Communities
Tamil and Sri Lankan TV in the UK
Tamil is the main language of about 125,000 people in England and Wales, from Sri Lanka, Tamil Nadu and Malaysia. The largest communities live in Harrow, Brent, Croydon, Ealing and Merton, around Tooting and East Ham high streets.
Updated · By the IPTV UK editorial desk
How do Tamil and Sri Lankan families in the UK watch TV?
Tamil serials and film channels lead, with cricket when Sri Lanka or India play. Sri Lanka is 4½ hours ahead of the UK in summer and 5½ in winter.
What does the census say?
| Measure | People |
|---|---|
| Born in Sri Lanka and Tamil Nadu Census 2021 TS012, Sri Lanka | 144,296 |
| Main language: Tamil Census 2021 TS024, people aged 3 and over | 125,363 |
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:
- Harrow10,7064.1% of residents
- Redbridge6,8662.2% of residents
- Ealing6,0201.6% of residents
- Brent5,6721.7% of residents
- Merton5,5952.6% of residents
- Croydon5,1651.3% of residents
- Hillingdon5,1061.7% of residents
- Sutton4,6222.2% of residents
Our town pages with a large Tamil and Sri Lankan community: London, Leicester, Coventry, Milton Keynes.
Which channels do people ask for?
- Sun TV
- Star Vijay
- Zee Tamil
- Colors Tamil
- KTV
- Shakthi TV
- Derana
- Rupavahini
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?
- Sun NXTSun TV's own app, sold in the UK, with Sun serials and Tamil films.
- Zee5Zee Tamil serials and films on demand.
- Official YouTube channelsSri Lankan news channels such as Derana post news online.
Availability and prices change; check the provider's own site before you subscribe.
Sport and kick-off times
Cricket: Sri Lanka and India internationals.
Sri Lanka is 4.5 hours ahead of the UK in the British summer and 5.5 hours ahead of the UK in winter. Busiest viewing: Thai Pongal in January and Sri Lankan New Year in April.
Try it before you pay
The free 24-hour trial gives the full line-up, including the channel groups for Tamil and Sinhala. If it suits your family, plans start at £6.25 a month.
Readers also ask
How many Tamil and Sri Lankan families live in England and Wales?
Can I watch Sun TV in the UK?
What time are Sri Lanka 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.