For many years, yacht and boat owners who wanted UK television relied on satellite dishes and complex marine installations. Today, that approach is being replaced by internet-based solutions, helped by faster onboard connectivity and the widespread use of Starlink at sea.
At Stream UK TV Abroad, we work with yacht owners worldwide who want a simple and reliable way to watch British TV while cruising. Two modern options are now commonly considered: Freely and Sky Stream.
Both are a clear improvement over traditional satellite TV, but for most yachts and boats, Freely remains the better overall choice.
Traditional satellite TV systems were never designed for a mobile, global cruising lifestyle. On yachts and boats they bring ongoing issues:
As onboard internet has improved, satellite TV has become unnecessary for most cruising setups.
Starlink has transformed internet access at sea and is now widely used on:
With fast and stable internet available in most locations, internet-based TV platforms such as Freely and Sky Stream are now practical alternatives to satellite TV.
Sky Stream delivers Sky channels over the internet rather than via a satellite dish. For yacht owners, this already offers advantages over traditional satellite TV:
However, Sky Stream still has limitations for a cruising lifestyle.
While Sky Stream removes the satellite dish, it remains a paid Sky platform that does not suit all yacht owners:
That said, Sky Stream can still be a useful option for some owners.
If you already have a Sky Stream box onboard, our VPN routers work with that as well. Once connected through a UK residential IP, Sky Stream behaves as it would in the UK, allowing you to keep using existing Sky equipment alongside Freely if you choose. This gives flexibility rather than forcing you into a single platform.
Freely is based on free-to-air UK television, delivered entirely over the internet.
With Freely you get:
For long-term cruising and changing locations, Freely offers greater flexibility.
By default, Freely only works inside the UK. Like other UK streaming services, it checks your IP address to confirm your location.
This is where many yacht owners run into problems. VPN apps cannot be installed on many Freely devices and are often blocked by UK streaming services.
At Stream UK TV Abroad, we solve this by supplying pre-configured VPN routers that use genuine UK residential IP addresses. These make your onboard internet connection appear exactly like a normal UK home broadband line.
Once connected, Freely works worldwide, including over Starlink.
Freely does not lock you into a single platform.
If you want Sky content, you can add it using NOW. This gives access to:
NOW works on the same VPN router network, allowing you to add Sky content without satellite hardware or long-term contracts.
For most yachts and boats, the setup looks like this:
All onboard devices connect through the VPN router, so UK apps behave exactly as they would at home.
Sky Stream
Freely
Satellite TV is quickly disappearing from yachts and boats, replaced by internet-based solutions powered by Starlink and mobile connectivity.
Sky Stream is an improvement over satellite, but for most yacht and boat owners, Freely offers fewer restrictions, lower ongoing costs, and greater flexibility. When combined with a VPN router using a UK residential IP, it provides a reliable way to watch UK TV worldwide.
Freely is now built directly into a growing number of new UK televisions. For yachts, boats, and existing TVs where Freely is not yet integrated, the current external option is the Netgem PLEIO Freely TV box. This connects via HDMI and provides full access to Freely live channels and catch-up services. More Freely-compatible devices are expected over time, but at present the Netgem PLEIO box is the simplest way to add Freely to any onboard TV.
At Stream UK TV Abroad, we supply both pre-configured VPN routers and Netgem PLEIO Freely TV boxes, providing a complete, ready-to-use setup designed for life at sea. Everything is selected to work together properly, so you can install it once and rely on it wherever your cruising takes you.
