Brits warned BBC TV licence changes could push streaming costs over £1000

An image of the TV licencing website next to an image of some bank notes
-Credit:Newcastle Chronicle


Earlier this week, there was mounting concerns that a major change could be coming to the way the BBC TV licence is enforced. Proposals brought forward by the Treasury, and the Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) were put on Prime Minister Keir Starmer's desk this week, and news of the changes have made TV viewers anxious.

Among the potential funding strategies under consideration are the introduction of advertising on the BBC, imposing a fee on BBC radio listeners, and implementing a tax on streaming services. There's also talk of a tiered payment system where lower-income households would pay less than wealthier ones, or charging a subscription fee for iPlayer access.

But the one that has turned the most heads is the proposal that even if you only watch streamed services like Netflix and no BBC live programming, you would still be charged the full amount of £169.50 a year (£174.50 from this April). BBC broke their silence on the proposed changes in a statement.

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Andrew Gosselin, a personal finance expert from Coupon Mister and former senior strategy consultant for a global, multi-billion-dollar software company has evaluated how much extra you could be paying if this plan was rolled out in the near future, alongside the current price of most-popular UK streaming services. Depending on the services you use (and if you have ads or not), the changes could see your yearly cost on TV top £1000.

A chart released to Newcastle Chronicle showing the price breakdown of several streaming services if they are charged with the TV licence.
A chart released to Newcastle Chronicle showing the price breakdown of several streaming services if they are charged with the TV licence. -Credit:Newcastle Chronicle

He advises that if you’re a family and your children enjoy watching TV, the best option would be to stick with one platform, Disney+. Currently, a yearly subscription without ads will set you back around £59.88, but with the possible TV licence, this could increase to £229.38.

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If this way would prove too controversial, another approach would be to maintain the licence fee relatively unchanged, save for minor adjustments and improved enforcement, noted an individual with knowledge of the internal talks. A spokesperson for the BBC commented: "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." reports Birmingham Live.

A representative for the DCMS declined to comment on "speculation", stating: "We will provide more details about charter review plans in due course."