LIVE TV
Any channel, any service
You need a licence to watch or record live TV on any channel or service, including live channels on streaming apps and non-UK channels.
Check what you watchThe device does not matter. What you watch does.
A TV Licence is about watching or recording programmes as they are shown live, on any channel or service, and about BBC iPlayer. Most on-demand streaming elsewhere does not need one.
- Live on any service
- Anything on iPlayer
- On demand elsewhere is free of it
- One licence per household
THE SHORT ANSWER
It depends on
what, not where.
The rules are the same on a TV, laptop, phone or console.
Two things need a licence: live TV and BBC iPlayer.
BBC IPLAYER
Live, catch-up or download
You need to be covered to watch or download BBC programmes on iPlayer, live or on demand, on any device.
See the numbers
ON DEMAND
No licence needed
GOV.UK says you do not need one for streaming services like Netflix and Disney Plus, on-demand TV outside iPlayer, YouTube videos or DVDs.
Common casesGeneral information only, not legal advice. For advice on your own situation, speak to a qualified lawyer or a free advice service.
FOUR SITUATIONS PEOPLE ASK ABOUT
The awkward
in-between cases.
These come straight from the GOV.UK and TV Licensing guidance.
Watching on a phone away from home
If the device runs only on its internal battery, your home licence covers you. Plugged into the mains elsewhere, that property needs its own licence.
Sharing a house
With separate tenancy agreements and TV in your own room, you need your own licence. A joint tenancy or a single shared TV area can share one.
Students in halls
Watching in your own room needs a licence. A home address licence can cover a battery-powered device that is not plugged in or connected to an aerial.
No TV set at all
The rules still apply on laptops, tablets, phones, consoles and streaming sticks if you watch live TV or use BBC iPlayer.
TWO NUMBERS WORTH KNOWING
What it costs,
how we watch.
The fee for a colour licence,
and how many homes now subscribe to streaming.
£180
A colour TV Licence for a year
A black and white licence costs £60.50. You only need one per household, and people aged 75 or over who receive Pension Credit can get a free licence.
LICENCE FEE · GOV.UK
70%
UK households with a subscription streaming service
Ofcom's Media Nations 2026 found take-up in Q1 2026 had plateaued, only two percentage points higher than in 2021.
STREAMING · OFCOM
Ofcom also found the share of people watching live or recorded TV each week fell to 54% in 2025, from 71% in 2022, while weekly viewing of broadcasters' on-demand services rose to 46%.
A QUICK VIEWING CHECK
What are you
watching tonight?
Pick something you might watch to see whether it needs a TV Licence. The bar is full when a licence is needed.
Based on GOV.UK and TV Licensing guidance. This is general information, not legal advice; check TV Licensing for your own situation.
WHAT COUNTS AS LIVE
Not just sport
and news.
TV Licensing says live TV means any programme you watch or record as it is being shown on any TV or streaming service. That covers soaps, series, documentaries and films on a channel, not only live events.
It also covers recording to watch later, watching on a delay, repeats, +1 channels, live Red Button services and channels from outside the UK. GOV.UK says you can be fined up to £1,000 for watching or recording live TV without a licence.
In conversation
Questions people ask
Do I need a TV Licence for Netflix?
Not if you only watch on demand. GOV.UK lists streaming services like Netflix and Disney Plus among things you do not need a licence for. Watching live TV channels through any service does need one.
Do I need a licence for YouTube?
Not for videos and clips on demand. TV Licensing says you do need one if you watch TV programmes live on YouTube, such as a news channel streamed as it is broadcast.
Does BBC iPlayer always need a licence?
Yes. You need to be covered to watch or download BBC programmes on iPlayer, whether live, catch-up or on demand, on any device.
How much is a TV Licence?
GOV.UK says a TV Licence costs £180, or £60.50 for black and white TV sets, for both homes and businesses. One licence covers the whole household.
Who can get a free TV Licence?
People aged 75 or over who receive Pension Credit are entitled to a free licence. GOV.UK says discounts may also be available if you are blind or in residential care.
Sources
Each figure on this page comes from the sources below.