos, extra member slots, kid profiles, likely to work with a VPN, multiple profiles, offline downloads, on-demand content, picture in picture, spatial audio, up to four concurrent streams, up to two concurrent streams

Amazon Prime

Amazon's premium membership program is an all-in-one bundle that includes access to the streaming platform Prime Video, more commonly referred to in this publication as “Amazon Prime.” A subscription entitles you not only to Amazon Prime's thousands of films and TV shows, but also to Amazon's delivery benefits, which include discounted fees, free shipping, and same-day delivery on select items. The membership bundle costs $14.99/month, but you can access the streaming service as a standalone for just $8.99.

Depending on where you live, access to Amazon Prime might differ. If you live in the US, UK, or Germany, you have the option of paying a yearly or monthly subscription fee for an Amazon Prime account. Users from the US, UK, France, and Brazil likewise have access to Amazon Prime's sports content which, depending on the season, may include live and on-demand coverage of basketball, football, and baseball events. Meanwhile, people in countries where Amazon is not operating may only be able to access it from a browser.

In addition to on-demand streaming, you can rent or buy titles that are not on the service or purchase add-on channels like HBO, Starz, and MLB.TV to watch on the Amazon Prime platform. And apart from Amazon devices, the app is available on any mobile device, including iOS, Android, or Windows. The app also works on Apple and Windows computers, a wide range of TVs, mobile devices, and gaming consoles.

Go to Amazon Prime

Price: $8.99/month

Free Trial: 30 days

Device availability: Amazon Fire TV, Android, Apple TV, Changhong, Chromecast, Haier, Hisense, iOS, LG, Nvidia SHIELD, Panasonic, Philips, PlayStation, Roku, Samsung, Sharp, Skyworth, Sony, TiVo, Vestel, Vizio, Wii, Xbox

Features: 4k-compatible, ad-supported option, annual subscription, Dolby Atmos, multiple profiles, offline downloads, on-demand content, parental controls, picture in picture, spatial audio, up to three concurrent streams

Max

Formerly HBO Max, Max is a subscription-based on-demand platform that is only available in the US. New subscribers can choose from three monthly tiers ranging from $10 (with ads) to $15 (no ads) to $20 (no ads, plus more concurrent streams, downloads, and 4K streaming). An annual subscription option is also available.

When you subscribe, you'll get HBO’s world-class exclusives, such as The Wire and Game of Thrones but Max also functions as a bundle: you'll get content from Discovery, DC, Criterion Collection, Looney Tunes, Studio Ghibli, Turner Classic Movies, and Crunchyroll. And as of September 2023, you will also get a live stream of CNN.

Most mobile devices that can stream video support Max, although there is yet no app for Amazon Fire TV and Roku devices.

Go to Max

Price: $9.99/month

Device availability: Amazon Fire TV, Android TV, Apple TV, PlayStation, Roku, Samsung TV, Xbox

Features: 4k-compatible, ad-supported option, annual subscription, Dolby Atmos, kid profiles, likely to work with a VPN, multiple profiles, offline downloads, on-demand content, parental controls, picture in picture, spatial audio, up to three concurrent streams

BritBox

Britbox is a streaming service born out of an alliance between two British broadcasters: BBC and iTV. If you like British humour, British detective shows, or anything British TV, it's the place for you. You won't be the only one, by October 2020, the platform had 1.5 million subscribers, a number that's growing.

Go to BritBox

Price: $8.99/month

Free Trial: 7 days

Device availability: Amazon Fire TV, Android, Apple TV, iOS, LG TV, Roku, Samsung TV

Features: 4k-compatible, 5 device log-ins, annual subscription, likely to work with a VPN, on-demand content, parental controls, up to four concurrent streams

BFI Player Classics

BFI Player Classics is a subscription service that makes the best of British cinema available to users around the world. These films are, according to the site, "widely loved and rarely seen," handpicked by the British Film Institute itself. They are carefully curated into collections which you can pick and choose based on your mood or interest. The streamer may not have the most extensive titles, only carrying little more than 300 at a time, but it's sure to have some of the highest quality libraries out there, perfect for cinephiles and Anglophiles alike.

Go to BFI Player Classics

Price: $5.99/month

Free Trial: 7 days

Device availability: Android, Android TV, Apple TV, Chromecast, iOS, Roku, Samsung Smart TV, Website

Features: 4k-compatible, annual subscription, on-demand content, rent, trial

BBC Select

BBC Select is a streaming service dedicated specifically to all things culture, politics, and ideas. It houses the best of the BBC's non-fiction content—namely, widely-acclaimed documentaries and docuseries—but it also occasionally sources titles from other channels, like the UK's Channel 4. While it can seem like BBC Select is competing with Acorn TV and BritBox, which are the go-to UK channels in North America, it's actually closer to the likes of CuriosityStream and Discovery Plus in its specialization of documentaries.

Go to BBC Select

Price: $4.99/month

Features: offline downloads, on-demand content, trial

Acorn TV

While programming depends on your geographical location, Acorn TV in the US focuses on TV shows from dozens of international networks in countries of the Commonwealth, from British channels like the BBC and ITV as well as Oceanic shows from Australia and New Zealand.

Aside from British shows, there’s also a solid selection of content from other major European networks from France, Italy and Ireland.

Go to Acorn TV

Price: $5.99/month

Free Trial: 7 days

Device availability: Amazon Fire TV, Android, Android TV, Apple TV, iOS, Roku

Features: annual subscription, on-demand content, up to four concurrent streams

Apple TV+

Netflix

Amazon Prime

Max

BritBox

BFI Player Classics

BBC Select

Acorn TV

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