We have been contacted by a number of Clubs who have received letters, emails and phone calls from the MPLC – the Motion Picture Licensing Company Ltd

We can confirm that MPLC is a legitimate organisation but that Clubs only need to obtain a licence from them under specific circumstances.

Crucially, Clubs do not tend to need an MPLC licence to show content such as sports, music channels or Sky News. Therefore, for most Clubs the only license that is required is a Television Licence. In the ACC’s experience it is rare that a Club would need to obtain an MPLC licence as most Clubs do not screen films or drama series.

MPLC itself represents licence holders such as film studios and television production companies which produce content such as dramas or comedies. If a Club showed any of this content then an MPLC licence may need to be obtained.

However, Clubs which only show channels such as Sky Sports, BT Sports, Sky News, sports shown on free to view channels such as BBC One or Channel 4 or a music channel are unlikely to be required to obtain an MPLC licence.

If you are unsure of what licence you require please let us know and we will try to assist.

Examples of programmes that do and do not require a licence are below:

  • Six Nations – No licence
  • Match of the Day – No licence
  • Euros – No licence
  • World Cup – No licence
  • Sky Sports – No licence
  • Eastenders – MPLC Licence
  • Sky News – No licence
  • Sky Atlantic – No license
  • Sky Movies – No licence

The ACC contacted Sky UK regarding MPLC. Sky provided us with the following statement:

The showing of Sky’s own paid for channels and partner channels does not require an MPLC license because the Sky Subscription Agreement covers this license directly from the licensor (by virtue of Sky’s underlying rights agreements with the rights owners).

MPLC should be explaining to Clubs that an MPLC licence is not required should the Club just wish to show channels such as Sky Sports, Sky News, Music channels and sports shown on terrestrial television such as Six Nations, Match of the Day, Euros, World Cup etc.