33,000 caught using iPlayer without a TV Licence
David Farnor | On 11, Oct 2017
More than 33,000 young people between the ages of 18 and 25 were caught watching live TV or BBC programmes on iPlayer without a TV Licence in the past year.
Recent research by TV Licensing shows BBC iPlayer continues to be the most used service for catch up and on-demand by students, with 82 per cent of students using the BBC platform. However, with 78 per cent of undergraduates aged 24 and under, TV Licensing is reminding new students they could face prosecution and a fine of up to £1,000, if they are caught watching live TV, or BBC programmes on iPlayer, on any device, without a TV Licence.
Jason Hill, spokesperson for TV Licensing, says: “With most students owning at least one device capable of showing live TV or watching BBC iPlayer – such as a laptop, smartphone or tablet computer – it’s important they know the law around being correctly licensed. If you’re watching live TV on any device, including mobiles and tablets, or watch catch up programmes on BBC iPlayer, you need a TV Licence.”
“If students are concerned about paying for a TV Licence, they should get in touch. We know some people struggle to pay, and there are many payment options available, from paying in one go to spreading the cost over the year,” adds Hill.
Do I need a TV Licence?
If students live in halls of residence and watch live TV on any channel or BBC iPlayer programmes in their room, they will need their own TV Licence. Students in shared houses will also require their own licence if they use a TV or device in their room, and have a separate tenancy agreement. Shared houses with joint tenancy agreements require only a single licence for the home.
A TV Licence will not be needed to catch up with TV online through other on-demand services, such as ITV Hub, All 4, My5 or Netflix. That means if you do not have a TV and only use your computer to watch Netflix, All 4, Amazon Prime Video, or other (non-iPlayer) on-demand services, you do not need to pay a licence fee. Any live-streaming from TV broadcasters, though, does require a licence.
There is one loophole left in the new law: students can be covered by the licence at their parents’ address, if they are watching TV on a device that is powered by its own internal batteries – e.g. a tablet or mobile phone, while on the move – and it is not plugged into the mains when watching TV.
For more details, visit tvlicensing.co.uk/studentinfo
Why should I pay the Licence Fee cover?
The fee covers a wide range of TV, radio and online content from the BBC, as well as developing ways to deliver it to audiences, such as iPlayer. Most importantly of all, the licence fee allows the BBC to remain free of adverts and also political and commercial interest. From unbiased news and Sherlock to Doctor Who and Line of Duty, if you like your BBC free of adverts (hello to Great British Bake Off) and willing to invest in new talent (hello to Fleabag), the TV Licence is the only way to fund the BBC.
The TV licence fee is going up this April
1st March 2017
The TV licence fee is going up this April for the first time in seven years.
From 1st April, the cost of the annual licence will rise from £145.50 to £147.
This is the first time it has risen since 1st April 2010, with the government freezing the fee at that level until three months after the last BBC Charter ended.
The government is responsible for setting the level of the licence fee. Last year, it announced that the fee will now rise in line with inflation for the next five years, starting this year.
Licence fee payers will receive a payment plan or a reminder reflecting the new amount when their licence is next due for renewal. Those buying or renewing a licence after 1st April will pay the new fee. Those already paying for a licence in instalments (e.g. by monthly direct debits) will continue to make payments totalling £145.50 until their licence comes up for renewal.
The announcement of the new fee amount follows a change of the licence fee conditions, as part of the renewal of the BBC Charter. As of last September, a TV licence is required for anyone watching or recording TV programmes as they are shown on TV, as well as watching or downloading BBC programmes on iPlayer. This applies whether they are using a TV set, computer, or any other equipment. (For those who still live in an age of no Internet and monochrome cathode ray TV sets, the cost of an annual black and white licence will rise from £49 to £49.50.)
The free concession for those aged over 75 remains, although those entitled to the concession must apply for it. If you are blind (severely sight impaired), you are entitled to a 50 per cent concession on the cost of a licence. From 1st April 2017, this amount will be £73.50.
The fee covers a wide range of TV, radio and online content from the BBC, as well as developing ways to deliver it to audiences, such as iPlayer. As part of previous agreements with the UK government under the Beeb’s Royal Charter, the fee also contributes to the costs of rolling out broadband to the UK population and funding Welsh Language TV channel S4C and local TV channels. Perhaps most importantly of all, the licence fee allows the BBC to remain free of adverts and also political and commercial interest.
You will need a TV licence to watch iPlayer this September
2nd August 2016
You will need a TV licence to use BBC iPlayer from 1st September, it has been confirmed.
On that date, new legislation will come into effect that will close the “iPlayer loophole”, which has previously allowed people to use BBC iPlayer to watch shows on catch-up without requiring a TV licence – only those watching live TV on iPlayer needed to pay the £145 a year fee.
That loophole, though, has been costing the BBC around £150 million every year, at a time when the corporation has been facing budget cuts. Last summer, the government agreed to change the law in exchange for the BBC taking on the £750 million yearly cost of providing free TV licences to over-75s.
Culture Secretary John Whittingdale said earlier this year that the new law would be brought forward “as soon as possible” to cover live and on-demand streaming on BBC iPlayer.
“When the licence fee was invented, video on demand did not exist,” he said. “The BBC works on the basis that all who watch it pay for it. Giving a free ride to those who enjoy Sherlock or Bake Off an hour, a day or a week after they are broadcast was never intended.”
The BBC’s white paper in May confirmed that the loophole would be closed, although there is still no confirmation on whether additional enforcement measures will be introduced to monitor iPlayer usage.
Now, TV Licencing has officially announced that a TV Licence will be required from September to “download or watch BBC programmes on demand, including catch up TV, on BBC iPlayer”.
This applies to any device and provider you use, which means that even if you are accessing iPlayer through a provider, such as Sky or Virgin, you will still need a licence.
However, a licence will not be needed to catch up with TV online through other on-demand services, such as ITV Hub, All 4, My5 or Netflix. That means if you do not have a TV and only use your computer to watch Netflix, All 4, Amazon Prime Video, or other (non-iPlayer) on-demand services, you do not need to pay a licence fee. Any live-streaming from TV broadcasters, though, does require a licence. A TV licence is also required to watch or record programmes from any channel.
TV Licensing has said that fewer than 2 per cent of UK households will be affected by this change, as the majority are already licensed.
One group that will be affected are students, with 2 in 3 viewing catch-up TV, according to TV Licensing research, and iPlayer proving the most popular platform, ahead of YouTube and Netflix.
With less than a quarter of students (22 per cent) taking a TV with them to university, online viewing on mobile devices has become by far the favourite way of consuming catch-up TV content.
Caroline McCourt, spokesperson for TV Licensing, comments: “Watching catch up TV is really popular among students and we want to make sure students are aware of the change in law. From 1 September, everyone will need to be covered by a TV Licence to watch BBC TV programmes on demand – including catch up – on iPlayer. Students can check at our dedicated TV Licence for students page whether they are correctly licensed before the big move.”
There is one loophole left in the new law: students can be covered by the licence at their parents’ address, if they are watching TV on a device that is powered by its own internal batteries – e.g. a tablet or mobile phone, while on the move – and it is not plugged into the mains when watching TV.
The change, meanwhile, does not affect the vast majority of households which are already licensed – if you already have a licence, you do not need to purchase a new one.
Pipa Doubtfire, Head of Revenue Management, says: “The change in law will help protect the BBC’s long term income as more viewers consume on-demand programmes and will ensure fairness for those already paying for BBC content. TV Licensing has carried out a targeted information campaign so those who are unlicensed will know about the change. In addition, an advisory notice will appear on BBC iPlayer from 1 September.”
Last updated: 1st September to include quote from Pipa Doubtfire