Watching TV in Spain with free-to-air (TDT), pay TV and football

Key rules

• TV licence: Spain has no TV licence or licence fee for households.
• Free channels: TDT comes through the building's shared aerial, so scan for channels on your TV.
• Dishes and aerials: You need the community of owners' approval before adding any dish or aerial on common parts.
• Football: Matches are split across several platforms, so check who shows your team before paying.

Do you need a TV licence?

No. Spain has no TV licence or licence fee for households. You pay nothing just to own a TV or watch free channels.

How free TV works

Free channels are called TDT. In most flats they arrive through the building's shared aerial (antena colectiva), which feeds a wall socket in your home.

1. Plug an aerial cable from the wall socket into your TV or decoder.
2. Run an automatic channel scan in the TV's menu.
3. If channels are missing, scan again. Buildings had to re-tune their shared system after the 700 MHz band changes, so an old system may need work.

Aerials and dishes

Do not put up your own dish or aerial on the roof or façade. These are common parts of the building, and you need the community of owners' approval first. Each community's statutes may add further limits, so ask before you buy equipment.

If the channels stop working

• Problem with the shared system: tell your landlord or the administrador de fincas, who manages the building.
• Fault with the wiring or socket in your flat: a licensed installer handles it.

Pay TV and football

Free TDT does not cover all football. Rights are split among several platforms, and the split changes with each rights deal.

• LaLiga matches are mainly on DAZN and Movistar Plus+.
• The Champions League is mainly on Movistar Plus+, with some matches on free channels.
• The Copa del Rey and national team matches have their own rights holders.

Prices depend on the package and change often. Before you subscribe, check which platform shows your team and compare current prices on each platform's website. Book monthly rather than yearly if you want to cancel easily. The questions below cover aerials, faults and football platforms in short.

Frequently asked questions

Can I put up my own satellite dish or aerial on the roof of my building?

No, not without approval from the community of owners. Tenants may not add or change dishes or aerials on common parts such as the roof or façade. Ask your landlord or the administrador de fincas (the person who manages the building) first, and check the community's own rules.

Who do I contact if free TV channels stop working in my flat?

Report the problem to your landlord or the administrador de fincas if the shared aerial is at fault. A licensed installer handles installation faults. First run an automatic channel scan on your TV or decoder, because the building may have had to re-tune its system after the 700 MHz band changes.

Which platforms show football in Spain?

Football is split across several platforms, so one subscription may not cover everything. LaLiga matches are mainly on DAZN and Movistar Plus+, and the Champions League is mainly on Movistar Plus+. The Copa del Rey and national team matches have separate rights holders, and a few matches are free-to-air.