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Court-ordered blocking
Section 97A of the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988 lets the High Court order internet service providers to block access to services that infringe copyright. Since 2017, the Premier League has obtained "live blocking orders" each season, and other rights holders have followed with orders of their own.
The orders are aimed at the largest UK broadband providers, including Sky, BT and EE, Virgin Media and TalkTalk, which together serve most UK homes.
How live blocking works
- Rights holders monitor live events and identify the servers streaming them without permission.
- Those server addresses are passed to the broadband providers covered by the order.
- The providers block the servers, often only while the event is live.
- Lists are updated continuously, so blocks follow servers that move.
Why a licensed service is not affected
Blocking targets servers identified as streaming infringing content. A licensed service has the rights to what it shows, so it is not the target of these orders. If a service regularly stops at kick-off on one broadband provider but works on mobile data, that pattern strongly suggests it is being blocked as an unlicensed source.
If you think a legitimate service is blocked
Mistakes are possible. Contact the service and your broadband provider with details of what is blocked and when. Court orders include safeguards so that wrongly blocked services can be removed from the lists.
Frequently asked questions
Does Virgin Media block IPTV?
Virgin Media, like the other large UK broadband providers, blocks servers named in High Court orders as streaming infringing content. It does not block licensed IPTV services.
Is it legal for my ISP to block IPTV?
Yes. The blocks are carried out under court orders made under UK copyright law.
Why does my IPTV stop during football matches?
Live blocking orders target unlicensed streams during matches. A service that regularly fails at kick-off is very likely unlicensed.
