Germany at a glance
- Site blocking
- DNS blocks by ISPs, coordinated through the CUII; since July 2025 only where a court has decided
- Cable in rent
- Ended 1 July 2024: tenants now choose and contract their own TV
- Broadcasting fee
- Rundfunkbeitrag, €18.36 per household per month in 2026, whatever device you watch on
- Licensed IPTV
- TV services from broadband providers, internet TV apps, and free public and commercial broadcaster streaming
- Time vs UK
- One hour ahead all year
Checked September 2026. This is general information, not legal advice.
Is IPTV legal in Germany?
IPTV has been part of German TV for years. Broadband providers sell TV packages delivered over the internet connection, dedicated internet TV services stream live channels to apps, and ARD, ZDF and the commercial broadcasters stream their channels online. All of it is licensed IPTV.
What’s illegal is streaming channels without the rights holders’ permission. In the EU, the Court of Justice has held that watching streams from an obviously unlicensed source isn’t protected by the temporary-copy exception, so the risk isn’t only on the seller’s side. For the checks that apply to any provider, see is IPTV legal?.
Site blocking: from the CUII to court orders
In March 2021 German ISPs and rights holders set up the Clearingstelle Urheberrecht im Internet (CUII). A review committee chaired by a retired Federal Court of Justice judge examined requests, and when it recommended a block, the participating ISPs blocked the site at DNS level, without a court ruling.
That model drew criticism, including reports of mistaken blocks and blocks that stayed in place after sites changed. In July 2025, at the request of the Bundesnetzagentur (the Federal Network Agency), the CUII changed course: its list now contains only sites for which a court has ordered a DNS block, with the court’s file number.
What this means for viewers:
- Blocks are DNS-based, applied by the major ISPs. That’s why some people try other DNS servers, but a block is a sign the service is unlicensed, and changing DNS doesn’t change that. Our DNS guide explains what DNS settings do and don’t fix.
- An app that suddenly can’t resolve its server address may have been blocked. See ISP blocking and IPTV.
The end of cable TV in service charges
For decades, landlords could sign bulk cable contracts and pass the cost to tenants through their service charges, the Nebenkostenprivileg. An amendment to the Telecommunications Act abolished it, and after a transition period the change took full effect on 1 July 2024. Since then:
- Landlords can’t bill cable TV through service charges.
- Tenants who want cable must sign their own contract.
- Everyone else is free to choose satellite, IPTV from their broadband provider, an internet TV app or free streaming.
That switch pushed many households to look at IPTV for the first time, and it’s one reason cheap unlicensed offers are so heavily advertised. Licensed options usually work out better value than they first appear, because many broadband providers bundle TV.
The Rundfunkbeitrag
Germany’s public broadcasting fee, the Rundfunkbeitrag, is charged per household, not per device. It applies whether you watch through an aerial, cable, satellite, IPTV or not at all, with exemptions for some groups. In 2026 it was €18.36 a month. A proposed rise wasn’t implemented, and the Federal Constitutional Court heard complaints from the public broadcasters in June 2026; check the current amount before budgeting.
Licensed ways to watch TV in Germany
| Option | What you get | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Broadband provider TV | Live channels over your connection, with a box or app | Often bundled with the broadband contract |
| Internet TV apps | Live German channels streamed to apps on TVs, sticks and phones | Monthly subscriptions, some with a free basic tier |
| Public broadcaster streaming | ARD and ZDF channels live and on demand | Free; funded by the Rundfunkbeitrag |
| Satellite and DVB-T2 | Free and pay channels via a dish or aerial | Free-to-air public channels; private HD channels may need a subscription |
Most of these apps run on the devices used for IPTV. See our guides to Fire TV, Android TV, Apple TV and smart TVs.
UK TV in Germany
- BBC iPlayer only works in the UK, so it isn’t available for live viewing from Germany.
- VPNs that make you appear to be in the UK usually break UK services’ terms and don’t make an unlicensed service legal. See IPTV and VPNs.
- Time: Germany is one hour ahead of the UK all year. If UK guide listings are an hour out, set the guide offset; our EPG offset calculator helps.
Before you pay for any service
- Check your broadband contract for included TV before buying anything separate.
- Look for an Impressum: German law requires commercial websites to show the operator’s identity and address. A service without one is a warning sign.
- Avoid “all channels” deals at a tiny price, lifetime offers and crypto-only payment.
For neighbouring countries, see IPTV in the Netherlands and IPTV in France.