If your hotel shows films or TV programmes on screens in guest rooms, staff areas, shared spaces, or other communal areas within your premises, this is considered a public performance under UK copyright law.

To remain compliant, it is the hotel’s responsibility to ensure it holds the appropriate public performance licence.

This is separate from:
• a TV Licence
• TheMusicLicence from PPL PRS
• any commercial TV or streaming service subscriptions

These cover different rights and are often held alongside a Filmbankmedia licence.

For more details, visit Section 72: Public showing or playing of broadcasts.

The Filmbankmedia Blanket Licence is an annual public performance licence.

It allows organisations to legally show the films and TV programmes we represent that are aired on broadcast television channels and their associated streaming platforms. It also covers the use of DVDs and Blu-rays for background and ambient screenings.

The Filmbankmedia Blanket Licence covers thousands of films and TV programmes from our participating studios, including Hollywood majors and leading independent distributors such as Warner Bros. Discovery, Sony Pictures, Disney, StudioCanal, Pathé and many more.

Most of this content can only be licensed for public performance from Filmbankmedia.

You can view the full list of the rights holders we represent on this page.

The Filmbankmedia Blanket Licence is valid for a full year from the date of purchase.

If your organisation shows films or TV programmes without the correct licence, it may be infringing copyright. This could result in legal action, including a claim for damages and associated legal costs. Under the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988, the court may also take into account factors such as whether the infringement was deliberate or flagrant, any benefit gained from it, and the length of time the infringement has been going on when deciding whether to award additional damages.

Yes, you will still need an appropriate and valid public performance licence. A TV Licence only permits the use and installation of television receiving equipment at the address registered on that licence. It does not authorise business premises to publicly show copyright-protected material included in films or television programmes.

Yes. The MusicLicence from PPL PRS and the Filmbankmedia Blanket Licence cover different rights. The MusicLicence covers the public performance of music, while the Filmbankmedia Blanket Licence covers films and TV programmes shown in communal spaces and guest rooms. If your hotel shows film or TV content in shared spaces and/or guest rooms – either via free-to-air channels, their associated catch-up or streaming platforms, or DVDs and Blu-rays – you will still need the Filmbankmedia Blanket Licence to support your hotel in obtaining the correct permission in place.

Different licensing organisations often represent different rights owners and repertoires. For example, amongst the repertoire we represent are major Hollywood studios such as Warner Bros. Discovery and Sony Pictures, as well as other leading rights owners.

Much of this content frequently appears as part of normal scheduled television. If your hotel has TV screens, you may be publicly showing works owned by the rights holders we represent. Without the Filmbankmedia Blanket Licence, you would not have permission to show that content, which could result in copyright infringement action from those rights owners.

Yes. If TVs in staff break rooms show films or TV programmes – either via free-to-air channels, their associated catch-up or streaming platforms, or DVDs and Blu-rays – this is still considered a public performance because the content is being shown outside a private domestic setting. A Filmbankmedia Blanket Licence supports your hotel in obtaining the correct permission to show film and TV content from the rights holders we represent.

The fee is based on the total number of rooms, with no minimum charge applicable. For communal spaces, the fee is based on your weekly average footfall. You can view our full tariff here. If your weekly average footfall exceeds 2,000, or if you have more than one hotel, please get in touch.

You need a Filmbankmedia Blanket Licence for each site. The cost of each licence is based on the number of rooms and/or the footfall at each location. For a quote, or if your weekly average footfall exceeds 2,000 at one or more sites, please get in touch.