BBC bosses are currently looking at a variety of methods to update its current licencing model.Holly Kintuka and Eilidh Farquhar Trainee Trends, Showbiz and Lifestyle Writer
16:58, 01 Feb 2026
BBC bosses are looking to update the TV Licence fee, which could result in charges for Netflix.(Image: Nikos Pekiaridis/Getty Images)
With thousands of households across the UK dodging their TV Licence fee, BBC bosses are looking for alternative options for how it operates its licensing model. With a variety of suggestions on the table, one option is to start adding additional charges for streaming services such as Netflix.
In a bid to try and diversify its income platforms, the bosses are also considering including a fee for using its website or for listening to its radio channels. If this proposal gets the green light, it would be the first time in 55 years that the broadcaster would charge listeners for tuning in to its radio stations.
At the current moment UK households pay £174.50 annually for the TV Licence fee, which allows Brits to watch live TV and any content on BBC iPlayer. This means Brits can listen to podcasts, the radio and access the BBC website for free.
However, with fee extensions being proposed, this could all change. Another avenue that bosses are exploring is increasing user fees for richer households so they can drop the price for lower income families, reports the Express.
According to figures from the BBC, the number of TV Licences across the UK has fallen from 24.1million to 23,8million over the past year. This is due to more people using streaming services such as Netflix, Amazon Prime and Disney+ instead of watching live TV.
The licence fee model was first created in 1946 and has since reportedly increased in line with inflation. However, over the last decade, it has seen a staggering jump of 20 per cent. However, with the royal charter being up for renewal, the BBC is hoping to strike up a new deal before the beginning of next year.
The current TV Licence fee is an annual payment of £174.50, but this could rise in April.(Image: Andy Hepburn/PA Wire)
There have been a variety of proposals on how to get more households paying the fee. One hope is that if more households pay, then bosses can align this with a reduction in the average cost.
Meanwhile, another option is to scrap the annual fee altogether and charge people instead for watching shows such as Top Gear and Line of Duty.
The UK Government has also suggested starting a subscription charge like Netflix or starting advertising, but it is believed that bosses at BBC weren’t interested in these approaches.
A BBC insider told The Sunday Times: “Our priority is ensuring the BBC is sustainable as a universal public service beyond just the next few years. That shouldn’t mean the price for ordinary households goes up. We’re very sensitive to that pressure.
“Ministers have set out an ambitious agenda of what the BBC should be, and we are open to all ideas that, as the consultation says, ensure the organisation ‘not just survives, but thrives’ in this competitive media landscape.”
On top of this, the BBC is also reportedly working on a way to crack down on iPlayers users who are currently dodging the licence fee. This would be done by using tracking technology to look into data.
Danny Cohen, former director of BBC television, said: “It makes a lot of sense to use digital data to track who is using the BBC and who should be paying the licence fee.”
If households without a TV Licence are caught watching live TV or using BBC iPlayer, they could be charged a fine of up to £1000.
A spokesperson from the BBC said: “As the Green Paper states, the BBC will only be able to deliver for the public if it has a sustainable long-term funding model in place and that means reform.
“We recognise the cost of living pressures on the UK public, so we are exploring all options for funding the BBC so that we can provide great value to audiences while also being fairer, more modern, and more sustainable.”