Netflix, Prime Video and Disney+ viewers could pay BBC TV Licence under revolutionary proposal
The government is reportedly set to 'press ahead' on plans to make YouTube and Netflix viewers pay the BBC licence fee.
Even if you don’t watch traditional telly, you might have to fork out around £180, the current cost of the standard licence fee, to consume content on streaming platforms.
Currently, a valid TV licence is legally required in the UK to watch or record live TV on any channel, stream live content on online services, or use BBC iPlayer on any eligible device.
Under the new plans, however, you’ll apparently need to pay the fee to watch streaming services like YouTube, Netflix, Amazon, and Disney+.
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A senior Whitehall source told The Independent that many people who consume content on tablets and phones aren’t paying the annual fee, and the plans have been put in place ‘because people are able to use them to avoid paying currently’.
They added: “It’s not fair that people are essentially able to watch television content but avoid the licence fee.”
Following a so-called ‘hold-up’ with the charter renewal talks, the source says ‘we have had a change of prime minister’ and that ‘we are able to press ahead with the plan to expand it to streaming platforms’.
A White Paper on the BBC’s charter renewal is expected to be published before Christmas, which will set out how the corporation will be governed, regulated and funded from 2028 onwards.
It comes after BBC director-general Matt Brittin said that the corporation was being ‘held back’ by its TV licence fee.
“What we need to look at is the current model. You pay the licence fee if you watch live TV or you’re on iPlayer,” he said on Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg.
“I’d like to see reform that allows us to be where audiences are.
“I think BBC content should be on Netflix, on YouTube, on TikTok, on Spotify, and Instagram, and everywhere where audiences are.
“Particularly news, actually, which I think is part of disinfecting misinformation. It’s our job to be everywhere.”
In a statement shared with LADbible, a BBC spokesperson said: “We have consistently argued that the current funding model is outdated and needs reform.
“We will continue to engage with Government to secure a new Charter that provides sustainable, sufficient and universal funding so the BBC can deliver for audiences for generations to come.”
The Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) said in a statement: “The BBC must be funded by a model that is sustainable and fair to all those that are paying it.
“Through charter review, we are looking at a range of options, including how the licence fee could be reformed, but no final decisions have been made.”
The annual standard colour BBC TV licence fee over the past five years
• 2022: £159.00 (frozen)
• 2023: £159.00 (frozen)
• 2024 (from 1 April): £169.50
• 2025 (from 1 April): £174.50
• 2026 (from 1 April): £180.00
Anish Vij