The BBC is reportedly developing methods to use iPlayer data to identify households that have not paid for a TV licence. Up to 40 million online BBC accounts could be linked with home addresses for the first time, enabling the corporation to target those accessing the streaming service without a valid licence.
Under current rules, any household that watches or records live TV on any channel or uses BBC iPlayer must have a TV licence, costing £174.50 a year. Users must provide an email address, date of birth, and postcode to access BBC content on iPlayer, and the BBC is now exploring how to use this data to pinpoint non-payers.
A TV Licensing spokeswoman said: “We always look at ways to improve how we collect the licence fee. This includes using the data available to us to get a better understanding of viewing habits and use of BBC services.” The BBC collected £3.8 billion from over 23 million TV licences in 2024/25, but around £550 million is thought to have been lost through evasion.
Concessions are available for those aged 75 or over receiving pension credit, blind people, disabled or over-60 residents in qualifying care homes, and businesses providing overnight accommodation. In the year ending 2024, just over 25,000 people were fined for licence fee evasion, down from 35,813 the previous year.
