iPlayer

Is iPlayer down?

No problems detected

If you are having issues, please submit a report below.

The BBC iPlayer is a streaming television and radio service made available by the BBC. In addition to programming from the BBC, the platform also offers programs from broadcasters including ITV, Channel 4, and Channel 5.

Problems in the last 24 hours

The graph below depicts the number of iPlayer reports received over the last 24 hours by time of day. When the number of reports exceeds the baseline, represented by the red line, an outage is determined.

iPlayer Outage Chart 03/21/2026 02:50

At the moment, we haven't detected any problems at iPlayer. Are you experiencing issues or an outage? Leave a message in the comments section!

Most Reported Problems

The following are the most recent problems reported by iPlayer users through our website.

  1. Sign in (32%)

    Sign in (32%)

  2. Buffering (28%)

    Buffering (28%)

  3. Playback Issues (22%)

    Playback Issues (22%)

  4. Crashing (18%)

    Crashing (18%)

Live Outage Map

The most recent iPlayer outage reports came from the following cities:

Loading map, please wait...
City Problem Type Report Time
United KingdomPoole Sign in
United KingdomEpsom Sign in
United KingdomChatham Crashing
United KingdomSheffield Sign in
United KingdomReading Sign in
United KingdomHackney Playback Issues
Map Full Outage Map

Community Discussion

Tips? Frustrations? Share them here. Useful comments include a description of the problem, city and postal code.

Beware of "support numbers" or "recovery" accounts that might be posted below. Make sure to report and downvote those comments. Avoid posting your personal information.

iPlayer Issues Reports

Latest outage, problems and issue reports in social media:

  • koyaaaanisqatsi Neil Stevenson (@koyaaaanisqatsi) reported

    @Aiannucci Problem with that is that iplayer has only a fraction of the content on Netflix, Amazon Prime etc who charge £7 a month. Currently BBC charge over £12 a month for the "licence". They just aren't competitive.

  • gdeichen Gavin Deichen (@gdeichen) reported

    @ummyaseen123 I think they're going to have to turn it into a streaming service of some sort if they want to make it work. It's kind of weird that they've had iPlayer for so long and never transitioned to a more sustainable funding model. I guess the Tories just want to kill it, ultimately.

  • Jinx_OliveEater Jinx Olive-Eater #FBPE (@Jinx_OliveEater) reported

    @Jennyflower Put the iPlayer behind a pay-wall for international viewers and I think the funding issues could be solved. Auntie has NO international equivalent. Untold millions of us watch for FREE but would pay a licence fee equivalent. Give Brits a code with their licence.

  • hughster Hughster (@hughster) reported

    @LatestMessiah And that alone is why the licence is indefensible. If it were amended to only cover receiving BBC channels, no problem. (They complain it'd be unenforceable, but it'd be no more enforceable than the licence requirement for iPlayer.)

  • MarkHazard2020 Mark Hazard 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿 🇬🇧 🇪🇺 🇺🇳 (@MarkHazard2020) reported

    @LBC @toryboypierce Armando Iannucci and some others took a look at this issue. Subscription model for overseas users of BBC website, allowing them access to iPlayer for a fee, might well yield income well in excess of revenue raised by licence fee, making BBC financially independent of Government.

  • martincowles Martin Cowles (@martincowles) reported

    The problem with watching the #MastersSnooker on iPlayer is that if it starts buffering, it takes a very long time for me to realise it

  • bennykill bennykill (@bennykill) reported

    @mrdanwalker Not to mention the technology for Netflix and Amazon only exists due to the Brilliant work of the BBC and their iPlayer development. The value of the BBC is unprecedented and the license fee is the best way of ensuring advertisers don’t control content.

  • LouiseT40665028 Louise Thomas (@LouiseT40665028) reported

    @Fionasstalker I would be lost without BBC Sounds and the iplayer………non stop quality entertainment

  • zombiess_uk me (@zombiess_uk) reported

    @LeeJBBC For less than 43p a day I can subscribe to Netflix, Amazon Prime or Disney+ and enjoy better quality content than this. No reason why the BBC website can't have banner ads or iplayer access granted to people overseas.

  • stephen_wigmore Stephen Wigmore (@stephen_wigmore) reported

    Require a subscription to use the BBC Website, Iplayer or to receive BBC TV. Place small quantities of high-quality advertising in BBC Radio. There's no reason BBC can't remain a public organisation with a commitment to high-quality Public Service content.

  • Jennyflower 🐇😷💙 (@Jennyflower) reported

    I was once in a psychology seminar as part of my Master's degree and the lecturer wanted someone's iPlayer sign in because she didn't want to pay the license fee because she "didn't think it was worth it". The next hour of the seminar was watching a documentary by the BBC.

  • SteveBreave Steve Breave (@SteveBreave) reported

    @OwenJones84 If I]ve an issue with content on Prime I can contact them & enter dialog. If I've problem with BBC content I can give Feedback. I can watch 10 hours of Prime with no issues and BBC iplayer buffers incessantly. Prime is half the price and I get free post on lots of product.

  • offcomeden offcomeden (@offcomeden) reported

    @zsk Most might consume only 2 or 3 of those squares. If they consumed all it would be a bargain. I ditched live TV & iPlayer 1st November - haven't missed it at all. Have banked my license fee & am watching higher quality content across other platforms.

  • opaqueentity opaqueentity (@opaqueentity) reported

    @ruskin147 But at the same time they are amazed that we HAVE to pay for it. Course its worth it but what that means is that the BBC needs to work out how to get the money once public funding is gone. Block iplayer to licence holders only now to show the impact on those that hate but watch

  • hughster Hughster (@hughster) reported

    @LatestMessiah @sima_kotecha And that alone is why the licence is indefensible. If it were amended to only cover receiving BBC channels, no problem. (They complain it'd be unenforceable, but it'd be no more unenforceable than the licence requirement for iPlayer.)

  • AndyGait Andy Gait (@AndyGait) reported

    @Myles_Bartoli @jrc1921 @mrdanwalker The ident isn't really the issue though. Also, Three is still on iplayer.

  • TheConnorCain Connor Cain (@TheConnorCain) reported

    @HighRollerRadio Would a VPN and BBC iPlayer work?

  • david42wood David Wood (@david42wood) reported

    @eliistender10 @jackwhitehall The BBC has quite rightly been revered around the globe for the quality of it’s television & radio output for decades. This cannot be allowed to be lost by the current shoddy excuse of a government. Make iPlayer available on subscription outside the UK to fund the BBC.

  • jonsansom Jon Sansom (@jonsansom) reported

    @Aiannucci Wouldn't there be some rights issues offering paid-for iPlayer abroad? Guessing it would need to be a pretty pared down catalogue

  • _Prufrock_ Rob Ellis (@_Prufrock_) reported

    @RojSmith I don’t watch much of the bbc anymore but listen to a lot of radio4 , iplayer doesn’t work outside of the uk even if you pay your tv license..

  • ohmyliver ABABCABradabra (@ohmyliver) reported

    @SpaJw @dan_grey @jimwaterson The app is also terrible, where as iPlayer isn’t.

  • quicunquevult Alexis Hall 🦄 (@quicunquevult) reported

    Idly turning on BBC iPlayer I have just discovered that H has somehow, over the past month or so, watched 15 Seasons of Silent Witness without my knowledge. I'm like, ARE YOU OKAY? DO YOU NEED MEDICAL HELP? IS THE PANDEMIC HURTING YOU?

  • CeejayNightwing Ceejay Julien (@CeejayNightwing) reported

    @ajmcewanuk @TheEvertonZone And the player has a choice too, he didn't want to go to Everton otherwise he'd be there. If you watched the BBC documentary on Martinez on iPlayer then you wouldbt talk nonsense about him not knowing what a quality defender is. What he's done for their entire league is amazing!

  • viviennejayne vivienne (@viviennejayne) reported

    @NuttallJasmin @AndyStean @eliistender10 As I understand it you don't actually need a licence as long as you are not watching live TV or using BBC iPlayer, and are only watching on-demand or catch-up on other services. As BBC 3 is no longer available, its not really an issue for you.

  • MarkHazard2020 Mark Hazard 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿 🇬🇧 🇪🇺 🇺🇳 (@MarkHazard2020) reported

    @DavidHenigUK @fionamcke Armando Iannucci and some others took a look at this issue. Subscription model for overseas users of BBC website, allowing them access to iPlayer for a fee, might well yield income well in excess of revenue raised by licence fee, making BBC financially independent of Government.

  • Jinx_OliveEater Jinx Olive-Eater #FBPE (@Jinx_OliveEater) reported

    Dear BBC, put the iPlayer behind a pay-wall for international viewers and I think your funding issues could be solved. Auntie has NO international equivalent. Untold millions of us watch for FREE but would pay a licence fee equivalent. Give Brits a code with their licence.

  • tallies53 Tallie Once in a Blue Moon Schroeder (@tallies53) reported

    @jonholmes1 @Aiannucci Chiming in from the US- would gladly pay subscription fee to get full BBC iPlayer content- hope the licensing issue can be worked out.

  • AndyStringer 😷Andy Stringer (@AndyStringer) reported

    @cllrwblackburn @djohnstours Maybe if they changed the licencing terms from daft things like, "watch or stream programmes live on an online TV service (such as ITV Hub, All 4, YouTube, Amazon Prime Video, Now TV, Sky Go, etc.)" to just broadcast and iplayer it would help. Then we could opt out if we wanted.

  • MarkHazard2020 Mark Hazard 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿 🇬🇧 🇪🇺 🇺🇳 (@MarkHazard2020) reported

    @NicholasPegg @MitchBenn Armando Iannucci and some others took a look at this issue. Subscription model for overseas users of BBC website, allowing them access to iPlayer for a fee, might well yield income well in excess of revenue raised by licence fee, making BBC financially independent of Government.

  • p_bridgwood P.L Bridgwood (@p_bridgwood) reported

    @GaryLineker The issue is that they don't make very many decent comedies, dramas or films anymore, there are exceptions like Line of Duty and This Country, having a look at IPlayer the best films on there are not made by the BBC. Most of the decent things on there are now quite old.