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It has been reported that the government is planning a shake-up of the licence fee, which could require viewers in the UK who only watch TV via streaming services to pay.
Currently, UK residents only have to pay for a TV licence if they watch live TV, and not if they only watch pre-recorded programmes via streaming services such as Netflix, Disney Plus, Apple TV+, Prime Video and Paramount Plus.

(If they watch live shows on those platforms though, such as Netflix's WWE programming, they do require a licence.)
However, Bloomberg has reported that ministers are considering extending the fee to those viewers, so as to secure funding for the BBC.

It is said to be one of a number of options being discussed with regards to making the funding of the public broadcaster more sustainable. The licence fee is currently set to rise in April 2025.

When approached by RadioTimes.com, a spokesperson for the Department for Culture, Media & Sport said: "We do not comment on speculation. We will provide more details about Charter Review plans in due course."

Meanwhile, a BBC spokesperson said: "We want everyone to get value from the BBC, which is why we’re focused on delivering what audiences want from us – trusted news, the best homegrown storytelling and the moments that bring us together.

"The public cares about the BBC, and this year, we will launch our biggest ever public engagement exercise so audiences can help drive and shape what they want from a universal and independent BBC in the future.

"We look forward to engaging with government on the next Charter and securing the long-term future of the BBC."

UK considering charging Netflix users licence fee to support BBC

The move is reportedly one of a range of options being looked at by the government.

www.radiotimes.com

 

[ReBurn]

The TV license in the UK is the funniest thing to me

 

[StreetsofBeige]

LOL. Sounds about right. Typical shitty government with their shitty media that cant keep up.

I dont know what the US is like, but in Canada we got god awful CBC. I dont know what theyre up to lately, but it used to be their TV channel and radio stations needed $1B in federal subsidies to keep afloat because nobody watched the junk they showed except NHL hockey, and zero people listened to their radio. At the time, it was stated hockey was 30% of the entire TV channel's ad revenue (or it might had been companywide). And hockey is only about 8 months of the year and CBC mostly just showed just regular season games on Saturdays, and playoffs. They dont show games during the weekdays unless it's playoff time.

What the gov also does is some kind of rule that if a big US station has a TV show, it has to be simucast on a Canadian channel at the same time or earlier than the US channel to give the Canadian channels a break. If not, nobody would watch Canadian channels except for news and sports. Back in the day, I remember when CBC showed reruns of Simpsons and Fresh Prince, it was among their best rated shows all week. Reruns. lol

 

[Hookshot]

The license is supposed to allow it to be free from government meddling but there was nothing really forcing it to remain politically neutral making it your usual manipulative leftwing news source

 

[IDKFA]

Fuck the TV licence. It's just a tax to fund the BBC. It's outdated and should be abolished.

Those who want to watch the BBC can pay for a subscription like Netflix or Prime. Those who don't want to watch the BBC won't be required to pay.

Simple and fair.

 

[winjer]

People in the UK already hate the BBC enough for the TV license.

 

[Bert Big Balls]

FUCK the license. Ram it up your bollocks, BBC. I'll just keep on pirating. Cunts.

 

[Bert Big Balls]

The TV license in the UK is the funniest thing to me

It's fucking massively retarded and no one pays it anyway. Should just be scrapped.

 

[ReBurn]

It's fucking massively retarded and no one pays it anyway. Should just be scrapped.

I read somewhere that the government pays people to drive around and try to find people who are watching TV without a license so they can fine them. Is that actually true?

 

[thefool]

Oi mate, you got a loicense to watch netflix?

 

[Bert Big Balls]

I read somewhere that the government pays people to drive around and try to find people who are watching TV without a license so they can fine them. Is that actually true?

Yep. They rock up to your house and ask to come in so they can catch you watching live TV. No one lets them in though as legally they don't have any power to enter. If the police are called, they normally side with the homeowner. They are truly pathetic lol.

 

[nush]

Arrive in the UK and the po po check your phone for Netfix. Pay up you need a licence here for that.

 

[Hookshot]

I read somewhere that the government pays people to drive around and try to find people who are watching TV without a license so they can fine them. Is that actually true?

Supposedly and I've seen adverts warning about not paying it but I've never seen an enforcement van in my life.

I'm more annoyed about playing for Sky when the football that they used to have a monopoly on is spread between 3 companies now, so I miss a lot of games a week

 

[mitch1971]

Goodluck with that. You ain't getting money from me. The words truth and bbc should never be said in the same sentence. (apart from this one)

 

[YCoCg]

They can fuck off, people will just declare they don't watch streaming services instead, they have no way of proving shit.

 

[Ovek]

 

[Werewolf Jones]

This country will do anything to bleed you dry.

 

[lifa-cobex]

You can consider it all you want. I won't fucking happen.
Stop trying to drain your public for every bloody penny.

The TV license in the UK is the funniest thing to me

Their are variants in a lot of country's.
Some places call it an Electricity licence.

It's just tax for FUCK YOU reasons.

 

[RagnarokIV]

Never paid the TV tax and never will. Giving your money to a bunch of pedos, only in the UK.

we’re focused on delivering what audiences want from us – trusted news, the best homegrown storytelling and the moments that bring us together.

Their news is shit (pedo gang now is being glossed over for example). Their "homegrown storytelling" is woke shite that's killed Dr Who.

 

[DeepEnigma]

Pay for your propaganda, peasants.

 

[Reizo Ryuu]

That sounds insane

 

[RagnarokIV]

I read somewhere that the government pays people to drive around and try to find people who are watching TV without a license so they can fine them. Is that actually true?

They send me shit 3x a month in the mail. It's always addressed to the "legal occupier" because they don't have my details, and never will.

It threatens visits from the police, "enforcement agents", court action etc. I was going to make a thread about it ages ago.

They've had their boss of my region ready to kick my door down any day for decades.

Funnily enough, it's the game guy all over the UK! The man, the myth, the legend - Scott Robson!



They also love to spread FUD that sadly works on stupid, elderly and vulnerable people like how they have magic "detector vans" with super magic technology that will scan through your house and show them what you're watching on TV.

Stupid fucken cunts acting like Bob Lazar was working for them.

 

[SJRB]

Why is all the news coming from the UK just straight up terrible? Just a never ending stream of dystopian awfulness.

What is going on there?

 

[Sgt.Asher]

LOL. Sounds about right. Typical shitty government with their shitty media that cant keep up.

I dont know what the US is like

The US has PBS and NPR which have been going downhill for a decade. PBS had good childrens and science programs but I haven't seen much coming out of there lately. All the good shows ended years ago and is running on syndication. I do believe there is a youtube channel called ran by NOVA, pretty good.

NPR had a few good programs but then went insane in 2016, "This American Life" in particular became insufferable.

 

[Hookshot]

The US has PBS and NPR which have been going downhill for a decade. PBS had good childrens and science programs but I haven't seen much coming out of there lately. All the good shows ended years ago and is running on syndication. I do believe there is a youtube channel called ran by NOVA, pretty good.

NPR had a few good programs but then went insane in 2016, "This American Life" in particular became insufferable.

We get PBS America over here, it's documentaries and nature programs.

Currently it's showing "China: Treasures of the Jade Empire" about the tombs of the Han Dynasty, followed by "Apocalypse: Stalin" about Stalin

 

[Sgt.Asher]

We get PBS America over here, it's documentaries and nature programs.

Currently it's showing "China: Treasures of the Jade Empire" about the tombs of the Han Dynasty, followed by "Apocalypse: Stalin" about Stalin

Right, forgot about the history programs. Really good from the ones I watched. Ken burn documentaries in particular, really dry but really informative. So maybe PBS is still doing alright.

 

[6502]

They tried and failed to put a tv tax on phonelines like 10 years ago. Always cutting services, their news is more a twitter commentary than a real news source now. You could give them a billion and all we would get is more reruns, less channels and increased multimillion pound paychecks for "stars".

 

[Hookshot]

Right, forgot about the history programs. Really good from the ones I watched. Ken burn documentaries in particular, really dry but really informative. So maybe PBS is still doing alright.

We used to get a Smithsonian channel as well which was also documentaries but a bit basic, stopped a year or so ago though.

 

[Audiophile]

Just a little more tax to fix all the problems, then it'll all be good!

 

[Bert Big Balls]

We get PBS America over here, it's documentaries and nature programs.

Currently it's showing "China: Treasures of the Jade Empire" about the tombs of the Han Dynasty, followed by "Apocalypse: Stalin" about Stalin

Followed by Apocalypse: Stalin, about Musk.

 

[Fake]

UK is really out of their fucking minds.

 

[Warspite]

Or and its a big Or, the BBC could stop producing shite and produce good shows then maybe people would want to pay for their licence.

Just a thought.

 

[LordCBH]

Sounds like communism.

 

[YCoCg]

Or and its a big Or, the BBC could stop producing shite and produce good shows then maybe people would want to pay for their licence.

Just a thought.

Can't, need to spend money on finding out they protected sex pests and pedos

 

[nush]

Why is all the news coming from the UK just straight up terrible? Just a never ending stream of dystopian awfulness.

What is going on there?

a never ending stream of dystopian awfulness.

 

[diffusionx]

I read somewhere that the government pays people to drive around and try to find people who are watching TV without a license so they can fine them. Is that actually true?

It's literally where the meme comes from.


Well that, or when they arrest people for butter knives and brag about it on twitter.

 

[Hero of Spielberg]

They send me shit 3x a month in the mail. It's always addressed to the "legal occupier" because they don't have my details, and never will.

It threatens visits from the police, "enforcement agents", court action etc. I was going to make a thread about it ages ago.

They've had their boss of my region ready to kick my door down any day for decades.

Funnily enough, it's the game guy all over the UK! The man, the myth, the legend - Scott Robson!



They also love to spread FUD that sadly works on stupid, elderly and vulnerable people like how they have magic "detector vans" with super magic technology that will scan through your house and show them what you're watching on TV.

Stupid fucken cunts acting like Bob Lazar was working for them.

This is fucking hilarious. How do they get away with this bullshit?

 

[ReBurn]

This is fucking hilarious. How do they get away with this bullshit?

It's dangerous to watch tv without a license

 

[sono]

Not like this

 

[Durien]

LOL. Sounds about right. Typical shitty government with their shitty media that cant keep up.

I dont know what the US is like, but in Canada we got god awful CBC. I dont know what theyre up to lately, but it used to be their TV channel and radio stations needed $1B in federal subsidies to keep afloat because nobody watched the junk they showed except NHL hockey, and zero people listened to their radio. At the time, it was stated hockey was 30% of the entire TV channel's ad revenue (or it might had been companywide). And hockey is only about 8 months of the year and CBC mostly just showed just regular season games on Saturdays, and playoffs. They dont show games during the weekdays unless it's playoff time.

What the gov also does is some kind of rule that if a big US station has a TV show, it has to be simucast on a Canadian channel at the same time or earlier than the US channel to give the Canadian channels a break. If not, nobody would watch Canadian channels except for news and sports. Back in the day, I remember when CBC showed reruns of Simpsons and Fresh Prince, it was among their best rated shows all week. Reruns. lol

I live in Washington and I watch CBC for the hockey. I only have cable for hockey. My wife was asking if we could cut the cord. The problem is I can't get the Canucks if I do. This season, I am completing cutting the cord over cutting my qrists over how terribley inconsistent the Canucks have been this year. Took much f'ing primadonna drama...

 

[EerieArcade]

I'm 37 and I've never had a TV license. Not watched live TV since I was a kid - Gladiators on a Saturday night, Catchphrase etc. Won't ever buy one either.

 

[Hookshot]

I'm 37 and I've never had a TV license. Not watched live TV since I was a kid - Gladiators on a Saturday night, Catchphrase etc. Won't ever buy one either.

Gladiators is on Saturday night

BBC One Guide - Sat Feb 01 2025 - BBC iPlayer

Browse the TV Guide for programmes from the BBC.

www.bbc.co.uk

 

[Dr.Morris79]

The TV license in the UK is the funniest thing to me

And me, haven't paid it in years

 

[nush]

Subscribe to another streaming service instead, checkmate BBC.

 

[Robot Carnival]

Japan has something like that too right? there are people knocking on doors collecting newspaper or TV fees I think.

 

[BigDeadFreak]

Supposedly and I've seen adverts warning about not paying it but I've never seen an enforcement van in my life.

I'm more annoyed about playing for Sky when the football that they used to have a monopoly on is spread between 3 companies now, so I miss a lot of games a week

This was one of the worst decisions ever. It was supposed to prevent a monopoly and create competition. All it did was meant that you had to subscribe to three services instead of one so it just jacked up the price.

 

[Windle Poons]

And me, haven't paid it in years

Enforcement visit. APPROVED.

 

[ReBurn]

And me, haven't paid it in years

You rascal

 

[Ammogeddon]

The TV licence is a fucking joke. The prospect of paying it is even more ridiculous these days with streaming. It’s more relevant to consider getting rid of, not find ways to keep it. The BBC should be standing on their own two feet.

 

[adamsapple]

And me, haven't paid it in years