IPTV for expats in Morocco: UK, US and English channels

Local TV in Morocco is excellent if you speak Arabic or French, and frustrating if you do not. Satellite dishes on Moroccan rooftops are mostly pointed at Nilesat and the Arabic-language bouquets; furnished rentals rarely have anything else set up, and the few English channels that turn up are often international news only.

IPTV changes that because it does not depend on a dish or a satellite footprint. The channels arrive over the internet, so the same subscription that carries 2M and Arryadia also carries English-language news, entertainment, documentaries, children's channels and sport. You keep the local channels for the Botola and the Moroccan news, and you get the programmes from home back.

Yes, you can get UK and US channels while living in Morocco: the international packs include English-language channels from both countries, and they play on the same apps as the Moroccan line-up. UK TV in Morocco is also easy on the clock: for half of the year the clocks in London and Rabat match, and in winter London is only one hour behind, so the evening news, the Saturday football and your usual drama are on at a normal hour.

Line-ups change over time, which is why we do not publish a fixed list of channel names. During the free test you can open the UK category yourself and check that the channels you care about are there before you pay. If something important to you is missing, tell us on WhatsApp and we will say honestly whether it is available.

Picture quality depends on the source: on Premium and VIP, 4K appears only on channels that broadcast in 4K. Most news and entertainment channels are in HD.

Yes, you can watch football with English commentary in Morocco. This is the request we hear most from expats: plenty of bars show the Premier League or the Champions League, but always with Arabic or French commentary. With the full sports packs on the Premium and VIP plans you can choose English-language feeds where the broadcaster provides them; beIN Sports, for example, carries English commentary on some of its channels in the region, as explained on our beIN Sports IPTV page.

American sports need a little planning: an NFL game on a Sunday afternoon in the US starts in the Moroccan evening, while the NBA and late NFL games land after midnight. Rugby and cricket fans will find that the European and international fixtures fall at comfortable hours from Morocco.

And if you have caught the local football bug, the same subscription shows Raja, Wydad and AS FAR on Arryadia. The sports IPTV page covers the whole sports offer.

You do not need a Moroccan bank account. A foreign bank card is accepted, and you can also pay by Western Union, Taptap Send or bank transfer, from Morocco or from your home country. Plans are priced in dirhams and your bank converts the amount from pounds, dollars or euros at its usual rate.

To give an idea, Standard costs 300 DH for 12 months, about ≈ 25 DH a month, and Premium, with the full sports packs and English sport feeds, costs 450 DH. The plans are paid once and do not renew automatically, which suits a posting with an uncertain end date. Every method is explained on the payment methods page.

The connection in a rental is the one thing you inherit rather than choose. Ask the landlord or agency which line the flat has. Fibre from Maroc Telecom, inwi or Orange is ideal; ADSL is fine for HD if the line is good; a 4G home box works when the signal is strong. If the flat has no internet at all, the three operators sell 4G and fibre offers that you can take in your own name; the shop tells you which documents it needs for a foreign customer.

Run the test line in the evening, when the building is busiest, and connect the TV by cable if the router is close. Our internet speed for IPTV guide lists the speeds to aim for.