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Should Netflix users person to wage the BBC licence fee? (Image: GETTY)

Millions of Netflix users successful the UK could beryllium faced with a immense dilemma aft reports claimed Sir Keir Starmer is considering making streaming services customers wage the BBC licence fee.

The determination would signifier portion of the Labour Government's program to alteration the mode the BBC is funded, Bloomberg reports. At present, the licence interest stands astatine £169.50 a year, but volition emergence to £174.50 successful April 2025.

Insiders acquainted with the substance claimed the Treasury, and the Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS), are mulling implicit respective options

Other backing alternatives could reportedly see allowing the BBC to amusement adverts, making BBC vigor listeners wage a fee, and taxing streaming services.

A tier strategy truthful lower-income households wage little than their higher-income counterparts could besides beryllium created, portion iPlayer viewers could beryllium forced to wage a subscription fee.

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Alternatively, 1 root told Bloomberg the licence interest could besides beryllium near unchanged with the summation of a fewer insignificant ajustments and amended enforcements.

The DCMS has refused to straight code the "speculation"' but told Express.co.uk: "We volition supply much details astir charter reappraisal plans successful owed course."

Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy said she'd "already started archetypal discussions with the BBC enactment astir the Charter Review", which volition "future-proof our nationalist broadcaster until good into the second fractional of this century".

She besides confirmed that the Government is not considering backing the BBC done wide taxation.

The licence interest stands astatine £169.50 a year, but volition emergence to £174.50 successful April 2025 (Image: GETTY)

The BBC faces contention from advertising-funded TV channels, online content, and streaming platforms similar YouTube and Netflix.

Currently, funds generated from by the TV licence interest enactment the instauration of BBC programmes and services, and those who ticker immoderate unrecorded TV oregon watercourse BBC iPlayer indispensable wage the yearly cost.

In 2023, the broadcaster's full income from the licence interest was £3.74billion. This made up astir 65% of the BBC's full income.

It says it earns the remainder of its income from commercialized and different activities, including grants, royalties and rental income.