Terms of use
THESE TERMS OF USE ARE IMPORTANT FOR YOU AND FOR US. THEY EXPLAIN:
- your rights and responsibilities.
- our responsibilities to you.
- how we expect you to interact with our Services and with other users.
By using our Services, you agree to be legally bound by these Terms of Use, and you accept that they apply whether you have joined, subscribed to or are visiting STV’s Services. Please note that we may update or change these Terms of Use from time to time, so please take a fresh look every so often. If you continue to use our Services, then you agree to be bound by such updates and changes. Where any additional terms apply, they will be highlighted to you.
1) Who delivers the Services to me?
We are STV Central Limited, a company registered in Scotland with company number SC172149. If you have any queries, you can contact us at enquiries@stv.tv, phone us on +44 (0)141 300 3000, or write to us at STV, Pacific Quay, Glasgow G51 1PQ.
A reference to the "STV group of companies" or to "STV Group" means STV Group plc (SC203873) and its subsidiaries, including STV Central Limited and STV Audio Limited.
2) What are the Services?
The Services are our website stv.tv; our STV Player (which hosts: (i) a live simultaneous online transmission of our STV channels, the STV Radio service and other selected third party broadcast services); and (ii) on-demand STV and third-party content, comprising which can be accessed via many devices and platforms, including our mobile and connected TV apps; our competitions and prize draws (each referred to in these Terms of Use as a "competition"); and our email marketing communications. Please see our help and support page for a full list of STV Player supported devices (which may be amended from time to time). These Terms of Use apply regardless of the device or platform you use to access our Services. Please note that not all Services or features may be available across every platform or device.
Our Services are provided on an "as is" and "as available" basis. We aim to provide constant and uninterrupted access to the Services, but we do not take responsibility for issues outside our control, such as internet or connection issues. Specifically, we do not guarantee:
- the availability of the Services on each and every device or platform all of the time;
- that any technical issues that arise can be resolved quickly;
- that the Services are error, virus or bug free; or
- that your access will be uninterrupted (for example, we may need you to temporarily suspend the service without notice to carry out maintenance or updates or due to events beyond our reasonable control).
Competitions, prize draws and promotions are subject to additional terms which will be brought to your attention when appropriate and which will be available to you prior to entering a competition or participating in a promotion. Please view our general Competition, Prize Draw and Voting Terms which apply to all of our competitions and which form part of these Terms of Use. They may be varied or supplemented by additional terms specific to each competition.
3) What do we mean when we refer to “Content” on the Services?
Content can be programmes, video, audio, text, trade marks, logos, images and other audio-visual content (and metadata therein), either owned by us, or by a company in the STV Group, or licensed to us to use.
4) Whose Content is it?
All copyright, trade marks rights and other intellectual property rights in the Content belong to us, or by a company in the STV Group, or our licensors. The Content is protected by various intellectual property rights, such as copyright and trade mark rights. You may not reproduce, distribute, perform publicly or communicate to the public any Content except as provided below.
Your use of the Content must not (in our sole opinion) bring, or be likely to bring, STV or the STV Group into disrepute, or otherwise cause any loss or damage to STV or the STV Group.
Content on our Services may contain statements and opinions which are not our own, and with which we do not necessarily agree. We do not guarantee the accuracy or completeness of all the Content.
When you listen to STV Radio via the STV Player, artist images, album artwork and metadata may be displayed in connection with the song that is playing at that time. Please note the following statement from All in Media who provide such images, artwork and metadata to STV Audio Limited: "Artist, image and metadata services provided by All in Media(TM). Metadata, album art, and artist images are copyrighted by their respective owners. Getty Images provided are restricted for personal and private use. Copying, storing or distributing of metadata, artist images, album art, and Getty Images are not permitted. All rights reserved."
5) Accessing our Services
Here are the ways to access our Services.
- Visit our website at stv.tv.
- Download and/or access our STV Player app (including our mobile and connected TV apps). Please see our help and support page for a list of STV Player supported devices (which may be amended from time to time).
- Subscribe to one of our subscription plans, in which case our terms and conditions applicable to that subscription plan will apply in addition to the Terms of Use. Please see our STV Player+ Terms and Conditions and our STV Player+ with Access to Selected Premier Sports Contents Terms and Conditions for information about our subscription plans.
- Subscribe to email marketing.
- Enter a competition.
You need and account to use some of our Services, like STV Player and to enter one of our competitions (or a competition operated by a company in the STV Group, such as STV Audio Limited) where the competition offers an online entry mechanism. To access Content on STV Player, you will need to register for an STV Player account. You must be 18 or over to register for an STV Player account. During the registration process, you will be asked to enter your email address and a password ("Log-in details"), along with your name, title, date of birth and postcode. Please keep your Log-in details confidential. Do not allow anyone else to use them. You are responsible for all activity that occurs under your Log-in details.
When you register for an STV Player account, you must provide a current email address and accurate personal details. You must not abuse any functionality of the Services, or other users, nor pass yourself off as another user. STV may require you to provide evidence to verify that your personal details are correct and that you are using our Services in accordance with our Terms of Use.
All information that you provide to us will be held and processed in accordance with our Privacy Policy.
6) What I should know about using the STV Player?
Age restriction
You must be 18 or over to register for an STV Player account to access the STV Player.
Geo-restrictions
We apply "geo-blocking" measures to prevent access to some Content in cases where rights restrictions apply. Specifically, there is some Content which will not be accessible if you are located outside the Central and North regions of Scotland (where we broadcast our Channel 3 service), and/or outside the United Kingdom.
You agree not to disable, circumvent or otherwise interfere with any geo-blocking measures or to access, or attempt to access, such Content if you are located in areas to which we have prevented access.
Programme Suitability and Parental Controls
Some of the on-demand Content available on the STV Player may contain material unsuitable for under 18s, or may be of a sensitive nature. We use different systems to identify such material.
- Where it is unsuitable for under 16s, we endeavour to identify it by flagging a symbol “G” (for guidance).
- Where is it unsuitable for under 18s (or of a sensitive nature, generally) we provide guidance notes.
It is your sole responsibility to determine whether the Content on the STV Player service is suitable for you and anyone using the service through your STV Player account. We have built parental controls into the STV Player, although we do not guarantee that the PIN access control facility will always be available across all device and platforms. Where parental controls are available, it’s up to you to set the parental controls if any children have access to your device or account. Once set, they will prevent the viewing of Content labelled with a “G” symbol from that device unless a 4 figure PIN is entered.
“Catch Up” and "on-demand" Content is not live
"Catch up" and "on-demand" Content available on the STV Player is not live. Therefore, please do not respond to any invitation to enter any competition, phone-in, vote, quiz or any other interaction, as the time for the interaction may have come to an end. If you do so, you may still be charged, and your entry/contribution may be too late, and not included, or considered.
Live streaming
When we are live streaming, or simulcasting our channels and the STV Radio Service over the internet, there is a delay but the service is as near live as possible. Please bear this in mind when interacting with our Services.
Removal/Amendment
The availability of Content and functionality via STV Player is subject to change from time to time. You agree that STV reserves the right to amend and/or remove Content available on our STV Player at any time without notice.
7) How may I use the Services?
You agree to use the Services only for your own personal and non-commercial use, and for lawful purposes, and in a manner that does not infringe the rights of third parties, or restrict or inhibit the use and enjoyment of the Services by any other user.
You agree you shall not and shall not enable third parties to:
- access the STV Player using a virtual proxy network.
- de-compile, reverse engineer, reproduce, copy, distribute, frame, modify, create derivative works from, provide access to, license, rent, lease, lend or sell the Services and/or the Content (or any part of them) in any way, other than as expressly permitted in these Terms of Use.
- use the Services for the transmission of any spam or computer viruses.
- do anything that brings (or in our opinion is likely to bring) STV, or any company on the STV Group, into disrepute.
- embed, frame, upload, or make any of the Services or Content (or any part of them) available via any third party platform, website or service without STV’s prior consent.
- copy, reproduce or otherwise publish any of STV’s trademarks or logos.
- frame our website on other websites without our express permission.
Any violation of the terms set out about in this section 7 shall be considered a material breach of these Terms of Use, entitling us to immediately suspend or terminate your access to the Service (or any part of them), or otherwise prevent continued unauthorised actions.
8) Interference with our Services, including our Content
We may use technical measures and security systems for the security and protection of our Services, including our Content. You agree not to bypass, attempt to circumvent or interfere with any such technical measures or security systems, or attempt to test, damage or otherwise affect the security of our Services or Content, or unlawfully access, or use, our servers, systems or Content, nor to attempt to do so. Any violation of the terms set out about in this section 8 shall be considered a material breach of these Terms of Use, entitling us to immediately suspend or terminate your access to the Service (or any part of them), or otherwise prevent continued unauthorised actions.
9) Interacting with the Services
STV may invite you to interact with us through our Services from time to time. When you do so, for example by submitting or uploading comments, photographs, videos, voice notes, audio clips, graphics, text, designs or any other type of contribution to STV and/or the Services (each a “Contribution”), you agree to comply with these Terms of Use and any additional terms that may be stated to apply in respect of any particular invitation to interact (“Specific Terms”). When you participate or contribute publicly, such as by posting comments or blogging for example, you must also comply with our House Rules, or we may block your account and stop you using this service.
Please note that you must be 16 or over to submit any Contribution to our Services (unless stated otherwise in any Specific Terms).
You (or those who have given you permission to use it) own any Contribution (including the intellectual property rights therein) that you submit and you may carry on using it.
By submitting a Contribution, you are granting to us (and in this section “us” includes other companies within the STV group of companies) a worldwide, royalty-free, non-exclusive, perpetual, irrevocable licence to use your Contribution on any media, platform or device (including on television and social media accounts) and to use, edit, prepare derivative works from and further distribute it across any media, platform or device throughout the world at any time, and to grant sub-licences. You also authorise STV to include some of your personal details together with your Contribution such as your name and location.
For editorial and compliance reasons, we might need to alter your Contribution and you authorise us to do so on the understanding that STV will not alter it in any way that misrepresents it.
You also confirm that:
- You are the either the owner of your Contribution or that you have all the necessary licences, rights, consents and permissions to authorise us to use your Contribution.
- You have obtained the consent of each person who appears in your Contribution to authorise us to use your Contribution. If any person under the age of 16 appears in your Contribution, you also confirm that you have the permission of such person’s parent or guardian.
- Your Contribution will not infringe or contravene any rights of any third parties (e.g. their entitlement to privacy or confidentiality) or contain anything which is defamatory, obscene, offensive or unlawful.
- You will not transfer files which contain viruses or other technologically harmful material.
If you submit a Contribution via a method which is available to the public, STV recommends that you do not disclose personal contact information such as your address or phone number.
Please note that STV reserves the right to require you to provide evidence of your age and eligibility.
If you see any Contribution on the Services that you believe is offensive, defamatory or which infringes copyright or privacy, please contact us without delay at enquiries@stv.tv.
Whilst not moderating or controlling Contributions submitted to us or posted on our Services, we reserve the right to suspend or delete without notice any material which:
- we believe at our sole discretion to be detrimental to the enjoyment of the Services by any user;
- breaches these Terms of Use and/or the House Rules;
- is the subject of any copyright infringement notice; or
- brings, or is likely to bring, STV or the STV Group into disrepute, or otherwise cause any loss or damage to STV or the STV Group.
10) Breach of Terms of Use
We will determine, at our sole discretion, where there has been a breach of these Terms of Use. Where STV suspects that a breach has occurred, we may take such action as we deem appropriate which may include all, or any, of the following:- Immediate, temporary or permanent withdrawal of your right to use the Services
- Immediate, temporary or permanent removal of any Contribution submitted by you
- Issue of a warning to you
- Commencement of legal proceedings against you
- Disclosure of information to law enforcement authorities
We exclude any liability for lawful actions taken by us in response to breaches of these Terms of Use and we reserve the right to seek compensation from you for any loss or damage we may suffer as a direct consequence of any breach by you of these Terms.
If you breach any of these Terms of Use, and we choose not to take action against you, that does not necessarily mean that we will waive any subsequent breaches by you. In addition, if we do not exercise the entire remedy available to us, we may still do so at a later date.
11) Links to third party services
You are solely responsible for evaluating the integrity of the operators of any third party websites accessed through the Services; the accuracy and completeness of any information contained on them; the value and authenticity of any goods or services offered through them, and their data collection and use policies.
These Terms of Use govern only your relationship with STV. You should check the applicable third party's website for details of the terms and conditions governing your relationship with that third party. Your use of the STV Player may also be subject to usage rules imposed on you by the platform through which you access the STV Player, for example if you access STV Player through the STV Player iOS app, you may be subject to Apple's usage rules. You acknowledge and agree that to the extent permitted by applicable law, neither Apple nor any other platform provider of the platform through which you lawfully access the STV Player has any responsibility or liability to you with respect to your use of the STV Player or any content or functionality therein and is not obliged to provide any support services relating to the STV Player.
12) Featured Goods and Services
STV, in association with one of its commercial partners may provide you with an opportunity to purchase featured goods and services from time to time via our Services. The contract for the relevant goods and services will be made directly between you and the relevant commercial partner and will be subject to the commercial partner’s terms and conditions. STV has no liability to you in respect of such goods and services.
13) Liability
In no event shall we be liable for any claims, loss or damage, arising out of or in connection with your use of, or inability to use, the Services, including, without limitation, direct or indirect loss, consequential loss or damage, loss of profit or goodwill, or for loss arising from any errors or omissions in the Services, or in the Content.
Nothing in these Terms of Use excludes or limits any liability which may not be excluded by any applicable law.
14) Law and Jurisdiction
These Terms of Use shall be governed by and construed in accordance with Scots law. All disputes arising from them shall be submitted to the non-exclusive jurisdiction of the Scottish courts.
15) Contact Us
Please see our help and support centre in the first instance if you are experiencing problems with the STV Player.
If you still need to get in touch, you can contact us at enquiries@stv.tv.
Updated 05 January 2026
Published at: 13:52, Jan 26 2026