If you are one of the many outside the UK who are unable to receive the BBC, ITV, Channel 4 and Channel 5 via satellite, then there are still some options that will allow you to watch for free worldwide.
Listed below, are some options to help you view and listen for free. If you know any other good sites or apps, drop me a line.
Remember that these are free services, most are supported by advertising and picture quality is not HD.
UK Radio Online
There are many ways to listen to BBC and commercial UK radio worldwide for free. On your computer, phone or tablet, there are many free options available You could also invest in a Wi-Fi (Internet) radio. I have one of these in my kitchen, where I listen to about 80% of my radio. I rarely listen via satellite.
BBC Radio
All the BBC’s radio channels are available for free on BBC iPlayer, also to listeners overseas.
There are BBC iPlayer apps available for Android, Apple iOS and Windows Phones. There are also numerous free radio apps available for Android that offer BBC radio stations.
The BBC have changed the way they provide radio streams. This change is part of a wider project for a new way of delivering online radio from source to the products that users consume, known as Audio Factory.
Audio Factory was designed to keep BBC services available, make them more resilient and ensure a consistent experience.
All BBC services are now available in HLS and HDS using the AAC codec.
Website: www.bbc.co.uk/radio/
Radioplayer
Radioplayer is a free service offering both BBC and commercial radio stations. A few commercial stations may be blocked, not the BBC. Listen to live radio, or browse our catch-up programmes, including hundreds of podcasts from the BBC iPlayer.
Radioplayer has everything from news and sport – to pop, rock, indie, dance, jazz, soul, and classical. It’s perfect for listening to football, cricket, tennis, and F1 at the weekend.
Radioplayer is a not for profit company founded by the BBC, Global Radio, Guardian Media Group, Absolute Radio and RadioCentre to serve radio and its audiences by making listening easy.
Apps are available for Android, Apple iOS, Windows Phone & Kindle Fire Website: http://www.radioplayer.co.uk
British TV Online
This is a bit more of a challenge, all the official sites, the BBC, ITV, Channel 4, have to restrict their live TV streams to the UK. So unless you use a Virtual Private Network (VPN), you will not be able to watch their channels through their sites. That said, there are some free options out there, the picture quality is not perfect, though you can still watch Corrie, EastEnders or the BBC News. Please remember, these services are free, some contain ads and picture quality is not HD.
