Many people are confused about whether they can receive free UK television in Spain.
The subject of what UK channels you can receive is something we are always being asked.
Terms such as free UK television in Spain, Freeview and Freesat are always cropping up so we ask expert satellite installer Jon Worby to explain it to you.
Confusion About Free UK Television in Spain
Many people, including satellite installers in Spain, get confused about Freeview and Freesat.
If satellite TV installers are unable to get their terminology correct, then no wonder British expats on the Costa’s in Spain are getting more and more confused about how to receive UK TV in Spain.
As British expats move to the warm coastal areas of southern Spain in the Mediterranean, they find it frustrating that they are not able to watch the UK television programmes such as BBC1, BBC2, ITV1, Channel 4 and Channel 5, or the other 100 plus other UK TV channels, including Sports, movies and news, that are available to view for free.
Although they try to watch local Spanish television channels, some feel the quality of programmes on Spanish TV is not that good as UK TV, they do not show many popular UK TV programmes like Coronation Street or Eastenders.
Not all programmes are available in English, (although the switch to Digital Terrestrial Television – TDT – has meant a lot more UK and USA imported programmes are available in English.)
Freeview in Spain
Freeview is a free digital TV package that is available to people living in the UK.
It is not, like many people say, available outside the UK especially Spain.
You cannot receive Freeview in Spain.
Freeview is a UK only digital television system that is transmitted from the land based television transmitter masts, like Emley Moor and Crystal Palace.
The signals from these terrestrial transmitters are not strong enough to reach Spain.
Many UK TV channels are available on “free to air” satellite systems. British expats around Europe can watch their favourite UK TV channels for free via free to air satellite in Spain.
Free to air means that there is no monthly subscription to pay, unlike the pay TV channels offered on satellite packages offered by Sky TV.
Freesat in Spain
Freesat is the name of a brand of satellite receivers designed to receive these free to air UK satellite television channels.
You can also use a Sky digibox or any other digital satellite receiver to receive the free to air signals.
A Sky digibox without a viewing card will still be able to receive BBC and ITV channels, and all the channels a Freesat receiver can receive.
You can receive many of the UK free to air TV channels by installing a small satellite dish and a digital satellite set top box.
However, due to the frequencies used, the main UK TV channels such as BBC and ITV may not be available on these small satellite dishes, and therefore much larger satellite dishes will be required, from 1.8m to 2.4m.
Spain does have its own version of Freeview, called Television Digital Terrestrial – TDT.
Using a TDT set top box, you are able to receive around 30 digital Spanish television channels via your TV aerial on your roof.
The digital aspect allows a much clearer picture than the old analogue TV system, and has the option to change the Spanish dubbing soundtrack on UK and USA imported programmes into the original version.
It should also be noted that some UK “Freeview” set top boxes do not work in Spain correctly, as they are programmed for the UK TV service and not the TDT service.
So if an installer says that they are able to install a UK Freeview television system for you in Spain, ask them a few questions. As Freeview is a service received by a TV aerial, then why are they installing a satellite dish?
Will you able to receive all the UK Freeview channels, like “Dave” and Sky Sports News, for free on their system, as many channels available for free on Freeview are in fact subscription only on satellite.
Remember You cannot receive Freeview in Spain!
Important Changes to Satellite TV
Given the changes to the Astra2 fleet this summer, you can still use dishes in the Costa del Sol but they now have to be at least 3.5m which is not practical for most people.
The second of three new UK TV satellites is expected to be operational in September 2013. Until the satellite is up and running and transmitting, no-one can know exactly what size satellite dish will be required to receive its transmissions in Spain, so any comments on its reception is purely speculation.
Although you may use the first new satellite, 2F, as a benchmark, there is no way of knowing if 2e will be exactly the same, or have exactly the same reception in Spain until it is operational.
As someone said to me even identical twins are not 100% identical… But we will have to wait until around September 2013, when the BBC ITV C4s are expected to move to 2E, the second new satellite to know for sure.
Yes the Costa Blanca (Alicante / Valencia) are has been “lucky” and not noticed any drop in reception from the first new satellite…in fact I and some caravanners are still getting the channel that moved in December on an 80cm dish in some areas!) but is this by designed, damage to the reflectors, or luck?
And you will NOT lose ALL channels, as many UK channels are on a “pan European” beam, and some on a satellite not operated by Astra. Internet TV may be an option for people who do not want “big dishes” (in Greece and Cyprus they have been using 4m dishes for the last 10 years!) , but it certainly cannot beat the quality of a direct from satellite system.
For more information contact Jon Worby via https://www.satandpcguy.com/ – who has been installing and maintaining digital satellite and TV systems on the Costa Blanca for many years.
SimplyUKTV – UK TV in Spain, IPTV
Business Address: 69 Avenida Del Prado, Nueva Andalucia, Marbella, 29660
Email: henry@simplyuktv.com
Telephone: +34 604400373
Other Towns or Areas You Cover or Service: Whole of Spain
Type of Business: Watch UK TV in Spain, IPTV
Best Features:
Simplest setup for non technical users
Works likes normal TV
14 Day catchup
All popular channels BBC, ITV, C4 etc
4221 Box Office Movies
1464 Box sets to Binge Watch
Very High and consistant Quality
Completely Legal
12 years in Business
Main Description:
How to watch British TV in Spain
SimplyUKTV is the best alternative to iPlayer, ITVx and other UK free to air streaming services that are blocked in Spain.
We offer 122 Popular UK TV channels including BBC, ITV and Channel 4, as well as the hugely popular Dave.
SimplyUKTV is very easy to set up and use.
It works just like your normal TV channel listings you don’t need to switch between multiple apps to find the programme you want
SimplyUKTV is a much better solution to watching UK TV in Spain than VPNs which are often too slow to provide a high quality picture and often get blocked by the providers.
We can’t be blocked because we’re completely legal and have been in business for 12 years so have great relationships with all the major broadcasters.
Most Popular Related Reading…
PaddyG says
We bought Amazon Firesticks in the uk (one for each TV) and brought them out to Spain.
We pay and annual subscription to Express VPN for unlimited devices (£60 ish)
We then downloaded the Express VPN ass to the Firestick and set our location to UK.
We can then watch iPlayer ITVX etc. We also get the UK version of Netflix as well.
Happy days!
Rosemarie siwek says
We have cable TV with OLE
But it is not always very good
Sometimes subtitles do not appear
Also “service not available.???
What is the best provider.
I am used to Swisscom and they are always ok???
Why is this not possible in spain?
We are not in the middle ages
Richard says
We’re a UK-based satellite company and we can offer you the new Official Sky Streaming service from the UK to any address globally. All you need to do is plug into any TV, using a VPN, which can be supplied, and play over WiFi.
We offer two options:
1. One-off fee starting from £120. This service is managed by you and all account details are supplied to enable this.
2. Fully managed account. Prices on request. (We will not be beaten on price)
Sky Stream includes Sky Entertainment alongside Netflix originals and unmissable shows not on Freeview. Add Sports, Cinema, Kids. No dish. And no need for an engineer. It’s Sky TV streamed over WiFi.
For more information, reply to this email or contact Chigwell Satellite on +44 0203 667 3565
Kind regards
Richard
Liam Clancy says
PZAZ app, also called TV Mucho – you can watch perfect reception on your laptop, tablet or phone. It has around 100 channels including all UK, Irish and French free-to-air. I have been using it for over a year and its excellent. It costs about Euro 70 per year. You can also take more channels at higher cost. It currently does not include Sky. You do have BBC, Channel 4, Virgin and Film 4. Also RTE.
I have used the app while travelling all over Spain, Cyprus and Ireland. This app actually works. You do need reasonably good wifi for the best reception. But it works using mobile data on your phone also.
Kev says
You can use the internet + vpn ( to spoof or pretend to be in UK ) with either your smart tv or fire stick or computer together with the BBC iPlayer application . You can get all the BC channels.
Cathy says
Hi. How and what is a vpn….I have a fire stick finding it hard to get free uk tv…
I am in Costa Brava have small dish but only get sky news…
Any help would be good
Thankyou
Cathy
tom hersey says
I use tvmucho to wathc uk tv in Spain, they have all of the big channels and its exactly what I needed. You can cast the channels to your tv a well. You can sign up for 1 free hour a day and the paid plans have a fair price as well imo. https://tvmucho.com/
Michael Gare-Simmons says
I have been here for 23 years and bit by bit UK satellite television channels have been cut. When the BBC decided to cut their signals from reaching many parts of Europe because they were not getting any licence fees from Expats, the other channels had to follow. However, I petitioned the European Court of Justice as their actions were contravening the EU Directive 89/522/EEC “Television without frontiers” later modified to “The Audiovisual Media Service”. My petition was put before the full council but we still do not get UK television outside the UK and the UK television companies are not observing the EU laws on that directive.
JW says
That is because the directive you mention has nothing to do with allowing Expats their own countries TV, if you actually read it! “Television without frontiers” directive is not as the title sounds. It is to do with harmonising TV production and transmissions across the EU, such as standardising the timelimits on advertising, standardising rules on violence on TV, or children TV, which the UK broadcasters are following. It contains nothing at all about allowing UK expats their own UK TV (it does mention that member states cannot block signals from other member states, but then Spain is not blocking UK TV signals!) which is probably why your petition was probably rejected!
LIAM says
Hi Michael, see my post above. Try PZAZ app. You will have over a hundred channels with excellent picture quality. Liam
Vic Rivas says
Hi we are in valencia and would like to install UK channels here in Spain.
Who can help us over here?.
Thanks
Vic
Carol Verity says
Hi, Vic!
Did you have any success? I am very confused and cannot get any reliable information. I would appreciate any advice you can give, have you now managed to get UK channels? I am based in Murcia Provence, just down from you.
Best wishes,
Carol
Phoebe says
Hi, I am based in Almeria and I have a box that works through the internet with all the English channels, plus loads of the latest movies and series.
John Irwin says
It would be very useful if you could let us know the details of how to obtain all the UK channels. I hope you can let others know!
Greg says
Hi Phoebe,
What kind of box is it and where did you get it.
Many thanks.
Greg.
B. Tomlin says
I have Sky TV in France and my Sky Box has packed in. Can I buy a digital TVtop box here in France and use this to pick up Sky or does it have to be Sky or free sat box?
satandpcguy says
If you want to watch the Sky pay channels, then you will need a SKy digibox for use with your sky viewing card.
If you only want to watch the free UK TV channels, then a Freesat box, a Sky box or any other “free to air” satellite receiver will do
satandpcguy says
What TV do you want to watch?
Spanish TV is available via a TV aerial (the Spanish equivalent of the UK Freeview service. And no need for a separate box as these days most TVs have the receivers built in. You will only receive Spanish channels, but if they show a UK or USA import then you can in most cases change from the dubbed Spanish audio, to the original English audio with just a press of a button on your TV remote.
Things get tricky in that are for UK TV…you will need either a very large (like 3 or 4m!) satellite dish for the free UK TV channels like BBC ITV, a smaller (125cm) dish for most of the Sky pay channels, or look for an internet based system (a paid IPTV Mag box service), or see if there is a local “rebroadcaster” in the area.
k w foxall says
Hello. I have just bought a place in Torremolinos and looking for the best device to buy to watch TV. I like the idea that you can switch of the dubbing in certain TV box. Can any one recommend me a TV box. Thank you. Or the best way to get TV.
Karen Hall says
Any ideas about linking an ariel system to a boat or should I just rely on the internet?
satandpcguy says
“arial system” – do you mean a TV aerial or a satellite dish system?
Do you intent to use it when out at sea (in which case you will need a very good stabilising gyroscopic system), or when at port (in which case the aerial and dish can be installed on the land?)
Vicky gent says
Hi I have a sky box and a big dish which worked for years and now it doesn’t it just says no signal. I’ve been told that the satellite has moved. Would a free sat work or do I need Wifi? I’m only out about 2 weeks of the year so don’t really want to pay a subscription, can you help?
satandpcguy says
Vicky,
No satellites have “moved” for the last few years.
If your Sky box is not getting a signal for channel like BBC ITV, etc then a Freesat box will also not get a signal – Sky and Freesat boxes use the same satellites and same signals.
Your “no signal” could be down to a number of things : the dish has moved, the LNB has failed, there are insects or debris inside the LNB, cable connections are poor, cable has split and let in water, or yes, finally you sky box has gone.
No point getting a tv via intenet if your dish set up just needs a bit of TCL…
jason conlon says
hi i have an apartment in benalmedina across from the casino. i have a freesat box but need a satalite dish supplied and fitted aneone know of somewhere that could do this for me and an approx cost thanks
Pete bignell says
I have sky in Mallorca and works perfectly,a and records through two lines, if I bought the sky free sat would this work and record.
satandpcguy says
Sky and Freesat are two separate systems.
A Sky digibox can receive the free channels even without a Sky viewing card.
A Sky digibox can receive the subscription free, but encrypted channels using a non subscription “free to view” “Freesat From Sky” viewing card.
A Sky digibox can receive the Sky Pay channels with a Sky subscription viewing card.
A Freesat box is designed purely for the free UK TV channels, and has no ability to use a Sky card.
Sky do operate a few free channels : Sky News, Pick and Challenge…. which are available on Freesat
To record on a Sky digibox you need a Sky subscription.
On a Freesat+HD box, you can record the free uk tv channels without any subscription
Steve H says
Have a house just above Benalmadena and it had a dish on the terrace and a sky box which picked up Sky News and about 15 other random channels, I have moved the dish over to anothe side from the terrace as it was an eyesore. I intend on setting it up over there. How technical would it be getting the direction right as I know the direction it was pointing etc. Also I have brought another box over from the uk, do I have to change any settings ?? many thanks. Sky news is all I really want.
P.S just bought a “Smart Telly” is it possible to plug straight into this instead of the sky box ? thanks
satandpcguy says
Sky News is on the European beam of the UK TV satellites, and should be fairly easy to pick up.
I doubt you can align it without some sort of meter – even a basic “beeper” should be better than no meter.
But you could always try a phoneapp like dishpointer.com to get close to where you need to align to…
Once the dish is on the UK TV satellite, then the box you have from the UK should work fine… if a sky box, plug in and go, a freesat box then plug in and follow on screen instructions. Other boxes you will have to perform a channel scan using the receives menu system
Louise Millard says
We have a house in Jimena de la Frontera and will be moving to live there early next year. We currently have a very large satellite dish which only receives Sky News and Pick TV. Can we re align the dish and get a new box? What is the best option to receive UK TV freesat channels please. We are there again at the end of October and would really like to get it sorted out then.
Thanks
Racheal says
Hi, I currently use a mag 250 box and subscribe to expat vision which can be paid monthly (but I got a very good discount from them when I signed up for annual payment) Its been over a year now that Ive been with them, and have no issues with receiving my Uk tv which has over 200 channels, also a video library with over 800 films to watch at no extra cost plus box sets and radio! I couldn’t be without my mag box and highly recommend them for easy use! it really is like having sky again, but better because its so much cheaper! I also got the box from the expat vision website.
John Hutcheson says
Is there much fibre work out there as I’m looking at doing a full fibre course with in the next few months to add to my satellite/cable TV work.
satandpcguy says
garethemery : A Sky card will work in most sky boxes for the “non premium” channels.
For the premium channels, like Sky sports, sky movies and sky hd channels, then the card HAS to be paired to the sky box.
Also note that some sky pay channels are on the same UK beam as the “terrestrial” channels, so may also not be available to you.
garethemery says
I have an old sky box in Spain which gives me sky news but not a lot else.
I pay a monthly subscription to Sky in UK but if I take that card down to Spain and insert my paid sky card in the old box down there will I be able to get the various channels I get in UK such as sky sports and sky movies even if I cannot get the terrestrial channels? Does anyone know? I am also looking for a good internet provider and am told that in Mijas Pueblo there is still no fibre optic broadband yet but I need a reliable provider with at lease a 5 mg supply? Can anyone help?
John Hutcheson says
Hi I currently work as a sky engineer and have done for the last 15 years and I’m looking at moving to Spain and I’m looking for company’s that might be looking for a installer/engineer. If anybody knows of any contacts please let me know.
Regards,
John
Peter says
John
you would make sufficient money being self employed here in Spain..
there is no decent Sky engineers only those that swop boxes and charge a fortune for it.
Spain is still far behind the UK with TV and Internet and they are in needs of good honest engineers..
they are just fitting Fibre and I know of a few English people who are helping do this..
work for your self,, make some money.. well you will if you are registered as legal and an honest engineer that does not try to rip expats..
good luck..
if you need somewhere to live, I know of a nice 2 bedroom place in Carihuela going for 6000 euro a year..
regards
Peter
Mark Austin says
I still get good UK TV from Sky because I am in Galicia with a large parabola. If you are less fortunate, I really recommend that you get a fully loaded Android TV box off eBay (about 50 GBP delivered), connect this to the Internet and use FilmOn (there are several other flavours but are all basically the same thing and it is FREE). It may take you some time to work it all out, but try, trust me. If you get buffering (that is peak viewing and Internet time), switch from HD to non-HD mode. I caution strongly against buying the MAG box “service” offered by Europa Telecom as they will charge you for their expensive catch up service whether you want it or not (if you do not take it, you get a really limited number of channels).
joan salat says
hello sir ,i am anglophile that likes to wach british tv. i do live in lleida just outside and iam interested in getting one freesat box. could you help me to get me to the right direction in orther to get one since my sky box is playing up.tanks
Simon says
All, an alternative with your PC, MAC, IOS and Android devices is halovpn.com
This allows you to connect your device via UK services and therefore gain access to all UK content such as BBC Iplayer, ITV, BT SPort etc
patricia van breemen says
This may sound “sad” but we are contemplating retiring to Nerja and to be honest I do not think I can spend my retirement evenings without my English t.v.. Do you think there will be ways around this when everything changes? Thank you.
James Gold Marbella says
I just purchased IPTV box from mrskytv it is a freesat box and iptv box so we have now got CH5 back and Mrs Gold is happy, this box has no monthly fees and is 1080p HD picture, I have also connected my pc to the box over home router so I can stream movies on to the TV when the Mrs allows. Was easy to set up although I had to get a extra long cat5 cable from router to back of tv so the box is there. It looks just like a normal sat-box but allows you to connect to internet to watch itv bbc etc and there are also plug ins that can be added, am now able to watch the box on my laptop in the shed am now thinking about a better router and possibly upgrading the tv to one of these Samsung smart tv’s that myself & mrs gold looked at today in carrefour. I dealt with Jason Harding thumbs up from us.
satandpcguy says
John Hopwood: True, some different makes and model of boxes perform better than others, but unless the Sky box is damaged, then it should receive the same channels as a Freesat box, since Sky boxes and Freesat boxes use the same frequencies for the channels they carry.
Until the channels moved from 1N to 2E, which is expected to be late August / September, no-one can say for sure what sized dish will be needed to receive the channels on the new satellite, or what sized dishes will work and will not work in areas of Spain. And no two satellites are exactly the same.
MRSKYTV says
It looks like a 3.1 dish may not be big enough on Costa del Sol, there is even talk of a 5M dish being required. Costa Blanca will not be affected and 1.4 Famaval dish will be fine.
John Hopwood says
I have two places on the Costa del Sol. One has a 2 mtr dish and receives ok through a Sky box, although I anticipate losing channels when the new transponder is in operation.
The second home has a 1.25 dish and this would not receive with a Sky box, but receives quite well with a Freesat box. I was told that the reason for this is that the Freesat receiver is a lot more powerful that a Sky box. If this is the case, is it likely that a Freeview Box with a 2 metre dish will possibly receive a decent signal when the transponder changes?
satandpcguy says
Flo: A sky box, even with no sky card, will receive the same channels as a Freesat box. They use the same signals for their channels, so the chances are that if you do not get a channel on the Sky box, you will not get it on a freesat box. However, saying that, there are some really poor sky boxes around.
John Powell says
I just moved to a new finca and got myself an iptv box from a company on the costa del sol called UKEXPATTV.COM (A neighbour put me in touch and this has saved me installing a dish for just a few weeks viewing)
I now get all the free to air channels and they have a catchup service where I can view the last 14 days of programs. For me all of this is better than my old satellite dish.
Worth Checking Out – Regards from Coin
Flo says
Thnsks interesting reading I’m heading down there at the end of the month to mijas costa, our apartment has a big sat on the roof so I’m interested to see the programe we have left, I have a old skybox down there? However I was thinking of taking a freesat box if that was an advantage?
Is anyone else in the mijas costa area having problems?
Graham Collins says
We have been told that there will be no Sky Freesat on the Costa Del Sol after March 2013, is this true.
RaulPat says
Hi, I’m curious to know if there are any British TV package/bundles offered by Spanish companies or if they are even starting to consider offering such services.
Thanks
freeviewspain says
Alan on another note, try a different post code on your Freesat receiver as not all ITV1 regions have moved.
freeviewspain says
Alan, this is not correct. The Costa Blanca area is still receiving Channel 5 on dishes as small as 1.1m. It appears the further west we go the weaker the signal. This used to be the opposite with Astra 2D, However the new satellite Astra 2F appears to have a different footprint, and some areas of Spain have gained, whilst others are significantly worse off! Most BBC and ITV channels will remain as they are until the 2nd quarter of 2013 as they are due to move to Astra 2E.
Alan in Aguadulce (Seville Province) says
6th December 2012.
Happy Christmas, I have been informed by Free Sat installers that Free to Air Uk English Language TV will not be available in Spain from 16th December due to the reduction of the digital footprint of the new F2 Satellite, which takes over from Satellite F1 which had a large footprint. ( Much technical data.)
I have a FreeSat box and a Sky Box and have been wired up from a very large Dish. However, I have lost channel 5 and all of it’s related channels and ITV 1 on the Free Sat box in the past few days.
What is the latest info about this or is it just a hoax. If it is not is it another way to scam money out of expats who have invested a great deal of money in the past? More importantly why has none of this information been passed on through the ex-pat Press.
andrea jay says
it seems so, Channel 5 has gone and 22nd seems to be cut off date for moe and bbc channels later in the year 2013
MRSKYTV says
Hi Debra
All you need is a satellite dish and suitable receiver to get FREE UK TV there are no monthly fee’s once you have your own dish. If you have SKY TV in the UK why not bring your UK SKY card on Holiday with you.
MRSKYTV
+34 618 585 051
debra youngs says
Hi is there anyway I can get English channels on TV in Spain and just pay for what I use when there as only there for holidays thanks Debra