How do you get British TV in France? There are two main routes besides a dish: English-language packs sold by French broadband companies on their own boxes, and a UK-style line-up streamed over your broadband through an IPTV subscription. This article compares the two, adds notes for Brittany, Normandy, the Dordogne and the Côte d'Azur, and says what to check about speed, the clock and the licence question.
In short
- French broadband companies sell English-language packs as add-ons to their own boxes.
- An IPTV subscription is separate from your broadband and works in an app.
- France is one hour ahead of the UK.
- France stopped collecting its television licence fee in 2022.
The routes compared
| English pack on a French box | IPTV subscription | Satellite dish | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Who sells it | Your broadband company | A separate seller | An installer and a provider |
| Tied to | The box and your contract | A log-in and an app | The dish and a receiver |
| What you get | A bundle of English-language channels | A line-up described by the seller | Free-to-air and any subscription |
| Weak points | Contract terms, limited choice | Line quality, seller's support | Dish size, weather |
| Cost shape | Monthly add-on | One-off plan | Installation plus any subscription |
English packs on French boxes
Orange, Free, SFR and Bouygues each offer, or have offered, packages of English-language channels as paid options on their boxes. They are subscriptions to the broadband company, usually with their own term and cancellation rules, and the line-up is chosen by the company. If you are happy with the choice and want everything on one bill, they are simple. If you want to move provider, you lose the pack. Check the term, the price after any introductory period and how cancellation works.
UK channels over broadband
An IPTV subscription is a log-in you enter in an app. It does not depend on which broadband company you use, and it follows you to another house. British IPTV resells other providers' streams, which come from servers it does not run, and the plan page describes what each plan covers. The British IPTV in France page has the specifics.
Regional notes
Brittany and Normandy. Fibre is spreading, but many villages still rely on ADSL or a 4G home router. Test the speed before you order.
The Dordogne and rural south-west. Properties are often far from the exchange. If your line is slow, a mobile router in a good signal spot may do better, and a dish remains an option.
The Côte d'Azur. Fibre is common in the towns, while flats in older buildings may have limited options. Check with the building manager before you plan a dish.
Speed
One Full HD stream needs roughly 10 Mbps, and a 4K stream 25 Mbps. A weak ADSL line can carry one stream and not two. The table in broadband speed for IPTV lets you do the sum, and a cable to the TV helps.
The clock
France is one hour ahead of the UK. Set the app's time zone to French time so that the guide matches your wall clock. For you in France, support is therefore open from 10 am to 3 am.
Is there a TV licence in France?
The charge that used to be collected with the housing tax stopped in 2022, so there is no French television licence fee to pay at present. Rules change, so confirm the current position locally. The UK TV Licence is about live viewing inside the UK, as Is IPTV legal in the UK? explains.
Paying from France
Everything is priced in pounds, so your French bank handles the conversion; paying for IPTV from abroad covers declines and fees. If you live in France, ask on WhatsApp before you buy whether your order can be accepted.
Questions to ask before you choose
- What is the total cost over twelve months, including any set-up?
- Can I leave, and what does leaving cost?
- What happens if my line is slow?
- Who do I call, and in which hours and which language?
- Who is the seller, and can I find an address?
Second homes and holiday lets
Many British owners in France use a house for a few months a year. A plan you pay for by the period, with nothing that renews while the house is empty, suits that pattern better than a contract that bills every month. A French broadband contract can be harder to suspend, so ask about the terms before you commit, and think about what happens to the English pack if you cancel the line.
French digital terrestrial
French digital terrestrial television is free to receive with an aerial and covers French-language channels. It is a different thing from the routes above, and it carries no UK channels. If you want British programmes, you need one of the routes in this article or in UK TV abroad.
Language and contracts
French contracts are in French, and cancellation rules can differ from the UK's. If you take an English pack from a French broadband company, ask for the terms in writing, check the length of the commitment and make a note of the date you can leave. With an app-based service, the terms are online and in English, and the plan ends on its own, which suits people who do not want another French contract.
Where to start
Read the France page, see the four routes in UK TV abroad, and compare plans on the plans page.