40 Best Streaming Services in the UK

uk-tv › best streaming services • August 11, 2024 • Staff

The reign of cord-cutting in the UK has been a long time coming. After years of sky-high costs and months-long contracts, it makes sense for viewers to replace clunky cables with the leaner and cheaper experience that streaming brings. With streaming, not only are costs slashed in half, the choices are also plentiful, customizable, and catered to your specific needs. You can also renew streaming subscriptions monthly so that you're not tied down to just one provider for an entire year or more.

Streaming has become so ubiquitous that even the cable companies like Virgin Media and Sky are jumping ship and providing their own cordless streaming services. Pretty soon, there will be nary a cable in sight, so to guide you through this transition, we've compiled streaming services available right now in the UK. We've included pertinent details like price, channel lineup, and device compatibility to help you make an informed decision. Some services, like Netflix and Disney+ are on-demand services that allow you to watch programmes anytime you want, while others, like ITVX and Viaplay, are live TV services that give you access to news, sports, and entertainment channels in realtime (provided you have a TV licence, that is). Without further ado, here are the best streaming services in the UK.

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CuriosityStream

True to its name, CuriosityStream is an on-demand streaming service made for curious viewers with a thirst for knowledge. It has thousands of documentaries about science, nature, history, and the arts, many of which are originals on the platform.

If you already have an Amazon Prime Video subscription, CuriosityStream is available as an add-on channel for £2.79/month. You can also subscribe to it as a standalone, although do note that it charges USD on your card. A standalone subscription costs $2.99 (more or less £2.50) a month for HD streaming or $9.99 (more or less £8.30) a month for 4k viewing. CuriosityStream accepts Mastercard, Visa, Discover, and American Express debit and credit cards.

Crunchyroll

Ever since it merged with its closest competitor, Funimation, Crunchyroll has been the ultimate streaming service for anime fans. It has over a thousand shows, many episodes of which are available to stream just an hour after they’re released in Japan, as well as a manga collection and an apparel store you can browse through. Oh, and bonus, all of its subscription plans offer HD viewing.

Crunchyroll has two main tiers, both of which offer a 14-day trial: £4.99/month and £5.99/month. The main difference between the two is that the latter plan allows you to stream on four devices, not just one, and gives you access to offline viewing. If you're a "mega-fan," as the streamer puts it, you can also choose to pay £59.99/year, which essentially shaves 16% off the monthly £5.99 payment.

Channel 4

Previously known as All 4, Channel 4 is the official streaming service of the TV channel it names. Here you'll find everything the channel offers, including local gems that have skyrocketed to international fame like Derry Girls and Skins as well as Hollywood hits like Once Upon a Time in Hollywood and 10 Cloverfield Lane.

You can watch all these either for free (with ads) or for a fee (without ads). The premium, ad-free subscription starts at £3.99, but if you're not so sure yet about subscribing, you can test the platform with a 14-day free trial. Channel 4 is also available on most devices, including PC, TVs, and smartphones.

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BT TV

Exclusive to BT broadband subscribers, BT TV is a platform that brings together streaming services, live channels, and other viewing apps altogether in one place. The specific services and channels vary depending on the BT TV package you select, but BT mainly offers content from two categories: sports and entertainment. Packages start at £17/month for sports (which include BT Sport and Sky Sports channels) and £18/month for entertainment packages (which include NOW Entertainment channels like Sky Atlantic and Sky Max). A VIP package that combines both sports and entertainment is also available for £75/month. Conveniently, you can change your preferred package monthly and pay for it on top of your BT internet bill.

Apart from a BT connection, you'll also need to have a BT TV Box to connect to BT TV. While the box comes at no extra cost, there is an activation fee of £30 plus a delivery charge of £9.99. Needless to say, it's a hefty price to pay. But if you're looking to pay all your bills in one go and prefer to have your viewing options streamlined, then BT TV is certainly worth considering.

BT Sport

BT Sports is a sports-focused streaming service that has rights to the UEFA Champions League until 2027, as well as access to 52 live Premier League games per season, UFC matches, and Eurosport channels 1 and 2.

If you're already subscribed to BT's internet service, you can simply add BT Sports to your existing deal for either £17 or £42 a month (Sky Sports channels are included in the latter tier). But if you're not interested in a BT broadband subscription, you can access a contract-free pass that gives you much of the same content for £29.99/month. All packages include access to discovery+ at no extra cost.

Given its accessibility and range of coverage, there's no reason you shouldn't consider adding BT Sports to your streaming lineup, especially if you're a sports fan.

BroadwayHD

Theatre fans, rejoice! If for some reason you can't get to Broadway, then you'll be glad to know that BroadwayHD is a worthy alternative. Dedicated to all things theatre (but especially New York theatre), BroadwayHD is home to live productions, musicals, concerts, ballets, movies, and even a few series, all in HD. The service has more than a hundred productions in its collection, and it sorts them into convenient categories. Unlike the real thing, you don't have to wait in line or for the curtain to drop to watch your beloved performances; you can simply skip to the good part and watch them anytime and anywhere.

BroadwayHD plans, which charge USD, start at $11.99 (or roughly £9.99) per month and it's available to stream from any device. It's also available on Amazon Prime Channels on Roku TV as an add-on.

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BritBox

Backed by ITV and the BBC, BritBox is an on-demand streaming service made for and by British (and British-loving) folk. True to its name, it’s a specialized service that prides itself on its local content from channels all around the country. However, if you’re looking for the most popular or recent titles, this might not be your best bet (for that, you’ll want to look at the BBC iPlayer).

BritBox’s claim to fame, aside from housing all-British titles, is its deep-seated archives of shows and movies past. Here you’ll find Doctor Who episodes dating back to the 1960s and niche movies from an even earlier time period. It also has original titles up its sleeve, so at £5.99, it’s not a bad option if you’re looking for a homegrown service with a handful of classics to its name.

BFI Player

Home to an eclectic mix of local indies and international gems, BFI Player is one of the best movie streaming services out there. Its highly-curated film lists, which range from current to classic, are comparable to those of Criterion and Mubi. They're bound to tickle any cinephile’s fancy, so spending time scrolling through titles won’t feel as much of a drag as it would on other platforms.

A number of films can be accessed for free on the service—you wouldn’t even need to register—but most of them are reserved for paid subscribers only. The subscription plans come at a surprisingly fair £4.99/month or £49/year, but if you’re on the fence about another making another subscription, you can try the service for free for 2 weeks. Some of the newer and more highly acclaimed movies—especially those still screening in physical theaters—will only be available to rent, which usually starts at £2.50.

As a new and homegrown service, BFI Player is impressively competitive and worth checking out if you’re tired of the usual titles on bigger platforms.

BBC iPlayer

When it comes to homegrown quality titles, it’s hard to have the BBC beat. The network is home to fan favorites like Sherlock and Doctor Who, as well as critical darlings like Fleabag and Industry. And thanks to a deal with Disney’s FX, it also carries a number of quality imports like What We Do in the Shadows and Pose. Which is why the BBC’s streaming arm, the BBC iPlayer, is such a handy service to have. It brings together a variety of beloved titles into one convenient place and serves as a catch-up platform for the most recently aired shows on the telly.

There are a number of impressive features as well, including live TV streaming, offline viewing, profile switching, and parental controls, although the iPlayer’s tendency to constantly rotate its catalog of titles could be a pro or con, depending on your preference (you can read more about title availability here).

The only caveat is that you need to have a TV license to access the iPlayer, which costs a hefty £159 a year. But if you already got that covered, you can just quickly sign up for a BBC account and you’re good to go.

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Apple TV Plus

Apple TV+ has one simple philosophy: quality over quantity. It may not have nearly as much as its competitors, but it makes sure that every title it has is worth seeing. Ted Lasso, Severance, Pachinko, Little America, Slow Horses…the list of must-watch shows here goes on and on, and it’s not stopping anytime soon.

The streaming service costs £6.99 a month, and it’s compatible to watch on any phone, tablet, smart TV, or streaming device available (and not just Apple-branded ones, mind you). Just make sure you have the app downloaded, and you’re good to go.

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CuriosityStream

Crunchyroll

Channel 4

BT TV

BT Sport

BroadwayHD

BritBox

BFI Player

BBC iPlayer

Apple TV Plus

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