The UK Government has refused to rule out extending the BBC TV licence fee to streaming services such as Netflix and Disney+, following calls to protect households from additional costs.
More than 19,500 people have backed an online petition opposing the move, prompting a written response from the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS). The department confirmed that the future of BBC funding remains under consideration following a public consultation, but no final decisions have been made.
Petition calls for no extension to non-BBC streaming
The petition, created by Alec Burns and published on the UK Parliament petitions website, calls for the TV licence fee not to be extended to streaming services that are not owned or operated by the BBC.
In its written response earlier this month, the UK Government stated: "The Government is considering responses to the public consultation on the BBC Charter Review Green Paper. We are keeping an open mind on future funding of the BBC. No final decisions have been taken."
The petition argues that extending the licence fee to streaming subscribers would place an additional financial burden on households already struggling with living costs. It states: "Amid a cost-of-living crisis, we believe the Government should be finding ways to save the public money, not expanding their means of taxation."
Government considers affordability and funding options
The DCMS acknowledged concerns about affordability and confirmed that the potential impact on households and consumers forms part of its ongoing policy work. The response states: "We understand that ensuring the licence fee is affordable is important. We want to ensure that costs are kept as low as possible for households to support them with the cost of living, while ensuring the BBC has sufficient and necessary resources to continue to deliver for all of us."
The UK Government is considering several options, including making the BBC more efficient, increasing its commercial revenue and reforming the licence fee. The response also highlighted changing television viewing habits and the decline in the number of households paying for a TV licence.
According to the DCMS, the total number of licences in force has fallen by three million since 2017/18. The department stated that changes in the way people watch television have raised questions about whether the current funding model remains suitable for the future.
Current TV licence rules and financial support
Under the existing rules, households generally need a TV licence to watch or record live television on any channel or service, including live programmes streamed online. A licence is also required to watch BBC iPlayer, whether programmes are live or available on demand.
However, people who only watch on-demand programmes through services such as Netflix, Disney+ or Amazon Prime Video generally do not need a TV licence, provided they do not watch live television or use BBC iPlayer. No decision has been announced to change these requirements.
The DCMS also confirmed that it is considering whether additional concessions or alternative payment arrangements could help households manage the cost of a licence. Existing support includes free TV licences for people aged 75 or over who receive Pension Credit, reduced fees for people who are registered blind or severely sight impaired, and concessions for certain care home residents.
The Simple Payment Plan, which allows eligible households to spread the annual cost through weekly, fortnightly or monthly payments, was extended in February 2025 to make more households eligible. The UK Government stated that the Charter Review is examining options for better reflecting different household circumstances, including possible new concessions.
A White Paper setting out proposals for the future of the BBC is expected to be published before the end of this year. The petition will remain open until December 11. Petitions reaching 100,000 signatures are considered by the Petitions Committee for debate in Parliament.
