What a connection is, exactly
This last point causes more false "the plan is too small" conclusions than anything else. Close players properly, wait a minute, then judge.
- A connection is one stream playing at one moment — not one device you have set up.
- You may install the account on as many devices as you like.
- Pausing does not always release a connection immediately; exiting the player properly does.
- Force-quitting an app can leave a slot held for a short time.
Picking the tier
| Your household | Peak screens | Tier |
|---|---|---|
| One person, one television | 1 | 1 Connection |
| Couple, occasional second room | 2 | 2 Connections |
| Family with bedrooms in use | 3 | 3 Connections |
| Sports household or several teenagers | 4 | 4 Connections |
| Large or shared household | 5 | 5 Connections |
What actually happens in a real evening
Households consistently underestimate this, because the estimate is made in a calm moment rather than during a Sunday evening. A typical family of four is not four screens — it is two, most nights, and four on the two or three evenings a month when everyone is home and nobody agrees.
The right question is not "how many people live here" but "how many times in the last month did somebody find nothing playing because someone else was already watching". If the answer is more than twice, the plan is one size too small.
| Time | Typical screens in use | What it means for sizing |
|---|---|---|
| Weekday morning | 0–1 | Irrelevant to sizing. |
| Weekday evening | 1–2 | The common case, not the constraint. |
| Friday or Saturday night | 2–3 | Where most households actually sit. |
| Sunday afternoon in season | 3–4 | The number to buy for if you watch sport. |
| Holidays with guests | 4–5 | Worth one tier of headroom if it happens often. |
How you know you have run out
| What you see | Means |
|---|---|
| Second device shows an authorisation or max-connections error | The allowance is in use. |
| One device goes black the moment another starts | A slot was taken over. |
| Works in the morning, fails at 8pm | Household peak, not a fault. |
| Errors at hours when nobody is home | Possible account sharing or exposure — ask support to reissue. |
Questions people ask
Do two TVs need two connections?
Yes, if both are playing at the same time. If one is off, it uses nothing.
Does pausing free up a connection?
Not always immediately. Exiting the player releases the slot reliably; a paused stream may continue to hold it.
What happens if I exceed my connections?
The extra device is refused with an authorisation or maximum-connections message. Nothing is damaged and no charge is incurred — the stream simply does not start.