Streaming services tend to use three words interchangeably, which makes it hard to know what you are actually paying for. Here is what each one means in practice.
Live is exactly what it sounds like: the broadcast is happening now and you are watching it as it goes out. This is how matches, news bulletins and award ceremonies work. You can pause and rewind within the programme, but you cannot skip ahead of real time.
Catch-up covers programmes that have already aired. Meridian keeps the last seven days of most channels, so if you missed Sunday’s match you can still watch it on Thursday. It disappears once the window closes, which is why it is worth downloading anything you want to keep.
On demand is the permanent library: films, box sets and documentaries that sit there until you choose them. Nothing expires on a schedule, and everything can be downloaded for offline viewing on mobile and tablet.
Most evenings you will move between all three without thinking about it, which is rather the point.