BBC licence fee: Netflix scenario that could see you breaking the TV licence fee law

• Netflix watchers need to be aware of the licence fee scenario that could land them in hot water.
• You don’t need to pay for a TV licence to use Netflix for most of the time - but there is one case where it is needed.
• If you are caught evading paying the licence fee, you could face criminal prosecution.

If you don’t bother watching live TV and just stick to binge watching on Netflix, you probably don’t feel the need to fork out for the licence fee. The price has gone up in 2024 and is expected to rise again in the coming years.

Under the current law it is illegal to watch live or recorded TV (if you have a Sky or Virgin box) without paying the licence fee. However you can watch streaming services (aside from BBC iPlayer) with no need to pay it - except in one specific scenario.

The government will reportedly scrap criminal prosecutions for licence fee evasion in a major shake-up. Currently, 75% of prosecutions involve women and nearly 1,000 people are prosecuted each week - albeit the number has fallen in recent years.

The licence fee also has a number of exemptions - and thousands of people could be missing out on it. But could watching Netflix land you in hot water? Let’s find out:

Do you need a TV licence to watch Netflix?

If you are just watching streaming services - like Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, Disney Plus - then you don’t need to worry about paying the licence fee. Except in the case of the BBC iPlayer - which is covered by it.

On its website the TV Licence explains: “You don’t need a TV Licence to watch on demand programmes on Netflix.” However there is one scenario where you do need to have paid the licence fee when using Netflix.

How watching Netflix could break licence fee laws?

For those who don’t pay the licence fee because they only watch Netflix, for 99 times out of 100 you need not worry. But the streaming giant has recently started to make moves into the live streaming arena.

It has live coverage of the upcoming Jake Paul vs Mike Tyson boxing fight next month. So if you want to watch it live, you will need a licence fee.

Share your thoughts on the BBC licence fee by emailing our tech writer:[email protected].