What streaming works in the UK — 2026 availability list
Updated 2026-04-24
TL;DR
The UK streaming market revolves around BBC iPlayer (the public-broadcaster flagship, UK-only, funded by self-declared £169.50/yr TV License). International heavyweights — Netflix, Disney+, Prime Video, Apple TV+ — all have UK versions. Now TV (Sky) and Britbox are local distinctives. UK HBO Max has gone through several restructures (HBO → Max → HBO Max name reverted), with rights split with Sky; for now content airs on Sky / NowTV rather than as a standalone app. What's missing: US Hulu, ESPN+, YouTube TV, and other US-exclusives.
✓ Available
bbciplayer
UK-exclusive, £169.50/yr TV License
netflix
UK has BBC co-produced exclusives
disneyplus
Full Star channel
primevideo
UK £8.99/mo
appletv
£8.99/mo
britbox
BBC + ITV JV, classic British TV
paramountplusintl
UK version, except Sky Cinema exclusives
discoveryplus
UK local version
spotify
Premium £10.99/mo
tidal
Full Hi-Res service
applemusic
£10.99/mo
premierleague
EPL home rights, on Sky/TNT/Amazon
f1tv
Pro subscription available
dazn
Boxing + NFL Game Pass UK
chatgpt
Plus £18/mo
claude
Pro fully available
✗ Not available / Restricted
hulu
US-only
espnplus
US-only
youtubetv
US-only
tving
Korea-only
hulujp
Japan-only
abema
Japan-only (some sports open)
stan
Australia-only
Tips
When VPNing into the UK, BBC iPlayer's anti-VPN game is one of the strictest in the world (rules updated weekly, datacenter IPs always blocked). Pick UK-ISP residential IPs (BT, Sky, Virgin Media), London or Manchester exits work best. iPlayer signup asks 'Do you have a TV License?' — the platform doesn't technically verify (UK TV Licensing audits households separately); AF3 only checks IP reachability. Now TV / Sky signup is most reliable with a UK credit card or PayPal. AI tools work without restrictions.