UK-CatchupDNS Blocklist

A focused DNS blocklist for UK catch-up TV apps where advertising or measurement calls are still made to separate hostnames.

This repo does one thing: it provides a plain-text list of domains. It is not a Pi-hole installer, not a browser extension, not an app patch, and not a silver bullet. Bring your own DNS filtering setup, add the list, refresh your rules, and test on your own devices.

What this is for

Most network-level blockers work like a very strict phone book. When a device asks for a blocked domain, your DNS filter refuses to resolve it. If the app requests programme video from one hostname and advertising/measurement from another hostname, DNS filtering can help. If both are served from the same hostname or stitched into the same stream, DNS cannot reliably separate them without also risking playback.

In plain English: this can block some noisy TV-app requests, but it cannot inspect encrypted video, edit streams, skip frames, or distinguish an advert from a programme when both arrive from the same place.

Current known behaviour

Service/app family	Current repo stance	Notes
Channel 4 app / All 4 / 4oD	Included	Known to work on many app/TV setups, but domains can change and device behaviour varies.
5 / Channel 5 / My5	Included	Known to work on tested setups. Some newer TV platforms may need allowlisting if playback fails.
ITVX	Not targeted	DNS-level blocking is unreliable here because blocking likely playback-related hosts can break normal viewing.
Prime Video	Not targeted	Not suitable for this list. DNS cannot reliably separate same-host or in-stream advertising from programme video.

Files

File	Purpose
domains.txt	Recommended list. Start here.
domains-extended.txt	Optional candidates. Add one at a time only when testing.
AUDIT.md	Review notes, source confidence, and rationale for included/excluded domains.
CHANGELOG.md	What changed in this refactor.

Recommended setup

Use this repo as a small overlay on top of a well-maintained general-purpose DNS list. Do not rely on a stale copied snapshot of somebody else’s huge list.

A sensible setup is:

1. Subscribe to a maintained upstream list directly for general blocking.
2. Add this repo’s domains.txt as your UK catch-up TV overlay.
3. Refresh your DNS filter’s lists.
4. Fully close/reopen the TV app, or reboot the device if it caches DNS aggressively.
5. Test one service at a time.

For general-purpose blocking, HaGeZi’s maintained DNS lists are a strong upstream choice. This repo is intentionally not trying to replace them.

How to use the list

Use the raw URL for domains.txt in whatever DNS filtering tool you already run.

For GitHub, open domains.txt, press Raw, then copy that URL into your DNS blocklist/adlist area.

Typical flow:

Add raw domains.txt URL -> save -> update/refresh lists -> restart affected app/device -> test playback

The file is plain domain syntax, so it should be easy to adapt for Pi-hole, AdGuard Home, NextDNS-style allow/deny lists, ControlD-style custom rules, custom router firmware, or any OS-level DNS filtering workflow that accepts one domain per line.

Pi-hole example

In the Pi-hole web UI:

1. Go to Adlists.
2. Add the raw domains.txt URL.
3. Run Update Gravity.
4. Check Query Log while launching the app and starting playback.

CLI equivalents vary by version, but the rough flow is:

pihole -g

For one-off local testing, add an individual domain to the denylist first, test it, then promote it into this repo only when it proves useful and does not break playback.

Troubleshooting

Ads still show

Check the boring stuff first, because it is usually the boring stuff:

• The device may not be using your DNS filter.
• The app/device may be using hardcoded DNS, IPv6 DNS, DNS-over-HTTPS, a VPN, or cached DNS.
• The service may have changed delivery methods.
• The ad may be coming from the same hostname or stream as the content.

Playback breaks

Remove the newest or most experimental domains first. Start with domains.txt only; do not add domains-extended.txt until the main list is stable on your setup.

For smart TVs, consider using a dedicated device group so you can tune TV rules separately from phones, laptops, and work devices.

What should not be added

Avoid broad parent domains unless you have a very specific reason. These are too likely to break normal video playback or unrelated services:

akamai.net
akamaihd.net
amazonaws.com
channel4.com
fwmrm.net
itv.com
omtrdc.net
skymedia.co.uk

Also avoid turning this into a general privacy/security list. That job is better handled by maintained upstream projects. This repo should stay small, readable, and testable.

Contributing domains

A good candidate should meet most of these checks:

1. It appears in the DNS log during app launch, pre-roll, mid-roll, or ad-break behaviour.
2. Blocking it changes ad/measurement behaviour without breaking normal playback.
3. It is specific enough to avoid collateral damage.
4. It is backed by local testing or multiple public reports.
5. It is documented in AUDIT.md with a reason.

Please include device/app details when suggesting changes. “Works on my TV” is useful; “works on Samsung TV model X, app version Y, UK account, after cache clear” is much better.

Attribution and background

This repo was originally a personal Pi-hole blocklist seeded from a HaGeZi Pro snapshot with a few UK TV domains added at the top.

The recommended direction is now cleaner:

• Keep this repo focused on the UK catch-up overlay.
• Subscribe to HaGeZi, AdGuard DNS Filter, OISD, or another maintained upstream list directly for general blocking.
• Avoid vendoring huge upstream snapshots into this repo unless there is a strong reason and the licence/update process is clear.

Disclaimer

This project is independent and community-maintained. It is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or connected to any broadcaster, streaming platform, ad-tech provider, DNS provider, or blocklist maintainer.

Domains and app behaviour can change at any time. Use at your own risk, keep an allowlist handy, and test before rolling changes out across a household network.