Communities
Polish TV in the UK
Poland is the second most common non-UK country of birth in England and Wales, and Polish is the most common main language after English. Most Polish families arrived after 2004, when Poland joined the EU, and they live in every region rather than in one or two cities.
Updated · By the IPTV UK editorial desk
How do Polish households in the UK watch TV?
Polish homes in the UK tend to want the big three networks, TVP, Polsat and TVN, plus news from TVN24 and live Ekstraklasa football. Poland is one hour ahead, so prime time at home starts at 7pm here.
What does the census say?
| Measure | People |
|---|---|
| Born in Poland Census 2021 TS012, Poland | 743,083 |
| Main language: Polish Census 2021 TS024, people aged 3 and over | 611,845 |
Where does the community live?
The council areas in England and Wales with the most people counted by the country-of-birth figure, out of 318:
- Ealing18,8165.1% of residents
- Southampton11,8034.7% of residents
- Hounslow11,1053.9% of residents
- North Northamptonshire10,2342.8% of residents
- Birmingham9,9650.9% of residents
- Leeds9,8241.2% of residents
- Hull9,0583.4% of residents
- West Northamptonshire8,9942.1% of residents
Our town pages with a large Polish community: Bristol, Leicester, Nottingham, Southampton, Reading, Kingston upon Hull.
Which channels do people ask for?
- TVP1
- TVP2
- TVP Info
- TVN
- TVN24
- Polsat
- Polsat Sport
- Canal+ Sport
- TVP Polonia
This is what people from the community ask us about, not a promise that every channel is in the line-up today. We confirm specific channels in writing before you buy.
Ask us to confirm these channelsWhat are the legal ways to watch from the UK?
- TVP Polonia and TVP WorldPolish public TV makes these two channels for viewers outside Poland.
- TVP VODPolish public TV's catch-up service; some of it plays outside Poland, depending on rights.
- Polish channels on UK pay TVSome UK pay-TV and internet services sell Polish channel packs.
Availability and prices change; check the provider's own site before you subscribe.
Sport and kick-off times
Ekstraklasa, the national team, ski jumping in winter and volleyball, which has a big following in Poland.
Poland is 1 hour ahead of the UK all year. Busiest viewing: Christmas Eve (Wigilia) and the ski jumping season.
Try it before you pay
The free 24-hour trial gives the full line-up, including the channel groups for Polish. If it suits your family, plans start at £6.25 a month.
Readers also ask
How many Polish households live in England and Wales?
Can I watch TVP1 in the UK?
What time are Poland programmes in the UK?
Sources
- Census 2021, TS012 Country of birth (detailed) checked 6 October 2026
- Census 2021, TS024 Main language (detailed) checked 6 October 2026
Try before you pay
Watch it on your own telly for 24 hours. Free.
Send a message and we reply with your log-in, usually within minutes. If you buy afterwards, plans start at £6.25 a month, and the first 14 days are covered by a full refund.