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 ITV4, the +1s, the news channels, and 300 UK and Irish channels in total, over the broadband you already pay for.
What is in the Screen Pass
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 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 pass 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 at all. Once channels arrive over broadband, the roof stops being part of the argument.
IPTV against Freeview, iPlayer and an aerial swipe →
| Reflect on Film | Freeview | BBC iPlayer | |
|---|---|---|---|
| BBC & ITV live | All regions | If signal allows | BBC only |
| Sports channels | Included | No | No |
| World channels | 40,000+ on Widescreen+ | 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 £3.60/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 screen with an HDMI port — full walkthrough.
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 screens are included.
BBC & ITV questions
Do I still need a TV Licence?
Yes. UK law requires one to watch or record live television, including BBC and ITV streamed over the internet. Our pass covers delivery, not licensing, 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. Those are the broadcasters' own catch-up apps. We carry the live channels 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 Screen Pass: Channel 4, E4, More4, Film4, Channel 5, 5STAR and the main UK news channels. The full UK and Irish line-up is 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.
Take the free 24-hour pass