Depending on how you use your console, it could easily break a UK-wide rule
Gamers might need to pay a fee or risk breaking UK law when using their consoles. Millions of people who use their PlayStation, Xbox or Nintendo Switch in a certain way could risk being caught out by the authorities.
The TV Licence is a UK-wide requirement across England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland under the Communications Act (2003) to watch or record live TV on any channel or device. This includes gaming consoles like Sony’s PlayStation and Microsoft’s Xbox – which both have access to services like BBC iPlayer, Netflix or Disney+.
The Nintendo Switch has a limited number of video streaming apps. It cannot stream most major apps, but does have access to YouTube.
TV Licensing guidance states that a licence is not required to view “user-generated content, clips and videos on YouTube”. But one is needed if people watch live television broadcasts or live-streamed TV programmes – including when doing so via a games console.
How much is a TV Licence in the UK?
A standard UK TV Licence costs £180 per year. People can choose to pay this all in one go or spread the cost monthly (from £15 a month) or in four quarterly payments (from £46.25) throughout the year, with a small £1.25 charge added to each payment.
By spreading the cost, TV Licensing will charge more than the flat one-off fee. The website states a monthly Direct Debit licence will start at £30 a month for the first six months and, from then on, TV owners will pay “around £15 a month” where the quarterly option will include an additional £1.25 charge for each payment.
Can I get a cheaper TV Licence?
People can get a discounted rate on their TV Licence in certain circumstances, though these are limited and must be applied for directly. They include:
- Free: If you’re aged 74 and over and you, or your partner living at the same address, receive Pension Credit
- £7.50 per month: If you live in a care home or sheltered accommodation
- £60.95 per year: If you only watch on a black and white TV
- £90 per year: If you’re blind (or severely sight impaired)
Students do not get a permanent discount, but they can apply for a refund to recover “any unused months at the end of the academic year”. To check if you are eligible, click here.
What happens if I’m caught without a TV Licence?
The punishment for watching live TV or BBC iPlayer without a licence is prosecution and a maximum court fine of up to £1,000 – or up to £2,000 if you live in Guernsey. While £1,000 is the legal maximum, the actual average fine issued in court is usually much lower, often around £200.
You will usually be ordered to pay court costs and victim surcharges on top of your fine. If you are taken to court, fined, and then willfully refuse to pay that court-ordered fine, the court can impose a custodial sentence as a final resort for non-payment of court debts.
