20 Best Streaming Services UK in 2022 [Comprehensive Guide]

Best Streaming Service UK: Overview

Here are the 20 best streaming services in the UK. These UK streaming services balance great content with a decent user experience and features, like 4K options and offline downloads.

They allow you to stream T.V. shows, movies, documentaries, and sometimes live events directly to your TV, computer, tablet, or phone.

Wondering which best streaming service 2022 is for you? Read on to find out.

20 Best Streaming Services UK in 2022

Now, as you know the best streaming services in the U.K., below we have shared the essential details of each platform that would make your choice easier. Keep reading!

1) Amazon Prime Video

Amazon Prime Video can be classified as the best streaming service for movies. Offered by Amazon, this streaming service has a lot to offer, with great content and an impressive library.

As for the Amazon Prime cost in the UK, it’s not as cheap as some other options on this list it’s still a great value. It costs £5.99 per month or £79 per year.

If it is your first time with the streaming platform, you can consider Amazon Prime free trial. This free trial allows you to enjoy all the content on Amazon Prime without being charged for the first 30 days.

If you do not want to continue with the membership after the free trial period, you need to cancel Amazon Prime before the end of the free trial so you won’t be charged for the membership.

The channel offers some excellent original programming that you won’t find anywhere else. Its menu includes movies, TV shows, and original programming. Some of its best shows include Good Omens, Fleabag, The Boys, Jericho, and The Walking Dead.

You can also rent or buy movies on Amazon Prime Video, although its selection is not as impressive as its competitors. Unlike Netflix, the shows are few, and it takes longer to update its content.

Amazon Prime Video has a few disadvantages, including its apps not working flawlessly on different streaming devices. In addition, it is important to note that this platform doesn’t offer live T.V.

2) Apple TV Plus

If you are looking for the best low-priced streaming service for under £5 per month, you should go for Apple T.V. Plus. The service offers a 7-day free trial, so you can test it before committing to a paid subscription.

Apple T.V. Plus has excellent content, including See, WeCrashed, Ghostwriter, Mythic Quest, On the Rocks, and Hala. The platform also has other award-winning shows and is continuing to air new seasons.

Some original shows coming soon on Apple T.V. are The Velvet Underground, Spirited, Causeway, and The Tragedy of Macbeth.

Besides this, Apple T.V. offers some of the best family-friendly content. The service also has an app on various devices, including the Apple T.V., iPhone, iPad, iPod touch, and Mac. On Apple T.V., you get to enjoy both live and on-demand, that’s worth your money.

3) Disney Plus

Disney Plus is one of the most popular streaming services the UK. It has a wide variety of content, including exclusive access to Star Wars, Marvel, and Pixar movies. In the U.K., the content hub of Disney Plus also includes titles from Star.

It also has some of the best original T.V. shows, such as The Mandalorian, Ladu and the Tramp, Noella, Marvel’s Hero Project, and Encore. For those who want quality family programs, watch Disney Plus is an excellent option to consider.

Disney Plus price is £7.99 per month or £79.90 per year. Since the company is on the verge of increasing the price, you might also want to know how to cancel Disney Plus.

Disney Plus apps have excellent features that make the app easy to use. It has some parental controls that can be used to limit what your children can watch.

It also seems from the rumours that Disney Plus will be getting the Netflix shows. While it has adult content, Netflix has more of this content.

4) Netflix

Netflix is the most popular streaming service, with over 220 million subscribers. It is one of the top streaming services in the U.K. and around the globe.

it has an impressive library of movies and  T.V. shows, including originals such as The Crown, Stranger Things, Orange is the New Black, Lupin, and BoJack Horseman.

Netflix also produces its exclusive movies, usually of high quality and well received by critics. In addition, Netflix in UK has a great selection of documentaries and stand-up comedy specials. Netflix constantly updates its libraries with new content, so there’s always something new to watch.

The least subscription pack on Netflix costs £6.99 per month, which gives you access to the basic library. The standard subscription costs £10.99 monthly and lets you watch the best movies on Netflix in H.D.

Most people have subscribed to Netflix because of its incredible selection of titles. However, with its recent price increase, some individuals question whether Netflix is worth it, given that other excellent services are available at low prices.

But yes, the content on Netflix is original and premium, keeping the subscribers always entertained.

If you are traveling in a region where Netflix U.K. is geo-restricted, use the best VPN for Netflix, such as ExpressVPN.

5) NOW TV

NOW is a fantastic streaming platform that offers 4 memberships: Hayu – £4.99 per month, Entertainment – £9.99 per month, Sports at £25, and Cinema -£11.99 per month.

The platform includes many award-winning titles and allows 2 simultaneous streams. You can choose the membership you want on the website and upgrade it to NOW Boost anytime.

NOW Boost is an ad-free plan that allows you to use 3 devices simultaneously and stream content in full H.D. There is huge on-demand and live content on it. Now TV subscription in UK offers a free trial of 7 days.

The platform offers you to cancel your membership anytime you want. You can register up to 6 devices on one account and download the shows and movies to watch offline. Promising Young Woman, Unhinged, and Justice League are must-watch on this platform.

Although the content quality is not so good (720p), if you subscribe to NOW Boost, you can stream in 1080p.

6) BritBox

BritBox is a British streaming platform by BBC Studios & ITV plc. It offers T.V. shows like The Dry, The Long Call, Sister Boniface Mysteries, and Hotel Portofino.

The subscription plan is for £5.99 per month or £59.99 per year. If you buy an annual subscription, you save 16%. You can share your BritBox account with friends or family members as it allows streaming on 5 devices simultaneously.

The streaming platform is currently available in the UK, Canada, and the USA and the content library differs in each region. If you want to access the shows and movies available in any other region where you are not residing, you can use ExpressVPN.

If you love streaming classic British movies and shows, BritBox is a good option for you. The video plays quickly on the site without making you wait longer.

From the 1980s to the present day, BritBox content library includes everything. With more than 300 titles, the site broadcasts content from ITV, Beeb, Channel 4, and Channel 5.

On BritBox, you get a 7-days free trial. You can cancel your subscription plan anytime on the website. There are around 100 original titles on the platform, like Lambs of God, Spitting Image & The Beast Must Die.

7) Hayu

Hayu is a streaming platform dedicated to reality TV enthusiasts. The service lets you watch hundreds of reality shows and thousands of movies. Some famous TV shows offered on Hayu are Real Housewives, Top Chef, Keeping Up With the Kardashians, and Million Dollar Listings.

Several true crime series are also available such as Below Deck, Vanderpump Rules, Buried in the Backyard, Ice Cold Blood, and Snapped. So if you like reality shows and all the excitement, Hayu is a good option.

The hayu cost in U.K. is £4.99 per month. Hayu offers a single price tier in comparison to other streaming service providers. You can purchase its 12-month subscription for £43.99 per year.

You can simply access on-demand T.V. and all of Hayu’s other features at that fee. Additionally, there is no lock-in contract, which allows you to cancel Hayu whenever you like. The payments will just renew on their own if you decide not to stop.

The streaming service is first available in the United Kingdom, with subsequent rollouts in Ireland, Australia, Norway, Sweden, Finland, and Denmark. You can watch Hayu episodes online the same day they air in the United States or directly stream your old T.V. shows whenever you want.

8) Channel 4

All 4 is a streaming platform for you if you want to watch old classic shows. It is the best free streaming service UK., offering all the on-demand video content free of cost.

Most of the titles are free to watch but include ads. So if you want to watch Channel 4 outside UK without an ad, you must pay for it. It offers content from E4, Channel 4, Walter Presents, and All 4.

The Sum of All Fear, Catch Me If You Can, Calm With Horse, and Kill List are some of the best Channel 4 movies.  In addition to old shows, the site also offers anime content, a Vice documentary series, and Adult Swim Network.

All 4 app is available on most streaming platforms, including android, iOS, Windows, and Smart TV. Moreover, you can easily download and watch Channel 4 on LG TV by using the built-in browser.

It is a good option with a combination of BBC iPlayer as you can watch a huge variety of content without spending any penny.

9) Channel 5

Channel 5, also known as My5, is a UK-based video-on-demand streaming service. The best thing about this British streaming service is its diverse media content which is free to access.

Channel 5 is home to fantastic shows like Friends, The Walking Dead, Celebrity Big Brother, and The X-Files that you can watch online on My5 – the on-demand video service.

You will be asked to register for or sign in to watch Channel 5 when accessing the service. The networks family 5 includes Channel 5, 5STAR, 5USA, 5SELECT, and 5ACTION for free.

If you are wondering what devices are compatible with Channel 5, you must be amazed to know that you can watch Channel 5 content mainly on every device.

10) BBC iPlayer

If you’re looking for a great streaming service with tons of content, then BBC iPlayer is the way to go. It’s an on-demand video streaming service that offers a wide variety of programming, including movies, T.V. shows, documentaries, and live events.

Owned by BBC, this streaming service is free of charge, provided you have a BBC account and live in the U.K. If you are traveling outside the U.K., you can use a VPN. For this, check our guide on the best VPNs for BBC iPlayer.

BBC iPlayer is a relied-on streaming service for quality original programming, world news, sports coverage, and a zero advertising policy. It means that you can watch any of the available content without having to worry about commercials.

The events you can watch on BBC iPlayer include the World Cup, the Olympics, Wimbledon, and much more.

Some of the devices you can use to watch BBC iPlayer are Amazon Fire: Fire O.S. 5 or higher, Android 5.0 and above, iOS 7 or above, and Windows 10 devices.

11) Sky Go

Sky Go is a UK-based online T.V. service from Sky group. It complements Sky T.V. by offering free live and on-demand content to Sky T.V. subscribers on the go.

The streaming platform has a huge content library, including movies, shows, and sports. The top shows and movies available are Life and Death Row, The Witcher, Ozark, Big Little Lies, and You.

Sky Sports subscribers with a subscription to Sky Sports 1 and 2 get free access to Sky Go. Whereas non-Sky subscribers can access the service by paying £15 to £40 per month, depending on their channel selection. We have compiled a detailed guide about Sky Go price and how to cancel Sky Go. You can check them out to help yourselves.

The platform is compatible with Windows, Android 5.0, and iOS 7. You can also stream Sky Go on Firestick and selected smart TVs.

12) Sky Sports

Sky Sports is the dominant sports broadcaster in the U.K. By acquiring exclusive rights to the many U.K., European, and Global competitions of football, rugby league, rugby union, and cricket, Sky Sports has established itself as a leader in broadcasting live sports on T.V.

Sky Sports used to be broken down into numbered channels, but now Sky offers dedicated sports channels for each type of sport. There are 11 Sky Sports live, including Sky Sports Football, Sky Sports Cricket, Sky Sports Golf, Sky Sports main event, etc.

The Sky Sports cost starts at £18, but other subscriptions are required to get this plan; therefore, the cost will be at least £41. This 18-month agreement includes satellite T.V. service and Sky Sports. If you want to cancel Sky Sports during that period, then you have to inform the Sky representative before 31 days.

It is also available with a subscription to other T.V. services as an add-on or as part of a complete package. If you wondering about Sky Sports free trial. So no, Sky Sports does not offer a free trial.

The cheapest way to watch Sky Sports is through NOW TV. It offers 4 Sky Sports Passes with access to all 11 Channels.- A day pass is available for £6.99, a Week Pass for £10.99, and a Month Pass for £33.99. A mobile-only pass is also available for £5.99 per month, which allows you to stream 5 Sky Sports channels on phones.

13) Funimation

Funimation is a streaming service that aims to bring Japanese animation to the United Kingdom. With a massive library of over 600 titles – classics and new releases at an affordable price, it’s a solid choice for anime fans.

The best shows and movies on Funimation are in the Japanese language but is also available in English dubs along with English subtitles. The new releases are quickly dubbed for their subscribers.

Funimation has three paid options in addition to the free plan. The cost of Funimation Premium plan is the cheapest at £5.13/month and primarily grants the subscriber complete access to the ad-free library of Funimation.

The next tier is Premium Plus for £6.85/month. This allows users simultaneously stream and download content for offline viewing simultaneously. Finally, the Premium Plus Ultra plan is high-end. For £85.73/year, it comes with the same Premium Plus benefits and annual gifts.

Technically, the Funimation is pretty much overboard. It is compatible with a wide range of devices, including the Nintendo Switch. Its simple, easy-to-use interface and excellent discovery features have been praised. Funimation free trial of 14 days is available for all of its paid subscriptions.

Though it has an adult content filter, it’s completely inflexible and doesn’t give you the option to whitelist specific shows or movies. Finally, Funimation doesn’t offer his 4K video quality, but that’s because very few anime are able in his 4K HDR. So instead, it delivers a pretty high resolution of 1080p.

14) BT Sports

BT Sport is a sports-focused online streaming service from British Telecom. It offers a variety of sports channels, including ESPN+, BT Sport 1, and BT Sport Europe.

With extensive football coverage, including Champions League, Premier League, Series A, and La Liga, B.T. Sport is a must-have for football fans. The B.T. network currently has the rights to live broadcast 52 Premier League games each season. Also, 28 games will be televised on the network throughout the season, providing unmatched coverage of the F.A. Cup.

Besides football, the network is the home of WWE, with WWE Raw, WWE NXT, and WWE SmackDown landing weekly on BT Sport 1.

To watch BT Sport, you can buy any of the two subscriptions: BT Sport and BT TV Big Sports.

BT Sport price starts at £28.87 per month with a monthly pass. It is a cheaper option that gives you an in-depth look at Sports channels – Eurosport 1 and 2 and 11 Sky Sports Channels.

The best thing about this particular plan is its duration. Monthly plans mean trying out the platform to see if it fits your needs before investing.

However, you will be charged a termination fee if you cancel BT Sport account without giving a prior notice of 30 days. You can access the BT Sport app and online player on any number of supported devices but can only watch it on two screens simultaneously.

15) Discovery Plus

If you’re into documentaries, then Discovey+ is best for you. The streaming service has an extensive library in that niche. You can watch 55,000 episodes of over 2,500 current and classic shows from the Discovery portfolio.

These networks include HGTV, Food Network, TLC, ID, OWN, Travel Channel, Discovery Channel, Magnolia Network, and Animal Planet. However, it is disappointing that you can’t get a live feed of any of these channels though.

Trending best shows on Discovery + Originals include 90 Days: A Single Life, Ghost Hunters, Naked and Afraid of Love, King of the Con, and Selling the Hamptons.

While many video streaming services target a specific demographic, Discovery+ by Discovery Inc. targets a wider audience. It is aimed at those who love non-fiction and can’t take full advantage of existing streaming options, pay T.V. subscribers who want ad-free access to Discovery’s library content, and those who wish to stream Discovery+ originals.

Discovery+ is one of the cheaper streaming T.V. options available today. It offers both ad-supported and ad-free tiers. The ad-supported version of Discovery Plus prices at £4.99 per month, and the ad-free version is £6.99 per month.

Additionally, students can take advantage of a discounted price of £2.99 per month on the ad-supported plan. Discovery+ free trial is also available to test the service for a week. There are no contracts or long-term contracts, so you can cancel discovery plus anytime.

You can watch Discovery+ via a web browser or download the app on mobile platforms (Android and iOS), set-top boxes such as Android T.V., Apple T.V., Fire T.V., Roku, and Xbox consoles (One, Series S, Series X). It allows up to 5 user profiles and 4 simultaneous streams per account.

16) BFI Player

BFI Player is the British Film Institute’s (BFI) video-on-demand streaming service featuring critically acclaimed and innovative archival films. It offers movies on rental, subscription, or free of charge, depending on the release and rights secured by our licensors.

The distribution (red label) contains the latest releases and top-rated features. All red label titles are pay-as-you-go. Subscription (Gold Label) includes classic and cult movies. Your subscription gives you access to all Gold Label titles.

Free (Green Label) includes archival films highlighting the best short films and features from the BFI National Archives and U.K. national, regional, and partner archives. All titles marked in green are free to watch.

Subscriptions for BFI players start from £4.99 per month, with a 14-day free trial, after which they will be charged for the service every month. However, you can get a 30-day free trial instead by signing up for BFI Player from Amazon.

On the other hand, renting a movie requires payment of a one-time fee. But, BFI subscribers can avail of a 15% discount on this fee. Once the movie is rented, you have 30 days to watch it.

Once you start watching a rental movie, you’ll have a deadline of 48 hours to complete it. After that, it will automatically disappear from your library, and you will not receive a refund. You can watch BFI on a wide array of devices, such as computers, phones, tablets, and T.V.s, and you can cast it too.

17) Eurosport

Eurosport is another leading sports network in Europe where you can enjoy a wide range of sports, including cricket, football, winter sports, tennis, rugby, etc. The network covers Winter Olympics 2022 and UEFA Champions League in UHD quality.

In addition, Europsorts owns the broadcast rights to Europe’s most important sporting events. It gives you free access to sports news, articles, podcasts, and match highlights. However, a paid subscription is required to watch Eurosport live and on-demand.

Eurosport has two subscriptions plan. A monthly subscription is £6.99, whereas an annual subscription is £39.99. But the good news is that Eurosport free trial is available for all new subscribers.

This means you can watch all your favorite sports programs for free for 7 days before deciding whether to subscribe to the channel.

Eurosport offers apps for Smart T.V.s, Microsoft computers, Macs, iPhones, iPads, iPod touches, Android phones and tablets, Amazon Fire T.V.s, Xbox One, and PS4. But you can only register and subscribe from mobile or computer, not via the T.V. app.

18) ITV

ITV is the U.K.’s most prominent commercial station. It is an on-demand video streaming service with many best shows like Love Island, The Chase, Beecham House, Midsomer Murders, and more.

Though it is free to watch with ads, ITV also has paid tier ITV Hub+ that offers ad-free content. The paid plan of ITV costs £3.99/month or £39.99/year. By subscribing to it, you can download ITV movies on your mobile device for offline viewing.

The ITV network has 6 commercial channels, each one serving an entirely different audience. For example, CITV is exclusive to the Kids program. ITVTV focuses on Regional News and programs, whereas ITV2 broadcasts Adult programs and shows.

Repeat telecasts of ITV dramas are available on ITV3, whereas Sports shows, cult classic films, and Police shows are on ITV4. Lastly, ITVBe is solely for reality and unscripted shows.

You can watch ITV through its official website or download the ITV Hub app. The ITV app is compatible with Amazon Fire T.V., Android T.V., and Chromecast with Google, iOS and Android mobiles/ tablets, and Apple T.V. (Gen3 onwards). However, you may not watch ITV on more than 4 devices simultaneously using the same account.

19) Adult Swim

Adult Swim is an American adult-oriented cable service that carries worth-watching adult content. This streaming platform is famous for its all-time hit animated content like Rick and Morty, Bird Girl, Off the Air, and American Dad.

Talking about the subscription cost of Adult Swim, it is entirely free to stream. However, you can not access it in the U.K. because of licensing restrictions. However, by using the services of ExpressVPN, you can easily connect to the U.S. server and access all Adult Swim content without any geo-restrictions.

Conversely, you can watch Adult Swim without cable by choosing any of these services: Sling T.V., fubo T.V., Hulu Live T.V., and YouTube T.V.

After 9:00 PM E.T., its website constantly broadcasts live, with different blocks of programs. But it’s heavy on repeats because it’s all built for a late-night slot of a larger channel. As a result, adult Swim content contains a lot of aggression and swerving. Some of the scheduled shows have an M rating.

Adult Swim website works on all major devices such as Roku, Apple T.V., iOS, Android, Amazon Fire T.V., Windows, Mac, etc.

20) Starz Play

Starz is an internet streaming platform like Netflix. Starting as a premium cable channel, Starz had a lot of original content on Netflix. However, the two ended their partnership, and the network recently transitioned to streaming and offers movies, T.V. shows, and original content.

Starz is an excellent alternative for people looking to watch something new beyond Netflix and Hulu. It offers most of the exciting library of over 1,500 movies and TV shows, with new episodes being added daily. In addition, the platform generally excels at historical TV shows such as Outlander, Black Flag, and Spartacus.

Starz Play cost as low as £1.99 per month after a free trial for a week. There are no long-term contracts or cancellation fees, so you can cancel Starz play subscription anytime you want.

Besides that, Starz is available as an add-on to other streaming services, including Amazon Prime, Sling T.V., Hulu + Live TV, DirecTV Stream, YouTube TV, and Philo, at different rates.

You can watch Starz Play in UK on a wide range of devices, including iOS and Android devices. Kindle Fire, Roku devices, Android T.V., Apple T.V., Xbox, smart tv. Unfortunately, Starz doesn’t work on any generation of PlayStation consoles, including PS5.

You can share your account and password with an unlimited number of people. However, no more than 4 concurrent streams are supported at a time.
You’ll be happy to know that Starz comes with a robust parental control system to choose what your child can watch with its two parental rating sliders.

How to Choose the Best Streaming Service in the U.K.?