What to put on your pub TVs when the football isn't on
Your screens are on for hours with nothing worth watching. Here's what earns its place, what needs a licence, and what you're not allowed to show at all.
Most pubs have more screens than they did ten years ago. Most of the time, those screens are showing muted news, a shopping channel or nothing at all.
That's a waste. A telly on the wall is the biggest sign in your pub. People look at it without being asked. The question is what to put on it when there's no match.
Start with what you want people to do
Before you pick anything, decide what the screen is for. Every screen should help with one of these:
- Get people to stay for another drink
- Get them to order food
- Get them to come back on another night
If something on the screen doesn't do one of those, it's just wallpaper.
Your own offers and what's on
The cheapest thing to show is your own news. What's on this week. The food deal. The quiz night. The match you're showing on Saturday.
A few rules that make it work:
- One message per slide. If it takes more than five seconds to read, it's too long.
- Big text. Stand at the furthest seat and check you can read it.
- Match it to the time of day. Lunch deals at lunch. Drinks offers in the early evening. Tomorrow's event at closing time.
- Change it often. If the same slide has been up for three months, people stopped seeing it in week two.
Add a QR code where it makes sense, for booking a table or joining your quiz. If the QR has a scan counter, you'll know if anyone used it.
A quiz or game people can join
A screen that asks people to do something gets far more attention than one that just tells them something. A quiz on the TV that people answer on their phones gives them a reason to keep looking up. It also gives them a reason to stay until the next round.
Keep it short. Five questions is enough for a round. Keep it free to play, and keep it clean, since families might be in during the day.
Live TV: check your licence
If any screen shows live TV, you need a TV Licence for the premises. TV Licensing puts it plainly: "Any pub or bar which shows live television must be covered by a valid TV Licence." That applies whatever channel it is and whatever device you watch on, including streaming.
Your licence doesn't cover the flat upstairs. TV Licensing says a premises licence doesn't cover residential accommodation on site.
Music channels and music videos: check your music licence
Music videos and music channels mean you're playing recorded music in public. PPL PRS says pubs will usually need TheMusicLicence to use the television for showing sports and other programming in public. When you get a quote, they ask how many TV screens show music videos. So tell them.
Don't assume silent screens are automatically fine. Their page talks about using the TV for programming in public, not just music. If you're not sure your TV use is covered, ask them when you renew.
Streaming services: read the terms
It's tempting to stick a film or a box set on in a quiet afternoon. Read the terms first. Netflix's terms say the service and its content are for "personal, non-commercial use only", and that you can't use it for "commercial purposes or public performances". A pub is a public, commercial place. If you use a different streaming service, read its terms before you press play.
YouTube is a grey area for a different reason. TV Licensing says you don't need a TV Licence to watch on-demand YouTube clips. That only covers the TV Licence. It doesn't mean the person who made the clip is happy for you to show it in your pub. If it's not yours, and you don't have permission, leave it.
Silent beats loud
When the football isn't on, most pubs are better off with the sound down on the TVs. Sound from four screens fights your music, fights conversation and annoys the people who came in for a quiet pint. Silent content that's easy to read works harder. Subtitles on, music on the speakers, offers and games on the screens.
Switch off what's not working
A screen showing "No signal" or a frozen picture looks worse than a blank wall. Before opening, walk round and check every telly. If one screen is always pointing at an empty corner, move what's on it to one people can see.
Sources
- TV Licensing: Pub landlords urged to check TV Licences
- TV Licensing: Check if you need a TV Licence
- PPL PRS: TheMusicLicence for pubs and bars
- Netflix: Terms of Use
We checked every source on 23 October 2026. Rules change, so check the latest version before you act. Nothing here is legal advice.