BBC to use iPlayer to track down TV licence fee evaders, reports suggest

By Josie Clarke, Press Association Consumer Affairs Correspondent

The BBC is working on ways to use iPlayer to find households that have not paid for a TV licence, reports suggest.

Up to 40 million online BBC accounts could be linked with home addresses for the first time to help find households that are accessing the streaming service without a licence.

Any household in the UK that watches or records live TV on any channel or uses BBC iPlayer must have a TV licence, which costs £174.50 a year.

📺 There are lots of ways to pay for your #TV Licence.

From Direct Debit, payment cards and the TV Licensing app to over the phone or via a postal cheque — choose what works for you!

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Anyone wishing to access BBC television and radio programmes on iPlayer must provide an email address, date of birth and postcode.

It is understood that the BBC is now working on ways to use this data to identify where TV licences have not been purchased.

The BBC has a duty to collect the licence fee, and sends targeted letters or emails to those it believes are not paying it and should be.

There are concessions available for people who are aged 75 or older and receive pension credit, blind people, those who live in qualifying residential care and are disabled or over 60, and businesses that provide overnight accommodation.

Failing to pay the fee can result in a £1,000 fine.

A TV Licensing spokeswoman said: “We always look at ways to improve how we collect the licence fee.

“This includes using the data available to us to get a better understanding of viewing habits and use of BBC services.”

The BBC collected £3.8 billion from sales of more than 23 million TV licences in 2024/25, but around £550 million is thought to have been lost through evasion.

Just over 25,000 people were handed a fine in the year ending 2024, down from 35,813 the year before.