Three separate things a business needs
| What | Why | Who it’s from |
|---|---|---|
| A commercial subscription for each subscription channel or service shown | Home subscriptions don’t cover public showing | The broadcaster or service, on its business terms |
| Permission to show films and TV in public | Showing content in public needs the rights owners’ permission | Licensing bodies such as MPLC, Filmbankmedia and AVLA, depending on the content |
| A TV Licence | Watching or recording live TV, or using BBC iPlayer, on the premises | TV Licensing |
GOV.UK’s guidance on showing films and TV in public lists those licensing bodies, and says permission is needed whether or not you sell tickets.
Commercial subscriptions
GOV.UK says that pubs and other commercial premises need a commercial subscription to show exclusive subscription broadcasts, and that if you want to show a sports channel you’ll need a commercial or business subscription from each service. That subscription covers only the content agreed in it.
A home subscription, from any provider, is licensed for private viewing in a home. Using one in a pub, club, gym or shop is a breach of its terms and a common reason for prosecution. FACT reported in September 2026 that pub licensees had paid over £29,000 in fines and costs in its recent cases.
Showing TV in public
“Public” is wider than it sounds. GOV.UK says it includes places such as staff rooms and hotel bedrooms. A 2016 change also removed films from an old exception that let premises without an admission charge, such as pubs, show TV broadcasts without some permissions. GOV.UK adds that a TV Licence doesn’t automatically give permission to show a film in public, including content you’ve bought, rented or paid to stream.
The TV Licence for businesses
The live TV rule applies to businesses as it does to homes. For accommodation, GOV.UK says a hotel needs a TV Licence for guests to watch TV in their rooms, and one licence covers up to 15 rooms or accommodation units. See do you need a TV Licence for IPTV.
Our service
Our subscriptions are for private viewing at home only. Our acceptable use policy prohibits public and commercial showing. For a business, speak to the broadcasters and licensing bodies above about commercial terms. For the wider law, see is IPTV legal in the UK.