And while this is good news for busy households juggling working from home with home schooling, it also means you can get closer and stay connected to those you can’t be with right now – and we’re not just talking about another round of Zoom quizzes!

Thanks to shared watching platforms like Netflix Watch Party and BBC Together, you can stream your next movie night with people in separate rooms, or even separate households. And with ultrafast broadband, more people in your household can share the connection to do everything they love. Perfect for families who do more, watch more and have more fun.

Take a look at our five favourites and get a little closer to the ones you love...

Netflix and chill with Teleparty

Formerly known as Netflix Party, Teleparty allows you to watch the likes of Lupin and the latest episode of Snowpiercer with your loved ones, all at the same time. There’s even a little chat box so you can “OMG!” together to your heart’s content. Just make sure everybody has a Netflix account and has downloaded this extension to a Google Chrome browser on a laptop or desktop computer. Here’s how…

1. Install the Teleparty extension from netflixparty.com
2. Click “Add to Chrome” on the next page to add it to your toolbar or extension list
3. Head to Netflix and open any video
4. Click your extension icon and select “Start A Party”
5. Copy the URL and send to those you wish to join the watch party
6. Stream and enjoy!

Escape with an Amazon Prime Watch Party

From original series like Richard Hammond’s The Great Escapists, to electric indie films courtesy of the Sundance Now channel, the only problem you’ll encounter with this Watch Party is deciding what to watch! Just like Teleparty and Netflix, everybody at this party needs an Amazon Prime membership, and there’s chat functionality so you can stay in touch. Here’s how to get started...

1. Go to Amazon Prime Video on your laptop or desktop and select your title
2. On the title’s detail page, select “Watch Party”
3. Enter your name and click “Create Watch Party” to generate a Watch Party link
4. Select “Copy Link” or use the "Share" icon to invite your friends
5. Stream and enjoy!

Get together with BBC Together

With BBC Together, up to 50 people can watch content from across BBC iPlayer, Sounds, News, Sport and Bitesize on different devices, all in sync. As the host, you can control when you play or pause, so everyone can enjoy the same breathtaking moment from A Perfect Planet at the exact same time. What’s more, there’s no browser extension to download, which might make it more appealing for the less tech-savvy members of the family. Follow these steps to get going...

1. Choose your programme and copy the URL from your browser
2. Head to BBC Together
3. Paste the URL into the box to generate another link
4. Share the link with your friends
5. Stream and enjoy!

Hang five with TwoSeven

TwoSeven is a web app that allows you to host a watch party from a wide range of platforms and services, including YouTube, Netflix, Amazon Prime and Vimeo. You can host a party either in your browser or, to stream from Netflix or Amazon Prime, by downloading the extension for Chrome or Firefox. There’s no limit to the size of your party and, what’s more, in TwoSeven you can turn on your webcams and microphones so you can chat while you’re watching. Here’s how to start a party...

1. Sign up on the TwoSeven website
2. Click “Start watching”
3. Choose what you want to watch
4. Invite friends by sharing the link in your address by or clicking “copy link” from the Add Friends menu
5. Stream and enjoy!

Have a blast with Kast

What’s great about Kast is that it lets you share video from any source, including your own screen, so you can stream content from Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, YouTube videos or even video games. Available as a desktop, web and mobile app, Kast allows up to 20 people to share a screen or camera and up to 100 people to have a watch party. Hosting and sharing your own screen requires a paid subscription but, for a free watch party, you can choose from content on YouTube, or a selection of free TV shows and movies on Kast TV and Tubi. Just follow these steps...

1. Go to the Kast web app and create an account
2. Start your party by clicking your room on the front page, under “My Parties”
3. Find what you want to watch, either from Kast TV’s library or from another platform. If it’s the latter, click the video icon to share your screen, stream or webcam
4. Click “Copy Party Share Link” to generate a link to invite your friends
5. Stream and enjoy!

Faster brings us closer

Whether you’re a casual browser, a work from home warrior, or just like to stream your socks off, our fibre broadband was made to do it all – discover how to make the most of our speeds.