Written by Annie Moss: Moss of Bath. Published: 22/09/2026. Last updated: 22/09/2026
No. You do not need a TV licence to watch Netflix in the UK, as long as you only watch on-demand content (like films, series, and documentaries). The same goes for Disney+, Amazon Prime Video and every other streaming service. The only time you need a TV licence is if you watch live TV on any channel, use BBC iPlayer, or watch one of Netflix’s live events (more on that below).
Moss of Bath has been selling and installing televisions in Bath since 1962, and whether you need a TV licence to watch Netflix is a question customers often ask us – often while standing next to a brand new set they’re about to take home. The rules are simpler than most people think, but there’s one newer wrinkle with Netflix that catches people off guard.
When do you need a TV licence in the UK?
Two questions decide whether a TV licence is necessary.
Do you ever watch or record programmes as they’re being broadcast live – on any channel, through any device? Do you ever use BBC iPlayer, for anything at all, live or on demand? If the answer to either is yes, you need a TV licence. If the answer to both is no, you don’t.
It doesn’t matter what device you’re using. A phone on the sofa counts the same as a 65-inch OLED on the wall. And it doesn’t matter which channel: live ITV, live Sky Sports, even a live YouTube stream of a council meeting. If it’s broadcasting as you watch it, a TV licence is required.
Here’s how it breaks down across the main streaming services:
| Service | On-demand viewing | Live content |
| Netflix | No licence needed | Licence needed |
| BBC iPlayer | Licence needed | Licence needed |
| Amazon Prime Video | No licence needed | Licence needed |
| Disney+ | No licence needed | N/A — no live content |
| ITVX | No licence needed | Licence needed |
| Channel 4 / My5 | No licence needed | Licence needed |
| YouTube | No licence needed | Licence needed (live streams only) |
| Sky / NOW | No licence needed | Licence needed |
BBC iPlayer is the outlier. Every other service follows the same pattern: on-demand is fine, live needs a licence. iPlayer requires a TV licence for everything, catch-up included.
What about Netflix’s live events?
This is where people get tripped up. Netflix is no longer a purely on-demand service. Since 2024, it has been streaming live sport and entertainment, including NFL Christmas Day games, boxing (the Tyson Fury vs Arslanbek Makhmudov card in April 2025 at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium was a recent example), WWE Monday Night Raw every week, and live comedy specials.
If you watch any of those events as they happen, you need a TV licence. TV Licensing has confirmed this directly: “If you are watching a TV programme that is being broadcast live on Netflix, you need to be covered by a TV Licence.”
The on-demand catalogue – the films, box sets, documentaries you choose to watch whenever you like – remains completely licence-free. The distinction is live versus on-demand, not Netflix versus the BBC.
Do you need a TV licence if you own a smart TV but only stream?
No. Owning a television does not require a licence. We install smart TVs in homes across the South West every week, and this is the single biggest point of confusion we come across. People assume that having a TV in the house means they have to pay. That’s not how it works.
You could own three televisions, a projector and a tablet and owe nothing, as long as none of them are used to watch live broadcasts or BBC iPlayer. The trigger is what you watch, not what you own.
How much does a TV licence cost in 2026?
From 1 April 2026, the standard colour TV licence costs £180 a year – up from £174.50, a 3.14% rise linked to CPI inflation. That works out to £15 a month on a direct debit.
The black-and-white TV licence is £60.50 a year (yes, over 3,500 UK households still have one!).
Households where someone aged 75 or over receives Pension Credit qualify for a free TV licence – but it’s not automatic, you have to apply. Check if you qualify here.
People who are registered blind or severely sight-impaired get a 50% discount, bringing the cost down to £90. And care homes pay a concessionary rate of £7.50 per room.
One more inflation-linked increase is expected in April 2027 before the current BBC Charter period expires.
How to cancel your TV licence (legally)
If your household doesn’t watch any live TV and never uses iPlayer, you can cancel your licence and save that £180 a year. But don’t just stop the direct debit and leave it at that.
You need to make a No Licence Needed declaration on the TV Licensing website. This tells TV Licensing you don’t need one and reduces the chance of follow-up visits. Watching live TV or iPlayer without a valid licence is a criminal offence. The maximum fine is £1,000 plus court costs.
The number of households going licence-free is climbing fast. The BBC’s 2025/26 annual report showed 23.3 million active licences, down 540,000 in a single year. Since the start of the decade, more than 2.5 million households have dropped out. The fee evasion rate hit a record 12.5%, though a large proportion of those “evaders” are likely households that switched to streaming-only and simply didn’t fill in the declaration form.
Could the rules on TV licensing change?
Possibly. The UK government published a green paper on BBC Charter renewal in December 2025 and ran a public consultation that closed in March 2026. One option on the table: expanding the licence fee to cover streaming-only households.
The BBC’s argument is straightforward. Only 80% of the population currently pays the licence fee, despite 94% using BBC services at least once a month. As more homes go streaming-only, the funding base keeps shrinking. A White Paper with firmer proposals is expected later in 2026, ahead of a new Royal Charter taking effect on 1 January 2028.
Nothing has changed yet. Right now, if you don’t watch live TV and don’t use iPlayer, you don’t pay. But this is a space worth watching, and a good reason to bookmark this page. We’ll update it when the government’s position becomes clearer.
Common questions
Can I watch Netflix without a TV licence?
Yes. Watching Netflix films and series on demand does not require a TV licence, regardless of which device you use. The only exception is Netflix’s live broadcasts (NFL games, boxing, WWE), which do require a licence.
Do I need a TV licence for Amazon Prime Video?
Not for on-demand content. Amazon’s film and series library is licence-free. But if you watch live sport through Prime Video — live Premier League football, for example — that counts as live TV and requires a licence.
Do students need their own TV licence?
Usually, yes. Students in halls of residence or a house with separate tenancy agreements each need their own licence if they watch live TV or iPlayer. There is one narrow exception: a student can be covered by a parent’s licence if they watch only on a device powered by its own battery (not plugged in) and the parent holds a valid licence at the home address.
Do I need a TV licence for a second TV in my bedroom?
No extra licence needed. One licence covers every device at your address — televisions, laptops, phones, tablets, the lot. You only need one per household.
Do over-75s get a free TV licence?
Only if someone in the household aged 75 or over receives Pension Credit. The universal free licence for all over-75s ended in August 2020. You need to apply through TV Licensing — it isn’t given automatically. Check if you qualify here
Do I need a TV licence to listen to BBC Radio?
No. Radio — including all BBC radio stations — is completely licence-free.
If you’re setting up a new TV and want to know what you actually need — and what you don’t — we’re always happy to talk it through. Call us on 01225 331 441 or drop into the showroom at 45 St James’ Parade, Bath.
