BBC iPlayer and the TV Licence

XB23 wrote:

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A gentle reminder to fellow cheapskates, who were watching catch-up on BBC iPlayer for free as a way around paying for a TV licence. The loophole has now been closed, and the new TV Licence rules comes into force from today - 01 / 09 / 2016

Official TV Licensing wrote:

The law changed on 1 September 2016.

You must be covered by a TV Licence to download or watch BBC programmes on iPlayer – live, catch up or on demand. This applies to any device and provider you use.

Don’t forget, you still need a TV Licence to watch or record programmes on any channel as they are being shown on TV or live on an online TV service.
So, if you already have a TV Licence, you’re already covered.

Do I need a licence for everything on BBC iPlayer?

You need to be covered by a licence to watch or download almost all BBC programmes on iPlayer. At the moment, there are just a few exceptions – watching S4C TV on demand, listening to radio, and watching films or TV shows you’ve bought on the BBC Store. There may be other exceptions in the future.
Remember, you still need a TV Licence to watch or record any live TV programmes on any channel, no matter what device you use.

Does the change in law affect my No Licence Needed declaration?

If you have declared to us that you don’t need a TV Licence, but you download or watch BBC programmes on iPlayer, you need to be covered by a licence.
You need a licence even if you access BBC iPlayer through another provider, such as:
Freeview, Freesat or YouView
Sky, Virgin Media or BT TV
Apple, Roku or Amazon

Does the law apply to all devices and providers?

Yes, it applies to any device and provider you use, including:
TV sets (including smart TVs)
DVD, Blu-ray and VHS recorders
Laptops and desktop computers
Tablets, mobile phones and other portable devices
Digital boxes or PVRs (such as Sky, Virgin Media or BT TV)
Games consoles
Media streaming devices (such as Amazon Fire TV, Apple TV, Chromecast, Roku and Now TV)
Freeview, Freesat or YouView

Does the change in the law apply to students?

Yes. Anyone who downloads or watches BBC programmes on demand, including catch up TV, on iPlayer must be covered by a TV Licence. As before, you still need to be covered by a TV Licence to watch or record live TV programmes on any channel, including on iPlayer. This applies to any device you use.

A standard TV Licence costs £145.50.

Source: http://www.tvlicensing.co.uk/check-if-y … tv-licence

To put it simply, If you have a license, you don't need to do anything. All viewers who use the iPlayer to watch ANY BBC programmes must now be covered by a TV licence [BBC News]

How are they going to find out if I continue to watch without a license? Well they have ways, and it's not worth it:

If you are not licensed, you risk prosecution and a fine of up to £1,000* plus any legal costs and/or compensation you may be ordered to pay.

Source: http://www.tvlicensing.co.uk/check-if-y … tv-licence

Unfortunate news indeed my dear penny-pinching friends. The time has come to stop being stingy guys, and get a licence if you wish to continue watching shows on BBC iPlayer.

Best of luck.

YES! There are so many students out there in the UK that have not bought a TV licence and think it is OK because they do not have a TV.
But even catch up TV is considered as watching TV, so this is such a valuable post!

More people should be aware that the government can find you if you have not bought a licence!