Is it legal to watch sky in spain ?

Question

Hi - is it legal to watch sky digital free to air channels if you are in spain?

Answer 1

it can be legal or illegal. depends who you get the box and subscription from.

Answer 2

You are confusing the company Sky with the companies who broadcast the programmes.

You can watch any free to air channels in any country

Answer 3

If it isn't.A lot of bars are breaking the law.

Answer 4

Strictly it is not legal as broadcasters like BBC and ITV only have a licence to broadcast within the UK. Practically Sky don't give a d**n especially if they are getting money out of you. The only thing you do not do is ring them up and tell them you are calling from Spain! Get any enquiries, activations etc done through someone in the UK.

Answer 5

Who knows, but if that's what you've done (or intend to do and it's successful) then well done.

No one is going to catch you here and in the unlikely event that they do, then you won't be prosecuted.

I actually watch UK tv in Spain on my laptop with Slingbox.  There is no subscription and it's perfectly legal.  No need to for a dish, you just need to put it in someone's house in the UK who has internet.

http://uk.slingmedia.com/  

Answer 6

It is not illegal to watch SKY on free view, 2 days ago I had a new digi box, my old one was cutting out due to a fault in the box, this cost me 250 euros.

I was cut off several years ago for  being "found out" as watching from abroad, BUT as other writers have made clear  it is illegal supposedly to receive Sky TV on subscription abroad, but I should imagine here in the costa del sol, there must be upwards of a million dishes, in hotels/bars/restaurants/apartment block all receiving SKY, I can't understand after all these years they don't make it legal, let us pay and be the end of all the hassle.............best of luck t those who never get pinched for watching from abroad, I just had bad luck to get caught, how is what beats me, but that is another story........

Answer 7

Watch it as you like, it's completely legal. Or would you call a billion expats in the country that do it every day to be illegal subjects? ;-)

Answer 8

I understand it is actually illegal but sky have not really flexed their muscles yet but there have been reports of local government doing something about it, i suppose its a risk millions are taking hey and why not, as everything there is really slow and not that thorough.

Answer 9

They have it in the hotels so it must be.

Answer 10

Why would you want to come to Spain and watch TV. There is so much more to do than wasting your time in front of the box. I just watched Man Utd vs Newcastle live on free Spanish TV, that's it for this week, I'm off to the pool.

Answer 11

The problem with Sky is that they don't buy the rights for movies and programmes for countries other than UK and ROI.

The free to air channels are OK to watch - and it is not the viewer that is breaking the law anyway, it's the broadcaster who allows the programme to be seen overseas.

Don't worry too much about it.

Answer 12

Only when the stars are out.