Netflix, Disney+ and Amazon Prime users sent licence fee warning as BBC changes loom

The changes could impact viewers who lone ticker streaming services (Image: Getty)

Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, and Disney+ enthusiasts whitethorn soon beryllium roped into paying the licence fee, adjacent if they don't tune into BBC channels. The authorities is looking astatine ways to overhaul the licence interest and modernise it for the streaming age.

BBC vigor listeners whitethorn besides request to get a licence, adjacent if they don't ticker TV, and a 'two-tier' licence interest operation could perchance beryllium an enactment the authorities explores, cutting the outgo for debased income households. The authorities whitethorn besides look astatine advertizing oregon subscription models arsenic alternatives to the existent system.

With the BBC's existent Royal charter acceptable to expire successful 2027, the authorities volition beryllium looking astatine caller ways to money the BBC successful the future. Currently, viewers wage £169.50 per annum for the licence fee, which is acceptable to emergence to £174.50 successful April.

However, determination are discounts and exemptions, including radical implicit 75 who are connected pension recognition who get a escaped TV licence, and those successful supported lodging paying conscionable £7.50 a twelvemonth for a TV licence if they're implicit 60 oregon person a disability.

The existent licence interest doesn't screen the afloat outgo of moving the BBC (Image: Getty)

Earlier this month, civilization caput Lisa Nandy described the existing licence interest exemplary arsenic "deeply regressive" and highlighted its nonaccomplishment to rise capable currency to money the BBC. Though the licence interest contributes astir £3.7 cardinal annually, it accounts for conscionable 65% of the broadcaster's budget.

Netflix fans person besides precocious been deed with a stark warning: tune into unrecorded shows connected the streaming elephantine without a TV licence and you could look a hefty fine. The level has precocious begun streaming unrecorded shows specified arsenic WWE earthy from the USA, and viewers who lone ticker the streaming level whitethorn beryllium unaware they'll inactive request a TV licence.

A communal misconception is that a TV licence is lone indispensable for BBC channels, but successful reality, it's mandatory for immoderate unrecorded tv crossed each platforms.

When Bloomberg contacted the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) they said: "We volition supply much details astir charter reappraisal plans successful owed course." and refused to remark connected "speculation".

Meanwhile, a BBC spokesperson emphasised their committedness to assemblage value, saying: "We privation everyone to get worth from the BBC, which is wherefore we're focused connected delivering what audiences privation from america trusted news, the champion homegrown storytelling and the moments that bring america together.

"The nationalist cares astir the BBC and this year, we volition motorboat our biggest ever nationalist engagement workout truthful audiences tin assistance thrust and signifier what they privation from a cosmopolitan and autarkic BBC successful the future. We look guardant to engaging with authorities connected the adjacent Charter and securing the agelong word aboriginal of the BBC."