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Original poster

Do you pay your TV license poll

251 replies

scoobysnaxx · 21/09/2026 14:07

Just interested based on a conversation with a friend recently.

IABU - I pay
IANBU - I don’t pay

if you don’t pay, have you had letters/consequences?

OP posts:
Timeforachange26 · 21/09/2026 18:34

Nope but then again I have no tv. Not do I watch on iPlayer

Error404FucksNotFound · 21/09/2026 18:35

I pay but I bloody resent it.
I believe the BBC should move to a subscription model like every other company. I resent paying the BBC simply because I watch live tv on other channels!
Since so many claim its the envy of the world and totally brilliant, they can crack on with paying for it.

Timeforachange26 · 21/09/2026 18:36

SabreIsMyFave · 21/09/2026 16:24

Earlier in the year there was a phone-in on Good Morning Britain, (Ed Balls and Susannah Reid were presenting it,) about the BBC and if you pay for the TV licence and if you watch BBC... One man said 'no I don't pay and I don't watch it!' Ed Balls said 'oh I guess you won't be watching England in the semi final of the FIFA World Cup then?!' Wink

I wonder how many 'I don't have a licence coz I don't watch the BBC!' people watched the World Cup football matches on the BBC?!

Show quote history

Why would they. They were available on itv also.

Bjorkdidit · 21/09/2026 18:40

Plus not everyone watches football. A quick google suggested up to about 20 million people in the UK watched it. So around 50 million, or the majority of the population, didn't.

Keepthecat · 21/09/2026 18:41

Of course I pay.

Lonelycrab · 21/09/2026 18:41

There is no denying that the enforcement letters and emails have a threatening tone to them, assuming that any one not paying for a license must somehow be breaking the law.

This isn’t acceptable. Many of us have no interest in live tv, or at least have come to the decision that paying nearly £200 a year for a service they don’t use means they will forgo that service, like I do.

The aggressive tone is insulting and assumes criminality when often that’s not the case.

Holeymoley28 · 21/09/2026 18:44

Timeforachange26 · 21/09/2026 18:36

Why would they. They were available on itv also.

Show quote history

Also available at the pub while supporting the local economy lol

NeartoNewquay · 21/09/2026 18:54

Absolutely we pay. I love a lot of BBC programmes, particularly arts and history, including the Sewing Bee, Repair Shop, Inside the Museum, Inside the National Trust and Strictly. Also Ludwig, Colin from Accounts, Austin, Father Brown. (Yes I watch plenty of tv) also use iplayer for things from the archives. I find it excellent value for money.

We have Netflix for our DC but there is hardly ever anything on there that I want to watch.

bababamama · 21/09/2026 18:54

Yes, watching tv right now. Incredibly good value

HalzTangz · 21/09/2026 19:08

Never paid in 32 years, never had a knock on the door, letters go into recycling unopened

Munchyseeds2 · 21/09/2026 19:11

Not for a year now and yet to have any letters
Gave up on BBC/live TV so it's not needed

SALaw · 21/09/2026 19:15

smallglassbottle · 21/09/2026 17:23

The news is the same every day anyway. I never wait with baited breath to hear the latest crap about the price of oil, net zero or how amazing burnham is 🙄

It’s really isn’t?!

ThatGoldScroller · 21/09/2026 19:35

I don’t have a license. Have had one call out to the house for inspection. Several letters, I just keep writing back that I don’t need one

Greenmouldycheese · 21/09/2026 19:36

I dont watch tv, so I dont pay. Im not paying for something I do not use.

Smallestshadow · 21/09/2026 19:37

I don’t think we should have a mandatory payment to watch TV but yes I do pay.

Nugg · 21/09/2026 19:39

Wondering why you wouldn’t I know it’s a tax. My mum didn’t pay after the age of 70 because they changed the rules to say it was no longer free and we used to laugh about it and say she was going to become the Richmond One incarcerated for non-payment😂😂😂

TheeNotoriousPIG · 21/09/2026 19:44

No. I had a lot of threatening letters about sending someone out to visit my property (good luck, as I am in work most of the time) until I learnt on here about the declaration that I do not watch the BBC.

I would consider it if I could pay more like a subscription model, just for a series or two every so often, but I make do without.

EveryDayisFriday · 21/09/2026 19:44

I made a declaration, now I don't watch BBC or live TV

Tryagain26 · 21/09/2026 19:47

Yes because i watch the BBC more than any other channel and more than streaming services and I listen to the radio. I would cancel my steaming services subscriptions before stopping paying for the license

Nemorth · 21/09/2026 19:50

we pay. Happy to mostly. DH works in the sector. We use a lot of BBC resources (web, news, BBC BITESIZE). For all its flaws I think the BBC is an institution we need to protect. Much of the programming is excellent.

B9waiting · 21/09/2026 19:50

I pay but think I clicked the wrong option as the options confused me!

EvilNextDoor · 21/09/2026 20:05

We pay for it but don’t watch live tv and haven’t for years at least 6.

We have Netflix, prime, Disney and a couple others but we never watch live tv and to be fair we don’t even have the bbc radio channels tuned in the car.

I used to love strictly but haven’t watched that for years now either.

maybe it’s time to cancel

GETTINGLIKEMYMOTHER · 21/09/2026 20:12

We pay. We appreciate radio 4 and watch documentaries esp. on BBC 2, BBC 4, plus iplayer quite a bit.
,

Greenlawnbrownlawn · 21/09/2026 20:13

Hmmm, suspect the OP meant "Do you not buy a TV licence even though you should?"

Everyone's saying they don't pay it then say they need to anyway, which I don't think was the point!

sandwalk · 21/09/2026 20:23

I pay it, I watch loads of telly so I pay for everything else as well and skip all the ads if I can. I wouldn't want to restrict myself

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