GitHub is a primary hub for crowdsourced, free IPTV M3U lists that aggregate publicly available streams (e.g., free-to-air broadcasts and legal internet streams) from around the world. Top IPTV M3U Repositories on GitHub

Stick to public domain or free-to-air channels (e.g., news, government, religious, some local broadcasters) to stay safe.

Use a VPN (Virtual Private Network). A VPN hides your streaming activity from your ISP. It also prevents DDoS attacks, which are common on free IPTV servers. If you are serious about free IPTV, a $3-$5/month VPN is a necessity.

Limitations

VLC Media Player: Go to Media > Open Network Stream and paste the URL.

My recommendation:

How to Use a GitHub M3U List

  1. Download the raw file – click the M3U file in GitHub, then right-click "Raw" and save as .m3u.
  2. Open in a player:

    3. Instability

    Free lists are notoriously unreliable. A link that works today might be dead tomorrow. This creates a constant game of "whack-a-mole" where you must hunt for new lists every few days.