Where to Legally Watch UK Football on TV in 2026/27

 With the new football season getting underway, UK football fans once again face the familiar question: which TV service shows which games?

The days when one subscription could give you most of the football you wanted are long gone. Premier League, Champions League, FA Cup, EFL and international football are spread across several broadcasters and streaming services.

Here's a straightforward guide to watching UK football legally during the 2026/27 season.

Premier League

The Premier League remains split between Sky Sports and TNT Sports.

Sky Sports has the largest share, showing at least 215 live Premier League matches per season under the current 2025–29 rights agreement. TNT Sports has 52 matches per season.

The traditional Saturday 3pm blackout still applies, meaning those matches aren't normally shown live on UK television.

For most Premier League fans, Sky Sports therefore remains the main subscription needed to follow their team regularly.

Champions League

For the 2026/27 season, the Champions League remains with TNT Sports, alongside the Europa League and Conference League. TNT's coverage is available through its television services and streaming options.

However, this is the last season of TNT's current UEFA arrangement.

From 2027/28, the rights change significantly, with the majority of Champions League coverage moving to Paramount+, while Amazon Prime Video will also show Champions League matches. Sky Sports will take over the Europa League and Conference League.

So there are some major changes coming next season.

FA Cup

The FA Cup is no longer entirely free-to-air.

For the 2026/27 season, TNT Sports and the BBC share coverage, with selected matches available free-to-air on BBC platforms while TNT Sports carries a significant portion of the competition.

This is another important change for viewers who previously expected the FA Cup to be predominantly available on the BBC and ITV.

EFL and Championship

Sky Sports remains the main home of the EFL, including Championship football.

That means supporters following clubs outside the Premier League will generally need Sky Sports to watch their team's televised league matches.

Free-to-air football

There is still plenty of football available without taking out a sports subscription.

The BBC and ITV continue to show major international football, highlights and selected cup matches.

England internationals, for example, remain available on ITV, while the BBC continues to show major football coverage and highlights.

The FIFA World Cup and other major international tournaments also continue to have free-to-air coverage under the relevant rights arrangements.

What about Amazon Prime Video?

Amazon's role in Premier League football has changed.

The previous arrangement that gave Amazon the December and midweek Premier League packages has ended under the new rights structure, with those matches now incorporated into the larger Sky/TNT packages.

However, Amazon remains an important player in football broadcasting, particularly because it has secured Champions League coverage from 2027/28.

Further reading and information available here

Why Has That’s TV Disappeared from Sky and Freesat?

 If you've recently switched on your Sky or Freesat receiver and wondered where That's TV has gone, you're not alone.

The channel disappeared from satellite television on 30 July 2026, meaning it was removed from both Sky and Freesat.

The important point is that this wasn't simply a change to the Sky EPG or a temporary technical problem. That's TV has ceased its satellite broadcast.

What happened to That's TV?

That's TV was a free-to-air television channel available on satellite alongside Sky's subscription channels.

For Sky viewers it was found on channel 171, while Freesat viewers could watch it through the Freesat EPG.

The channel offered a mixture of classic television programmes, films, entertainment and archive programming, making use of the broadcaster's extensive library of older content.

That's TV had also built up a collection of related services, including That's TV 2 and several music channels.

However, 2026 has seen a significant reduction in the number of That's TV linear channels.

The dedicated music channels That's 80s, That's Oldies and That's Melody all closed at the end of February 2026.

Satellite broadcasting has now ended

The latest change is considerably more significant for satellite viewers.

On 30 July 2026, That's TV switched off its satellite transmission.

Because Sky and Freesat both use the Astra satellite fleet at 28.2°E for their satellite television services, ending the satellite feed meant the channel could no longer appear on either platform.

Sky's own community forum confirms that the closure was a decision made by the channel operator and was outside Sky's control.

So if you've tried to find That's TV on Sky 171 and it's suddenly disappeared, your receiver isn't faulty.

Further reading and information available here

Has Italy’s Piracy Shield Really Worked?

 Italy's Piracy Shield has become one of Europe's most aggressive attempts to tackle illegal streaming.

The system was introduced in February 2024 to allow rights holders and authorities to rapidly block websites and IP addresses being used to distribute pirated live content. By early 2026, Italian regulator AGCOM said more than 65,000 domain names and around 14,000 IP addresses had been disabled through the system.

But there is an important question: has all this blocking actually reduced piracy?

How Piracy Shield works

Piracy Shield is designed to react quickly when illegal live content is identified.

Rights holders can submit details of the suspected source through the platform. Once authorised, blocking orders can be distributed to the relevant service providers, preventing users in Italy from accessing the specified domains or IP addresses.

The system originally focused heavily on live sports, particularly football. Its scope has since expanded. From 2025, Italy extended the system to cover other live audiovisual content, including films, television programmes and entertainment broadcasts.

The attraction is obvious: instead of waiting for a pirate website to be investigated and taken down, access can potentially be blocked within minutes.

The numbers look impressive

There is no doubt that Piracy Shield has generated an enormous number of blocks.

AGCOM reported approximately 55,500 blocks by June 2025. By early 2026, that figure had risen to more than 65,000 FQDNs and around 14,000 IP addresses.

On paper, that looks like a huge success.

But the number of blocked addresses isn't the same thing as the number of pirate services that have permanently disappeared.

Pirate operators can move services to different domains, servers and IP addresses. Blocking one address doesn't necessarily remove the underlying operation.

The problem with IP blocking

One of the biggest criticisms of Piracy Shield concerns shared IP addresses.

An IP address can host more than one website or service. Blocking that address can therefore affect legitimate businesses that have nothing to do with piracy.

Research published by RIPE NCC Labs found significant collateral damage when examining Piracy Shield blocks. In June 2025, researchers identified more than 500 confirmed legitimate websites affected by the blocking system, with the number of affected sites increasing over time.

There have also been high-profile incidents involving legitimate online services being blocked accidentally, including a Google Drive-related address in 2024. AGCOM subsequently warned rights holders and ordered greater care when submitting blocking requests.

Further reading and information available here

 

Channel 5 Adds 11 New Channels to Freely

 Channel 5 has significantly expanded its presence on Freely, adding 11 new streaming channels to the free internet TV platform.

The new channels give Freely viewers more choice, with dedicated services covering movies, crime, history, medical programmes, documentaries, children's content and popular Channel 5 shows.

11 new channels

The new services are:

• 5Cops
• 5Police Interceptors
• 5Movies
• 5A&E
• 5Crime
• 5Medical
• 5Yorkshire Vet
• 5Bargain-Loving Brits
• 5Trucking Hell
• 5History
• Milkshake!

They have been added directly to the Freely programme guide, so viewers can find them alongside the other live channels available through the platform.

Five of the new channels are exclusive to Freely and the 5 streaming service at launch: 5Movies, 5Medical, 5Yorkshire Vet, 5History and Milkshake!.

More choice without an aerial or satellite dish

One of Freely's biggest advantages is that these channels are delivered over the internet rather than through a traditional TV aerial or satellite dish.

That makes the new services particularly interesting for viewers using compatible Freely televisions or devices such as the Manhattan Aero and other Freely streaming boxes.

The channels are available at no additional cost, although of course an internet connection is required.

Further reading and information available here

Netflix Becomes UK Viewers’ First Choice – But BBC Still Leads

 For the first time, Netflix has overtaken the BBC as the service UK viewers say they turn to first when deciding what to watch.

According to Ofcom's latest Media Nations research, 26% of UK viewers now choose Netflix as their first destination, narrowly ahead of the BBC on 25%. ITV follows at 15%.

It is an important milestone for streaming, but there is an important distinction: Netflix becoming the first choice does not mean it is the UK's most-watched television service.

Netflix is first choice, but BBC still gets more viewing

Ofcom's survey asks viewers which service they instinctively go to first when looking for something to watch. It does not measure total viewing time.

When actual viewing is measured, the BBC remains ahead. BBC content accounts for around 18% of UK video viewing, compared with approximately 9% for Netflix.

The BBC also continues to have a major advantage in live television, news, sport, entertainment and major national events, while its extensive on-demand library is available through BBC iPlayer.

So while someone might open Netflix first when looking for a film or drama, they can still spend considerably more time watching BBC programmes.

Further reading and information available here

Why Does Starlink Need So Many Satellites?

 If you regularly see SpaceX launching another batch of Starlink satellites, you might wonder why the network needs thousands of satellites when traditional satellite TV services such as Sky and Freesat can operate using just a handful.

The answer comes down to orbit, coverage, capacity and latency.

More than 10,000 Starlink satellites

As of July 2026, more than 10,800 Starlink satellites are operational, with SpaceX having launched more than 12,500 in total. Older satellites are regularly retired and removed from orbit.

And the network is still growing. SpaceX has regulatory approval for around 19,500 satellites, while its longer-term plans envisage a constellation of approximately 34,400.

But why are so many necessary?

Further reading and information available here

BBC iPlayer Ends Support for Many Devices

 If you’ve recently opened the BBC iPlayer app and been greeted by a warning saying “You’ll soon need to watch iPlayer another way”, you’re not alone.

From 30 September 2026, BBC iPlayer will stop working directly on a number of Android TV and Google TV devices, leaving many users wondering why a perfectly good streaming device is suddenly losing support.

The warning explains that BBC apps have been supported on the device for the last seven years, but support is ending, directing users to the BBC’s website to find another way to watch.

Further reading and information available here

Geostationary vs Low Earth Orbit Satellites

 When most people think of satellites, they imagine a single spacecraft floating high above the Earth, providing television, internet or communications. In reality, there are several different types of satellite orbits, each designed for specific purposes. The two most common for communications are Geostationary Earth Orbit (GEO) and Low Earth Orbit (LEO).

Although both are used to transmit data around the world, they operate in very different ways. Traditional satellite television services such as Sky and Freesat rely on geostationary satellites, while modern broadband providers like Starlink use thousands of Low Earth Orbit satellites.

Further reading and information available here

Channel 5 Moves to DVB-S2 on UK Satellite Platform

 Channel 5 has updated one of its UK satellite transmissions, meaning older SD satellite receivers will no longer be able to receive the channel.

The transponder on 11307MHz Horizontal (SR 27500, FEC 2/3) has changed from DVB-S to DVB-S2 8PSK. While the frequency itself remains the same, the move to the newer DVB-S2 transmission standard requires an HD-compatible satellite receiver.

Further reading and information available here

BBC Studios Eyes More UK Streaming Deals for BBC Shows

 The BBC is considering new ways to maximise the value of its programmes by allowing them to appear on additional UK streaming platforms after they’ve completed their initial run on BBC television and BBC iPlayer.

The move centres on “second window” rights—the opportunity to licence programmes to other broadcasters and streaming services once they’ve first been shown on the BBC. It’s an approach that could generate additional income without reducing the BBC’s public service offering.

However, many viewers are surprised to learn that these deals are usually handled not by the BBC itself, but by BBC Studios, a separate commercial company owned by the BBC.

Further reading and information available here