American Channels in the UK

Sport is usually the reason households look for American channels in the first place: NFL including RedZone, NBA, MLB, NHL and college football. British broadcasters show almost none of it, and where they do show a fixture it is with English commentary rather than the coverage people actually want.

The traditional route to American television in Britain is a satellite dish aligned to a European satellite. That rules out most flats, most rented properties and every new-build with a covenant against dishes — which is the majority of housing in the areas where these communities actually live: London, Cambridge, Oxford and Edinburgh.

Streaming over broadband removes the problem entirely. Nothing is fixed to the building, nothing needs permission, and the same subscription works if you move.