London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Wednesday, Jul 30, 2025

What is the TV licence?

A public consultation on whether failure to pay for a TV licence should stop being a criminal offence has been launched by the government.

But what exactly is the licence fee - and who needs one?


How much is the licence fee and what is it for?

Today, the TV licence costs £154.50 a year (£52 for black and white TV sets) and will rise by £3 in April.

The licence fee's existence is guaranteed until at least 31 December 2027 by the BBC's Royal Charter. This sets out the BBC's funding and purpose.

The BBC provides public service broadcasting - which means its mission is "to act in the public interest" by providing "impartial, high-quality and distinctive" content, which "inform, educate and entertain" all audiences.

Money raised from the licence fee pays for BBC shows and services - including TV, radio, the BBC website, podcasts, iPlayer and apps. Almost £3.7bn was raised by the licence fee in 2019, accounting for about 76% of the BBC's total income of £4.9bn.

The remaining 25% (or £1.2bn) came from commercial and other activities (such as grants, royalties and rental income), according to the House of Commons Library.


What happens if people don't pay the licence fee?

Watching live programmes without a TV licence fee is against the law.

In 2018, more than 121,000 people were convicted for evasion, with five of them going to prison. The average fine was £176, but the maximum penalty is £1,000, plus legal costs and/or compensation.

Last year, there were about 26.2 million TV licences in use in the UK. About 7% of people who need a licence do not have one.

The government is now considering decriminalising non-payment of the licence fee by 2022. Announcing the consultation, Culture Secretary Nicky Morgan said it was time to think about keeping the fee "relevant" in a "changing media landscape".

It is not just the government that has questioned the licence fee. Match of the Day presenter Gary Lineker, whose annual BBC salary is £1.75m, suggested it should become a voluntary payment.

Lord Hall, who is stepping down as the BBC's director general, defended the charge, saying the corporation's success lies in it "being paid for and owned by the British public".

Decriminalisation would not mean that having a licence is voluntary, but failing to pay could become a civil offence, similar to non-payment of council tax or electricity bills.


Do I have to pay for a TV licence?

The law says that you must have a TV licence if you:

watch or record live TV programmes on any channel, even if it's not on the BBC
watch or stream programmes live on an online TV service such as ITV Hub, All 4, YouTube, Amazon Prime Video, Now TV and Sky Go
download or watch any BBC programmes on iPlayer
The rules apply to any device on which a programme is viewed, including a TV, desktop or laptop computer, mobile phone, tablet or set-top box.

So, for example, someone watching a live football match on a non-BBC channel via a laptop, would still need a TV licence.

But a licence fee is not needed to view BBC programmes on other streaming services, like Netflix.

So, downloading Gavin & Stacey on Netflix would not require a TV licence, whereas downloading the same episode on iPlayer would.

It is also fine to watch non-BBC programmes on online catch-up services without a TV licence, as well as viewing clips on sites like YouTube, according to the government website.

There are different rules for people like students away at university, tenants and lodgers, blind people and businesses.

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Former Judge Charged After Drunk Driving Crash Kills Comedian in Brazil
Jeff Bezos hasn’t paid a dollar in taxes for decades. He makes billions and pays $0 in taxes, LEGALLY
China Increases Use of Exit Bans Amid Rising U.S. Tensions
IMF Upgrades Global Growth Forecast as Weaker Dollar Supports Outlook
Procter & Gamble to Raise U.S. Prices to Offset One‑Billion‑Dollar Tariff Cost
House Republicans Move to Defund OECD Over Global Tax Dispute
Botswana Seeks Controlling Stake in De Beers as Anglo American Prepares Exit
Trump Administration Proposes Repeal of Obama‑Era Endangerment Finding, Dismantling Regulatory Basis for CO₂ Emissions Limits
France Opens Criminal Investigation into X Over Algorithm Manipulation Allegations
A family has been arrested in the UK for displaying the British flag
Mel Gibson refuses to work with Robert De Niro, saying, "Keep that woke clown away from me."
Trump Steamrolls EU in Landmark Trade Win: US–EU Trade Deal Imposes 15% Tariff on European Imports
ChatGPT CEO Sam Altman says people share personal info with ChatGPT but don’t know chats can be used as court evidence in legal cases.
The British propaganda channel BBC News lies again.
Deputy attorney general's second day of meeting with Ghislaine Maxwell has concluded
Controversial March in Switzerland Features Men Dressed in Nazi Uniforms
Politics is a good business: Barack Obama’s Reported Net Worth Growth, 1990–2025
Thai Civilian Death Toll Rises to 12 in Cambodian Cross-Border Attacks
TSUNAMI: Trump Just Crossed the Rubicon—And There’s No Turning Back
Over 120 Criminal Cases Dismissed in Boston Amid Public Defender Shortage
UN's Top Court Declares Environmental Protection a Legal Obligation Under International Law
"Crazy Thing": OpenAI's Sam Altman Warns Of AI Voice Fraud Crisis In Banking
The Podcaster Who Accidentally Revealed He Earns Over $10 Million a Year
Trump Announces $550 Billion Japanese Investment and New Trade Agreements with Indonesia and the Philippines
US Treasury Secretary Calls for Institutional Review of Federal Reserve Amid AI‑Driven Growth Expectations
UK Government Considers Dropping Demand for Apple Encryption Backdoor
Severe Flooding in South Korea Claims Lives Amid Ongoing Rescue Operations
Japanese Man Discovers Family Connection Through DNA Testing After Decades of Separation
Russia Signals Openness to Ukraine Peace Talks Amid Escalating Drone Warfare
Switzerland Implements Ban on Mammography Screening
Japanese Prime Minister Vows to Stay After Coalition Loses Upper House Majority
Pogacar Extends Dominance with Stage Fifteen Triumph at Tour de France
CEO Resigns Amid Controversy Over Relationship with HR Executive
Man Dies After Being Pulled Into MRI Machine Due to Metal Chain in New York Clinic
NVIDIA Achieves $4 Trillion Valuation Amid AI Demand
US Revokes Visas of Brazilian Corrupted Judges Amid Fake Bolsonaro Investigation
U.S. Congress Approves Rescissions Act Cutting Federal Funding for NPR and PBS
North Korea Restricts Foreign Tourist Access to New Seaside Resort
Brazil's Supreme Court Imposes Radical Restrictions on Former President Bolsonaro
Centrist Criticism of von der Leyen Resurfaces as she Survives EU Confidence Vote
Judge Criticizes DOJ Over Secrecy in Dropping Charges Against Gang Leader
Apple Closes $16.5 Billion Tax Dispute With Ireland
Von der Leyen Faces Setback Over €2 Trillion EU Budget Proposal
UK and Germany Collaborate on Global Military Equipment Sales
Trump Plans Over 10% Tariffs on African and Caribbean Nations
Flying Taxi CEO Reclaims Billionaire Status After Stock Surge
Epstein Files Deepen Republican Party Divide
Zuckerberg Faces $8 Billion Privacy Lawsuit From Meta Shareholders
FIFA Pressured to Rethink World Cup Calendar Due to Climate Change
SpaceX Nears $400 Billion Valuation With New Share Sale
×