The BBC is reportedly developing methods to use iPlayer data to identify households that have not paid for a TV licence. According to reports, up to 40 million online BBC accounts could be linked with home addresses for the first time to help detect those accessing the streaming service without a licence.
Under current rules, any household that watches or records live TV on any channel or uses BBC iPlayer must have a TV licence, which costs £174.50 per year. To access BBC television and radio programmes on iPlayer, users must provide an email address, date of birth, and postcode. The BBC is now exploring ways to use this data to pinpoint where licences have not been purchased.
The BBC has a legal duty to collect the licence fee and sends targeted letters or emails to those it believes are not paying. Concessions are available for certain groups, including people aged 75 or older who receive pension credit, blind individuals, those in qualifying residential care who are disabled or over 60, and businesses providing overnight accommodation.
A TV Licensing spokeswoman stated: “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.” In 2024/25, the BBC collected £3.8 billion from sales of more than 23 million TV licences, but around £550 million is thought to have been lost through evasion. Just over 25,000 people were fined in the year ending 2024, down from 35,813 the previous year.
