Is King of Stream Legal?

The short answer

IPTV itself is completely legal in the UK. It is simply a way of delivering TV over the internet, and many of the UK's biggest broadcasters use it. Whether a particular IPTV subscription is legal depends on one thing: whether the provider has the rights to distribute the channels and programmes it streams.

This page explains how UK law treats IPTV, what King of Stream does to act responsibly, and how you can check any provider, including us, before you pay.

How UK law treats IPTV

IPTV technology is legal

Internet Protocol Television is a delivery method, in the same way that satellite, cable and aerial TV are. Broadcasters' own streaming apps and many pay TV services already deliver their channels this way.

Distribution rights are what matter

TV channels, films and sport are protected by copyright. Under the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988, only the rights holder, or someone they have licensed, can stream that content to the public. A provider that streams channels without permission infringes copyright, and selling access to unlicensed streams has led to criminal prosecutions and prison sentences in the UK.

What it means for viewers

Prosecutions in the UK have focused on the people who sell and supply unlicensed streams. Viewers who knowingly use them can still be acting unlawfully, may lose what they paid when a service is shut down, and risk handing payment details to unregulated sellers. That is why it is worth checking a provider before you subscribe.

The TV Licence still applies

Whichever service you use, TV Licensing says you need a TV Licence to watch or record programmes as they are shown live, on any channel and on any device, and to use BBC iPlayer.

What King of Stream does to act responsibly

• We publish our full Terms and Conditions, Privacy Policy and Refund Policy.
• We act on valid copyright complaints and remove infringing material promptly.
• We end the accounts of customers who resell, share or rebroadcast our service.
• Every plan has a 7-day money-back guarantee, and plans never renew automatically.
• You can reach a real person at supports@kingofstream.co.uk.

Rights holders can report content through our DMCA and copyright procedure.

How to check whether an IPTV provider is legitimate

Before you pay any IPTV provider, look for these signs:

• A named company with contact details and published terms
• A clear answer when you ask how it holds the rights to its channels
• Prices in pounds and payment methods that give you protection, such as a debit or credit card
• A refund policy you can read before you buy

Be wary of any service that cannot say who runs it, only takes gift cards, cryptocurrency or bank transfers to a personal account, or promises every channel in the world for a few pounds a month.