What is IPTV, and How Much Does It Cost in Canada in 2025?

Internet protocol television (or IPTV) means television delivered through your internet network instead of local broadcasting, cable lines, or satellite signals. IPTV—once a glimpse into the future—is now the standard. 

Most Canadian cable companies have moved to IPTV, delivering high-definition content and next-gen features without the costs of broadcasting technology. And there’s more competition than you might realize; even telephone companies began competing with traditional cable companies using IPTV.  Certain benefits can be gained by using IPTV versus cable setups, including pricing options from independent providers.

Learn what IPTV really is and how it’s different from other TV services in this guide. Find out how to spot legal IPTV and avoid shady grey market services. Once you learn the benefits of premium IPTV and the value of independent providers, you can find IPTV subscriptions in Canada for the best internet and IPTV deals.

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*Prices are accurate as of 2025. Plans require home internet service from the same provider.

What Is IPTV?

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Internet Protocol Television (IPTV) is any broadcast system that uses an internet connection to deliver live television broadcasts. Most Canadians see it packaged with high-speed internet plans from Bell, Telus, SaskTel, and other telecom companies that, historically, haven’t offered cable TV. IPTV brings local and specialty channels into your home like traditional cable did. However, the technology supports additional features, including HDTV and 4K resolution, surround sound, interactive guides, and a cloud-based PVR service. 

How does IPTV work?

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IPTV is largely similar to browsing the web. Rather than the traditional means of flipping through cable television, IPTV uses a particular protocol to provide video to the customer. When selecting a "channel," video is sourced from various server packets and sent over the internet. Servers then deliver the video to your devices through a home internet connection. 

The viewer experience will largely be the same. However, the provider’s architecture is what makes the difference in delivery. In most cases, your television service uses an IPTV set-top box or smart TV, which decrypts TV and VOD streams so you can watch them.

Is IPTV Legal in Canada?

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Yes, you can legally access broadcast TV channels over the internet. Your options include paid television services and free IPTV (sometimes with ads). Most telecoms use IPTV to deliver live TV channels to Canadian households. Additionally, many independent internet providers offer an IPTV reseller service in Canada, frequently for a lower price. You may also find free “channels” on your smart TV or media box.

Some Canadians may find internet TV in Canada that exists in a legal grey zone—what these IPTV providers do isn’t explicitly illegal since they operate outside Canada. Commonly priced very cheaply, these services broadcast local and specialty channels, including TSN, Sportsnet, CBC News Network, and the Discovery Channel. You may not be explicitly breaking the law by using these services, but it’s not something we recommend either.

Who sells legal IPTV services?

Any company registered with the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) to deliver paid IPTV service is a legal operation. The simplest example of legal IPTV is the service you receive from major telecommunications companies, including Bell, Telus, and SaskTel. Even companies that traditionally used analog cable signals—including Rogers, Shaw, Videotron, and Cogeco—switched to IPTV over coaxial cables that deliver broadband internet service. You can find IPTV services in Quebec, Ontario, and other provinces across Canada.

Some independent internet providers, like TekSavvy and Distributel, offer IPTV services in select regions. For any legitimate IPTV service to work in Canada, you must also subscribe to a home internet service with that provider.

Free IPTV channels

Many smart TVs include free internet-based channels like CBC News, WIRED, and The Red Green Channel. Pluto TV is an adjacent IPTV, where instead of requiring a subscription, it provides content under a free ad-supported streaming television (FAST) model. Generally speaking, preloaded apps on your television, tablet, or phone are likely a legitimate service with appropriate broadcast rights within Canada. When downloading new apps that promise free television channels, you might want to look deeper into app developer and service.

Grey market IPTV

Any IPTV service that delivers live channels without an appropriate licence in Canada does so illegally. But there are only a couple of examples in Canada’s broadcast history where the legal system shut down illegitimate IPTV services. Companies outside Canada don’t need to adhere to our broadcast laws and are generally safe from prosecution.

It’s unlikely that the authorities will break into your house and confiscate your home entertainment system because you’re using a grey market IPTV service. Still, your internet provider can restrict (or cancel!) your service if it reasonably suspects unlawful activity.

Best IPTV services in Canada

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Long gone are the days when you called up the one local TV provider to get cable service. With IPTV, any company that delivers high-speed internet to the home can also sell access to the network and specialty television channels. Major IPTV providers offer the most features and the newest technology, but independent services cost far less per month. Providers will offer IPTV services with a set-top box or other device to access services and channels.

Major IPTV Providers

Today, companies use coaxial, fibre optic cables, and other mediums—the same ones that deliver high-speed internet—to provide IPTV services. Most urban and suburban markets have access to IPTV services from one or two major providers, including:

Just as the Canadian market opened to independent, third-party internet providers, ordering IPTV service through many of these same ISPs followed after. If you already have an existing cable internet service and own a FireTV, Apple TV, or Roku device, setup can cost as little as $0. The service price is also typically cheaper than major facilities-based providers, with rates starting as low as $20/month on top of an internet plan.

To subscribe to IPTV service, you must bundle it with high-speed home internet from the same provider. You will need internet speeds of at least 50Mbps to stream high-quality television. Some service providers may require a minimum internet package with a 150Mbps download speed to bundle the services.

Independent IPTV providers

Just as the Canadian market opened to independent, third-party internet providers, the ability to order IPTV service through many of these same ISPs followed. If you already have an existing cable internet service and own a FireTV, Apple TV, or Roku device, setup can cost as little as $0. The service price is also typically lower than major facilities-based providers, with rates starting as low as $20/month on top of an internet plan. 

Canadians can also get local and premium television channels from independent IPTV providers outside Canada. However, these companies are not required to operate within Canada’s legal framework and may introduce a security risk to your bank account or home network.

IPTV Alternatives in Canada

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Cable TV wasn’t the best solution for everyone, and the evolution of IPTV hasn’t become the only logical choice either. Some traditional services, like satellite TV and antenna broadcasts, continue to provide service for a niche market. Newer over-the-top (OTT) services like Netflix changed the landscape of movies and television. Read on to learn more about alternatives to IPTV.

Satellite TV

Even though analog cable television has gone the way of the dodo, satellite TV is popular throughout Canada. For decades, Shaw Direct (formerly Star Choice) and Bell Satellite TV (formerly ExpressVu) have broadcast local and specialty TV nationwide with a digital signal. As a result, it remains a viable option for Canadians who depend on rural internet or have no internet connection whatsoever.

Over-the-top streaming services

Over-the-top (OTT) service is any on-demand video streaming method that works over an internet connection. Companies like Netflix, Hulu, Prime Video, and Crave built broadcasting empires with their large library of movies and TV shows, along with platform-agnostic apps. 

A device with a compatible app and an internet connection is all you need to watch the newest Disney+ series. While IPTV services are managed by internet providers for reliable streaming, over-the-top (OTT) services—like Netflix or DAZN—deliver video content over the open internet, independent of the ISP.

IPTV subscription services are also available using over-the-top methods to deliver live events like hockey, basketball, soccer, baseball, and football. You can even stream copyrighted video content directly from the broadcaster’s exclusive app, like CBC Gem and the CTV app, provided you subscribe to an existing cable package in your home.

Do your research and only download apps from trusted sources like Apple’s App Store or Google Play. Several IPTV services based outside of Canada could compromise your bank account or home network.

Over-the-air HD antenna

Many couch potatoes are surprised to learn that a truly free, legal, and visually superior broadcast format (over-the-air or OTA) is already available. Canadian television networks have broadcast HDTV signals over the air using the digital ATSC standard for more than a decade. You can’t get specialty channels this way (sorry, Sci-Fi fans), but you can watch all major networks broadcasting within 50 kilometers of your home for the cost of a TV antenna.

I’ve watched television via OTA signals for 15 years. Some of the money I’ve saved goes into OTT streaming services like MLB.tv and Sportsnet, so I don’t miss out on content normally limited to specialty channels.  

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If you decide to switch your home to free OTA broadcasts, check out TabloTV. This Canadian company sells a variety of DVRs built for recording antenna signals. You can watch live and recorded signals on your TV, tablet, or iPhone—it’s like having your very own IPTV service!

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Frequently Asked Questions: IPTV

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