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Chinese TV in the UK
Chinese speakers include Hong Kong families who came from the 1950s onwards, students and professionals from the mainland, and recent arrivals on the British National (Overseas) visa. Manchester and Birmingham have the largest numbers outside London.
Facts checked 13 Oct 2026Telly Hub TV editors
- 204,646main-language speakers in England and Wales
- 0.4%of residents aged three and over
- 7thof the 18 languages on this site
- 中文Hong Kong runs 7 hours ahead of UK time
What people watch
Cantonese homes tend to want TVB; Mandarin homes follow CCTV and provincial channels. Hong Kong is seven hours ahead in summer and eight in winter.
Channels people ask us about
- Phoenix
- Hunan TV
- CCTV-4
- CCTV-1
- ViuTV
- TVB Jade
These are requests, not a promise of the line-up, which changes. Name the channels you need and we check them before you pay anything.
Sport from Hong Kong, mainland China, Malaysia and Singapore
Table tennis, badminton and snooker.
Official routes
Ways to watch Chinese TV that broadcasters run themselves
These come from the broadcasters, so they are the safest choice. Some charge, and some programmes are blocked outside the home country.
- TVB Anywhere+Paid TVB app for Cantonese drama outside Hong Kong.
- CCTV-4State broadcaster’s international Mandarin channel, free to stream.
- BBC News 中文News in Chinese from the BBC, online.
Telly Hub plans
Chinese and British TV in one guide
Every plan includes the world channel groups as well as the UK channels. Ask about a channel first if one matters.
How many screens play at once?
Choose plan duration
Monthly
Try a month after your free day.
£11.99Billed once, for one month
Choose monthly- 35,000+ channels, live
- 140,000+ titles on demand
- British, sport, news, children’s and world groups
- Programme guide, plus catch-up on many channels
- Smart TV, stick, box, phone or laptop
- Money back within 14 days
Quarter
One season’s worth of autumn sport.
£29.99Works out at £10 a month
17% less than monthly
Choose quarter- A heads-up before it runs out
- 35,000+ channels, live
- 140,000+ titles on demand
- British, sport, news, children’s and world groups
- Programme guide, plus catch-up on many channels
- Smart TV, stick, box, phone or laptop
- Money back within 14 days
Half year
Half a football season, paid once.
£44.99Works out at £7.50 a month
37% less than monthly
Choose half year- A heads-up before it runs out
- A free device swap
- 35,000+ channels, live
- 140,000+ titles on demand
- British, sport, news, children’s and world groups
- Programme guide, plus catch-up on many channels
- Smart TV, stick, box, phone or laptop
- Money back within 14 days
Lowest monthly price
Full year
The cheapest way to watch all year.
£64.99Works out at £5.42 a month
55% less than monthly
Choose full year- A heads-up before it runs out
- Device swaps whenever you need
- Match-day priority help
- 35,000+ channels, live
- 140,000+ titles on demand
- British, sport, news, children’s and world groups
- Programme guide, plus catch-up on many channels
- Smart TV, stick, box, phone or laptop
- Money back within 14 days
- Bank transfer
PayPal, Apple Pay, Google Pay, debit or credit card, bank transfer and crypto · the price shown is the price paid · nothing renews automatically · free 24-hour trial first. How ordering works
More questions
How many people speak Chinese at home in England and Wales?
Where do most Chinese speakers live?
Can I try the Chinese channels before paying?
What time is Chinese prime time in the UK?
Checked against
Rain or shine
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Message us and your log-in arrives in minutes, with help to set it up. Like it? Plans from £5.42 a month, and 14 days to change your mind.