Stream films and series for free in Switzerland
Streaming series and films for free: where is this legal? This overview shows you on which websites streaming is free.
30.03.2026
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1. Broadcasters’ media libraries
Some broadcasters offer their programmes free of charge in media libraries. In the media libraries of the public-service broadcasters SRF, ARD, ZDF and Funk you can watch content free of charge and without advertising.
Good to know: in some cases, you won’t be able to watch in Switzerland all the content that is available in the media libraries in Germany. This is due to licences and partly to German legislation, which only permits online publication in Germany.
Play SRF is the media library of SRF. The Play SRF offering is specially tailored to the audience in German-speaking Switzerland.
With Play SRF you can watch programmes that SRF has previously shown in its TV schedule. Some content not produced by SRF is excluded. On the website, Play SRF offers livestreams of the TV channels.
The ARD media library (Association of Public Service Broadcasters of the Federal Republic of Germany) offers content from channels belonging to ARD. This includes channels such as Das Erste, Arte, Kika and German regional channels.
Good to know: Kika is a cooperation between ARD and ZDF. As a result, you can find content from Kika in both media libraries.
In the ARD media library you will find, among other things, shows, feature films, documentaries, news programmes and live broadcasts of major events.
Can I watch the ARD media library in Switzerland?
In principle, you can also watch content from the ARD media library in Switzerland. However: Many of ARD’s television programmes are not accessible in Switzerland.
In March 2025, ZDF shut down its media library and launched the portal «Stream on ZDF now». There, you will find programmes and films from TV channels belonging to ZDF. These include ZDF, ZDFinfo and the partner channels 3sat and Kika. However, you can also access content from ARD and its partner channels via the streaming portal.
Good to know: Kika is a cooperation between ARD and ZDF. As a result, you can find content from Kika in both media libraries.
In addition to on-demand content, under «Stream now on ZDF», you can, among other things, watch TV content via live stream. However, ZDF cannot show all programmes online in Switzerland.
Funk is a content network of ARD and ZDF. The videos on Funk are created by various online video producers. The producers then upload them to their channels and to various platforms.
Funk is aimed at young adults. Its content includes videos on information, guidance and entertainment.
On On Joyn, you can watch series and shows from ProSiebenSat.1 Media SE for free. Included are the channels Pro7, Sat.1, Sixx and their special-interest channels. Joyn also offers a live stream with various TV channels – including public-service broadcasters from Germany, Austria and Switzerland.
Additionally, the platform also offers clips and bonus material from selected series and shows. On Joyn, you can also find previews for some programmes.
Good to know: Joyn also offers a paid membership. With this membership, you can, among other things, watch programmes without advertising. The number of live channels and exclusive content also increases.
The media library of the RTL Group is called RTL+. RTL Group includes, for example, RTL, VOX and NTV. On RTL+, you can watch many films and series up to seven days after broadcasting for free, some for longer.
With a paid membership you get access to in-house productions, previews, RTL radio content and podcasts.
How much does RTL+ cost in Switzerland?
For the paid version of RTL+, there are three different packages:
Premium: €10.99 per month
Max: €16.99 per month
Family: €22.99 per month
The packages differ mainly in terms of the amount of advertising and the number of people who can stream simultaneously .
2. Play Suisse
Play Suisse is the free streaming platform from Swiss Radio and Television (SRG). This service is financed by Serafe.
Here, you can watch Swiss productions. There are over 3,000 titles available to you. The content is not exclusive. This means it can also appear on other channels, such as on TV.
All content on Play Suisse is available in the original language with subtitles in German, French, Italian and sometimes Romansh.
What is the difference between Play Suisse and Play SRF?
On Play Suisse, you can watch Swiss films, series and documentaries. These are in-house and co-productions from all Swiss language regions – and thus a national platform for Swiss content.
Play SRF gives you access to the audio and video content from German-speaking Switzerland. There are also media libraries from the broadcasters for Switzerland’s other language regions, RSI, RTR and RTS.
Good to know: From autumn 2026, SRG plans to launch its new national streaming platform Play+ . This platform will bring together content from Switzerland’s public-service television channels. These include:
RSI
RTR
RTS
SRF
Play Suisse
This means you can then watch the content of Play SRF and Play Suisse in one place .
3. Pluto TV
Pluto TV is a mix of livestreaming and «on-demand» shows. This streaming service is financed through advertisements.
In its livestreaming service, Pluto TV offers over 150 channels. The channels each focus either on a particular theme (e.g. love or crime) or on a particular TV show or series (e.g. Star Trek or South Park). In its «on-demand» service, Pluto TV offers a selection of almost 10,000 films, series and TV shows.
Pluto TV is completely free of charge. There are also currently no paid accounts. The streaming service is financed exclusively by advertising. This means that you should expect ad breaks.
4. What exactly is Rakuten TV?
Rakuten TV is part of the Japanese online company Rakuten. According to Justwatch over 7,800 films can be found on Rakuten TV. However, the streaming service offers fewer than 100 series. In addition, Rakuten TV offers a range of live TV streams.
To watch films and series for free, you don’t need to create an account. Not all titles on Rakuten TV are available to you free of charge. The free content can be found via a separate menu item. The free service is financed through advertising.
5. Plaion channels
Plaion is a media company, founded in 1994 as Koch Media. In addition to films, Plaion also sells video games, among other things.
With Netzkino, Plaion offers an advertising-based, free streaming service. Netzkino also offers a paid account, which gives you a wider choice of films. In total, you can over 2’000 films and series on Netzkino.
Plaion also operates several YouTube channels, where you can watch films free of charge:
6. UCM.One
UCM.One (United Content Management.One) is a distribution, licensing and rental company for films, music and images. On its YouTube channels UCM.One uploads films, documentaries and series to its YouTube channels. The three channels with the most content are:
7. Weloadtv
On the YouTube channel Weloadtv of the German company Arenico, you’ll find over 3’000 feature films, TV films and series from different genres available to watch.
8. Free content catalogue
Some websites offer a overview of free streaming content:
Dokustreams:: Dokustreams has a catalogue of websites where you can watch documentaries free of charge. The listed documentaries are available in either German or English.
Documentaries are commonly embedded on the website. This means you don’t have to leave the website to watch your video, even though it was uploaded to another website (e.g. YouTube).Filmstreams: the Filmstreams catalogue provides an overview of YouTube channels where you can watch full films. The channels listed contain German films.
Comedystreams: Comedystreams lists shows with humorous content. As with Dokustreams, the content is embedded on the website. The shows listed are all in German.
Infostreams: the Infostreams catalogue consists of German news channels. Both German-language and English-language programmes are listed.
9. Conclusion
There are many free streaming alternatives. They are usually financed through advertising. The services provided by public television stations are exceptions to this rule.
If advertising doesn’t bother you, free providers offer a large selection. If you prefer to watch specific in-house productions or shows without advertising, paid providers the better choice for you.
10. Frequently asked questions about free streaming
There are various free streaming platforms. These include the media libraries of various TV channels, as well as Play Suisse. You will also find various channels on YouTube where you can stream films and series for free.
Netzkino, Pluto TV and Rakuten TV are classic streaming services. These are free because they are financed through advertising. Netzkino and Rakuten TV are also financed through paid accounts.
There are various legal free streaming services. These services usually have the necessary licences to offer films and series. These rights are granted by producers, among others.
However, there are also illegal websites, that distribute content without permission. These websites can legal issues or security risks. Therefore, you should only use well-known and reputable providers.
Reputable free offers are generally free to use. There are no mandatory costs. However, some providers do offer optional add-on features or premium subscriptions that are subject to a charge. These usually have to be activated by you yourself.
You cannot watch well-known films and series on free platforms due to licensing rights . This is because many well-known films and series are available exclusively on paid platforms. In addition, providers are often only allowed to make content available in certain countries or for a limited period of time.
This article was first published on 05.04.2023
