Short answer: the easiest way to get TV in several rooms is to give each TV its own apps — a smart TV or a streaming stick — and use services that allow multiple streams. Check how many screens each subscription allows at once.
Multi-room options
| Option | How it works | Good for |
|---|---|---|
| Smart TVs in each room | Each TV runs its own apps | Newer TVs |
| Streaming sticks | Add Fire TV, Roku or Google TV to older TVs | Low cost |
| Freeview in each room | Aerial cabling to each TV | Live channels |
| Pay-TV multiroom | Extra boxes from Sky or Virgin | Existing customers |
To add apps to an older TV, see our guides to the Fire TV Stick, Roku and Google TV Streamer.
If a room has no aerial socket, Freely may help, but only with compatible equipment. Freely says its service streams live TV over Wi-Fi with no aerial needed on Freely-enabled TVs, and that a TV without Freely built in needs a Freely streaming device. Freely also says you need broadband of at least 10 Mbps. See our Freely TV guide, or compare all three options in Freeview vs Freesat vs streaming.
Check your streams and broadband
- Subscriptions limit simultaneous streams by plan.
- Add up broadband needs — see speed guide.
- Use mesh Wi-Fi or Ethernet for distant rooms.
For example, Netflix’s help pages say its Standard with adverts and Standard plans let you watch on 2 supported devices at a time, and its Premium plan on 4. Netflix plans, terms and limits can vary by country and change over time, so check Netflix’s current UK plan details before you rely on several rooms watching at once. Other services set their own limits, so check each one. If streams keep stopping when more than one TV is in use, work through our smart TV buffering fixes.
Already paying for Sky or Virgin Media multiroom? Compare your options in smart TV vs Sky and Virgin Media.
FAQ
Do I need a TV licence for each TV?
One licence normally covers all TVs in a single household at one address.
TV Licensing says you only need one TV Licence per household, even if you use more than one device. Shared homes can be different. TV Licensing says housemates on a joint tenancy agreement need only one licence, but if you have a separate tenancy agreement and watch TV in your room, you need your own. TV Licensing’s guidance for tenants and lodgers also says a lodger is covered by the homeowner’s licence only if they have a relationship with the homeowner, such as a family member, and live in the same building, and that someone living in self-contained accommodation, such as a separate flat or annex, needs their own separate licence. The rules depend on your circumstances, so check that official guidance on the TV Licensing website before deciding.