I would have thought if they were in apps on the App Store they were legal.
Or are you saying Apple are getting a cut from illegal activities?
Legal to download but not necessarily to use. Anyone can download BBC iPlayer from the UK app store, but if you're not in the UK and don't pay the license fee, then you're a criminal. It's really that simple.
UK TV content is intended exclusively for UK residents, which is why it's IP locked. If you circumvent that, you're a thief.