Help

How do I watch films?

There are three ways to watch films on BFI Player: 

 

  • Subscription - Pay monthly or annually to watch 100s of hand-picked and exclusive films.

     

  • Rentals - Pay as you go for individual films.

     

  • Free - Short films, masterclasses and 100s of behind-the-scenes exclusives.

     

    Create your account here

 

 

How to pay

We accept Visa (16-digit cards only), Mastercard and Amex as payment methods.  

You can manage your payment card in the Payment method section of your Account. 

Whether you rent a film or subscribe, the card you have most recently used will be saved as your payment method. You can remove a card, but any associated subscription will expire at the end of your monthly billing period.   

Your personal card information is protected by an encrypted connection between your browser and our server. Your payments are processed by a third-party payment partner, which has the highest level of compliance under the Payment Card industry Data Security Standard (PCI). 

 

If you're getting a 'Video not supported’ message or Error code 4

We've updated some security features which may mean you get an error when streaming films.

If you use a HDMI cable or hub to connect your computer to a monitor, make sure you're using an HDCP-compliant cable.

If you use a Mac, you may need to switch your browser to Safari. If you use Windows you may need to switch your browser to Microsoft Edge.

If you're watching on an Android mobile or tablet, please ensure you are watching on the BFI Player app. You may need to delete and re-install this if you're still getting this error when watching in the app.

If you use a VGA cable to connect your computer to a monitor, this method is no longer supported. Please try an alternative connections, such as HDCP-compliant HDMI cable.

Supported Devices

TV Apps

  • Samsung Smart TV app (2019-2025)
  • LG Smart TV app (2019-2025)
  • Amazon Fire TV app
  • Apple TV app (2019-2025)
  • Android TV app (2019-2025)
  • Chromecast with Google Play

We will no longer be updating the TV app for Samsung TVs from 2015 to 2018. While this version of the app is still available and will continue to work on certain TVs, playback and performance may be affected.

We recommend using a plug-in device such as Chromecast or Fire Stick for TVs that no longer support the TV app.

 

Mobile

  • iOS: iOS 13 or higher
  • Android: V11 or higher

 

Desktop/Laptop

  • PC: Windows 10 or higher
  • Mac: macOS 11 or higher

BFI Player supports the latest versions of most internet modern browsers.

Watch on your TV

We have dedicated TV apps on the following devices:

  • Samsung Smart TVs (2019 onwards)
  • LG Smart TVs (2019 onwards)
  • Amazon Fire TV
  • Apple TV
  • Android TV 
  • Chromecast with GooglePlay

Please go to the appropriate app store to download the BFI Player app. 

 

Is my TV model/year supported?

Your TV model number will be located either on the back or right hand side of your TV and the links below will help determine the year.

For Samsung TVs please see here.

For LG TVs please see here.

 

 

Casting

You can cast films to Chromecast devices from your Chrome browser or our iOS and Android apps, or to an Apple TV device from our iOS app via AirPlay.  The Chromecast icon on browser is on the video player on the far right of the control panel. For Chromecast devices with access to Google Play you can download the BFI Player app directly.

 

You can also watch films on your TV by plugging your laptop or computer into your TV or projector via an HDMI cable.  (Please note your device and cable must be HDCP compliant.)

 

Using a VPN?

You can only watch BFI Player in the UK and the service is not accessible through a VPN.

Certain security plugins, including adblockers and private browsing mode, can cause video playback to fail. We recommend switching these off before watching. 

How do I cancel my subscription?

You can cancel any time, via Account/Subscription

 

Gift Subscriptions

You can buy a 12 month BFI Player gift subscription from the BFI Shop.

You will need to create an account for this site if you don't have one already.

Buy a gift subscription

Gift subscriptions can also be purchased from the BFI Shop at BFI Southbank in person or over the phone on 020 7815 1350.

How to redeem a gift subscription

To redeem a gift subscription, you’ll need to have a BFI Player account.

Once you’ve signed in, you can enter your gift code in the 'Redeem gift code' field.

Discounts for BFI Members

If you’re a BFI member, you can get 15% discount on all rentals by adding membership details when you create an account or when renting a film. 

 

You can use your BFI membership number against one BFI Player account. 


You will need to enter your membership number and registered postcode - your postcode should be entered in uppercase, with a space between the first and last parts, for example: W1T 1LN.

 

If you have a question about your membership, email [email protected].  

University Subscriptions

If your University has offered you a BFI Player subscription it can redeem as follows:

  1. Visit player.bfi.org.uk/students to create an account on BFI Player or sign in to an existing account (You can use any email address for this step)
  2. Select your university from the drop down menu
  3. Authenticate using your university credentials 

This will link the subscription to your account.

 

If you would like your University to offer student access, please ask an official representative to contact our Business Partnerships team at [email protected]

Contact BFI Player

If you’re having problems watching a film or with your BFI Player account, please use this support link. A blue pop up button will appear at the bottom of the screen.

Alternatively, you can email us at [email protected]. 

 

If you have a query about accessing or hiring archive films, please visit the links below.

BFI National Archive collections

Footage sales and bookings

Unfortunately, we don't accept unsolicited films for our catalogue. BFI as a wider organisation has avenues for filmmakers to screen work through festivals and these have their own individual requirements. find out more by visiting the links below.

https://www.bfi.org.uk/get-funding-support https://www.bfi.org.uk/bfi-festivals