# How to Identify Geoblocked Channels in Free-TV/IPTV: The Ⓖ Marker Explained

> Learn how to identify geoblocked channels in Free-TV/IPTV with the circled G Ⓖ marker explained. Discover easy methods to find and bypass region-restricted content in your channel lists.

- Repository: [Free TV/IPTV](https://github.com/Free-TV/IPTV)
- Tags: how-to-guide
- Published: 2026-06-17

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**TLDR:** In the Free-TV/IPTV repository, geoblocked channels are identified by the **circled "G" character (Ⓖ, Unicode U+24BC)** appended directly to the channel name in Markdown definition tables.

The Free-TV/IPTV project maintains curated lists of international television channels available via IPTV. Contributors and users need to identify which streams are restricted to specific geographic regions, and the repository uses a standardized visual marker to denote these **geoblocked channels** directly in the source data.

## The Ⓖ Marker: Unicode U+24BC in Channel Definitions

The repository uses the **circled "G" character (Ⓖ)** as the canonical indicator for geoblocked content. This Unicode character (U+24BC) appears immediately after the channel name in the Markdown tables that define each country's channel list.

According to the repository's documentation in [`README.md`](https://github.com/Free-TV/IPTV/blob/main/README.md) at line 174, contributors should indicate geoblocked content: "If you're adding geoblocked URLs specify it …" The implementation follows this convention by appending the Ⓖ symbol to the channel name column.

## Where Geoblocked Markers Appear in Source Files

You can find the Ⓖ marker across multiple country-specific list files in the `lists/` directory:

- **USA**: `Buzzr Ⓖ` appears in [`lists/usa.md`](https://github.com/Free-TV/IPTV/blob/main/lists/usa.md) at line 7
- **Italy**: `Rai 1 Ⓖ` appears in [`lists/italy.md`](https://github.com/Free-TV/IPTV/blob/main/lists/italy.md) at line 10
- **Sweden**: `SVT 1 Ⓖ` appears in [`lists/sweden.md`](https://github.com/Free-TV/IPTV/blob/main/lists/sweden.md) at line 7
- **Portugal**: `RTP2 Ⓖ` appears in [`lists/portugal.md`](https://github.com/Free-TV/IPTV/blob/main/lists/portugal.md) at line 6

This pattern is consistent across all regional lists in the Free-TV/IPTV repository, making it easy to scan for region-restricted content.

## How the Parser Processes Geoblocked Channels

The [`make_playlist.py`](https://github.com/Free-TV/IPTV/blob/main/make_playlist.py) script handles the generation of M3U playlists from these Markdown tables. When parsing channel definitions, the script extracts the raw channel name—including the Ⓖ marker—and passes it to the `Channel` class.

The marker is treated as part of the channel name string. No special filtering or flagging occurs during playlist generation; the Ⓖ symbol persists into the final `#EXTINF` line in the M3U output. This design choice keeps the marker visible to end users while maintaining simple parsing logic.

```python

# Conceptual representation from make_playlist.py

# The Channel class receives the name with marker intact

channel_name = "Buzzr Ⓖ"  # Parsed from Markdown table

# Generated M3U output includes the marker:

# #EXTINF:-1 channel-id="..." tvg-name="Buzzr Ⓖ",Buzzr Ⓖ

```

## Example of a Geoblocked Channel Entry

Below is a typical table entry from the source files showing the marker placement:

```markdown
| # | Channel            | Link | Logo | EPG id |

|---|-------------------|------|------|--------|
| 1 | Buzzr Ⓖ           | [>](https://buzzrota-ono.amagi.tv/playlist1080.m3u8) | ... | Buzzr.us |

```

The Ⓖ symbol sits immediately after the channel name in the second column. The link column uses the shorthand `[>](url)` format, while the marker remains in the channel name column.

## Summary

- **Ⓖ (Unicode U+24BC)** is the standard marker for geoblocked channels in Free-TV/IPTV.
- The symbol appears in country-specific Markdown files like [`lists/usa.md`](https://github.com/Free-TV/IPTV/blob/main/lists/usa.md), [`lists/italy.md`](https://github.com/Free-TV/IPTV/blob/main/lists/italy.md), and [`lists/sweden.md`](https://github.com/Free-TV/IPTV/blob/main/lists/sweden.md).
- The [`make_playlist.py`](https://github.com/Free-TV/IPTV/blob/main/make_playlist.py) script preserves the marker as part of the channel name when generating M3U playlists.
- No special processing logic is applied; the marker serves as a visual indicator for contributors and users.

## Frequently Asked Questions

### What is the exact Unicode character used for geoblocked channels?

The repository uses **Ⓖ**, which is the circled Latin capital letter G (Unicode U+24BC). This character is distinct from the regular letter G and is appended directly to channel names in the Markdown tables.

### Does the Ⓖ marker affect how the playlist is generated?

No. The [`make_playlist.py`](https://github.com/Free-TV/IPTV/blob/main/make_playlist.py) script treats the Ⓖ marker as part of the channel name string. It passes the complete name, including the symbol, to the `Channel` class, which outputs it in the `#EXTINF` line. The marker does not trigger any special filtering or regional logic in the code.

### How do I add a geoblocked channel to the repository?

According to [`README.md`](https://github.com/Free-TV/IPTV/blob/main/README.md) at line 174, when adding geoblocked URLs, you should specify this by appending the Ⓖ marker to the channel name in the Markdown table. Follow the existing format in your target country's list file, placing the symbol immediately after the channel name.

### Are there other markers for restricted content in the repository?

The primary marker for geographic restrictions is the Ⓖ symbol. The repository documentation focuses on this specific character for indicating geoblocked streams, and it appears consistently across all country-specific channel lists in the `lists/` directory.