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Can I cancel my TV licence but watch Wimbledon?

84 replies

BrainInAJar · 06/02/2024 11:54

Hello all,

I'm really having to cut back on expenses. I've paid my TV licence for nearly 20 years and always considered it an essential. However these days I very rarely watch live TV and not much on the BBC. So if I stop that, I could stop my TV licence.

However would it be possible to take pay for just a month so I could watch Wimbledon? Or should I just go and watch it at someone else's house?

Thanks

OP posts:
MrsPelligrinoPetrichor · 06/02/2024 11:55

Watch it on catch up on iplayer.

BrainInAJar · 06/02/2024 11:57

@MrsPelligrinoPetrichor I would still need a TV licence for that.

OP posts:
x2boys · 06/02/2024 11:57

BrainInAJar · 06/02/2024 11:54

Hello all,

I'm really having to cut back on expenses. I've paid my TV licence for nearly 20 years and always considered it an essential. However these days I very rarely watch live TV and not much on the BBC. So if I stop that, I could stop my TV licence.

However would it be possible to take pay for just a month so I could watch Wimbledon? Or should I just go and watch it at someone else's house?

Thanks

It doesn't work that way ,but nobody is ever going to check.....

BrainInAJar · 06/02/2024 11:57

Why DO people pay their TV licence if no-one ever checks? Is it just to avoid the hassle of the letters etc? Or because they're scared of someone turning up to check (even though they're not allowed in?)

OP posts:
megletthesecond · 06/02/2024 11:59

I pay my TV licence as I'm not a knob. They won't make the programmes without the cash to do it.
It's cheap as chips considering how much content the BBC make.

its2024 · 06/02/2024 12:00

The watch bbc on catch up you need a tv licence.

I guess you could cancel your tv licence now and re subscribe for Wimbledon and cancel again and apply for refund. But I'm not sure it's worth the hassle.

Just go round to friends house or pub would be easier option?

NeedAdvice8 · 06/02/2024 12:03

Isn’t there this funny rule that if you own a TV you have to pay, whether or not you watch BBC? I don’t think it’s something you can stop and start, like other subscriptions. But if it’s just for Wimbledon, I think it might be on other paid-for services like Eurosport player or discovery+, which you could watch online and subscribe just for one month.

BrainInAJar · 06/02/2024 12:10

I don't have a physical TV and haven't for about 10 years.

So if the TV licensing folk come round, perhaps I SHOULD invite them into have a look. I know technically they have no right to enter but if it stops them hassling me, might be worthwhile.

Mind you maybe they'd want to look at my laptop to see what I'd been watching. Not 100% sure I want them looking at my computer's history! :-D

OP posts:
SaunteringOnBy · 06/02/2024 12:11

megletthesecond · 06/02/2024 11:59

I pay my TV licence as I'm not a knob. They won't make the programmes without the cash to do it.
It's cheap as chips considering how much content the BBC make.

Let's think about that logically shall we.

You pay your license fee. You believe it finds TV shows being made. Ok.

So you pay your license.
The BBC make a show called Pandering To The Audience.
Starring Gary Linekar and Ed Sheeran.
They pay Lineker and Sheeran £5mil each.
The show costs £30mil total to make.

So, millions of poorer people have funded handing millionaires more millions, they did so on the threat of criminal record.

The BBC then sells the show to several countries world wide and to Netflix. They make £50mil selling the show.

So:
Poor people have now funded millionaires to get paid millions.
The license fee payers funded the BBC to make a show who sells ot to make millions of profit and at no point have the profits from selling the show been handed back to the millions of the poorer people that funded the show to begin with.

And to top it off.. the BBC pay Capita the equivalent of millions and millions of people's license fee just to harass people who don't like the BBC. They also pay millions of millions of people's license fee to prosecute people for non payment, mostly women.

Far from funding the shows you like, you're funding millionaires,.capita and the prosecution of poor people, most of whom are women.

(And an fyi - Capita are the same people that ran the disability assessments that saw people assigned as fit for work who went on to commit suicide put of desperation. Fuck anyone who funds them knowingly.)

SaunteringOnBy · 06/02/2024 12:15

NeedAdvice8 · 06/02/2024 12:03

Isn’t there this funny rule that if you own a TV you have to pay, whether or not you watch BBC? I don’t think it’s something you can stop and start, like other subscriptions. But if it’s just for Wimbledon, I think it might be on other paid-for services like Eurosport player or discovery+, which you could watch online and subscribe just for one month.

You don't have to pay a TV license just because you have a TV.

If you watch live broadcast TV - you need a license.
If you watch iPlayer - you need a license.

You don't need a license to stream Netflix.
You don't need a license to watch on-demand services from ITV, Five, 4.
Don't need a license for Disney+
You don't need a license to watch on demand shows from Amazon prime or freevee.
So on and so on.

CRbear · 06/02/2024 12:18

If you watch it on a laptop you have to be signed in and they know if you have a licence or not at the address given. I’ve had them contact me for watching something (but I’d been at my parents who do have a tv licence)

x2boys · 06/02/2024 12:20

NeedAdvice8 · 06/02/2024 12:03

Isn’t there this funny rule that if you own a TV you have to pay, whether or not you watch BBC? I don’t think it’s something you can stop and start, like other subscriptions. But if it’s just for Wimbledon, I think it might be on other paid-for services like Eurosport player or discovery+, which you could watch online and subscribe just for one month.

No.it used to be like that but people own tv,s now other than to.watch live tv its a ridiculous and archaic concept

x2boys · 06/02/2024 12:22

BrainInAJar · 06/02/2024 12:10

I don't have a physical TV and haven't for about 10 years.

So if the TV licensing folk come round, perhaps I SHOULD invite them into have a look. I know technically they have no right to enter but if it stops them hassling me, might be worthwhile.

Mind you maybe they'd want to look at my laptop to see what I'd been watching. Not 100% sure I want them looking at my computer's history! :-D

Why would you do that?
Just ignore them .

BMW6 · 06/02/2024 12:23

You think you should be able to watch all those matches that are shown for free OP?

Why is that?

NeedAdvice8 · 06/02/2024 12:27

BMW6 · 06/02/2024 12:23

You think you should be able to watch all those matches that are shown for free OP?

Why is that?

Where did OP say that? OP literally said in the post that she wants to pay for this month.

Rosesanddaisies1 · 06/02/2024 12:29

megletthesecond · 06/02/2024 11:59

I pay my TV licence as I'm not a knob. They won't make the programmes without the cash to do it.
It's cheap as chips considering how much content the BBC make.

This. The amount of content on BBC TV and radio, it’s the right thing to pay a small amount for that. It’s cheaper than most other streaming sites

Rosesanddaisies1 · 06/02/2024 12:30

you will likely get away with watching Wimbledon, but you can’t just pay for 1 month.

BrainInAJar · 06/02/2024 12:33

CRbear · 06/02/2024 12:18

If you watch it on a laptop you have to be signed in and they know if you have a licence or not at the address given. I’ve had them contact me for watching something (but I’d been at my parents who do have a tv licence)

So can you just type in the address of anyone you know who has a TV licence?

OP posts:
BrainInAJar · 06/02/2024 12:34

FYI I have no intentions of doing anything dishonest, I'm just interested in how it works.

OP posts:
mitogoshi · 06/02/2024 12:39

If you don't want to ever watch live tv, nor stream I player, just cancel in July after Wimbledon then think about a strategy for the following year. It's about the best value tv you can get anyway, Netflix seems like it has lots but you quickly realise it's not adding much each month, and most is very poor quality.

LauderSyme · 06/02/2024 12:41

I don't remember giving the BBC my home address when I created an account on BBC iplayer?

(Mind you my menopausal brain forgets a lot so maybe I did?)

There are definitely venues like pubs which show Wimbledon - though they may not bother with matches like seed 99 v wild card on court 3.

BrainInAJar · 06/02/2024 12:46

Oh - random thought - can I listen to BBC Radio without a TV licence?

OP posts:
Mayhavingbabyinmay · 06/02/2024 12:46

LauderSyme · 06/02/2024 12:41

I don't remember giving the BBC my home address when I created an account on BBC iplayer?

(Mind you my menopausal brain forgets a lot so maybe I did?)

There are definitely venues like pubs which show Wimbledon - though they may not bother with matches like seed 99 v wild card on court 3.

Yep - I didn't give my address but I think my email is the same one I used to say I don't have a tv license? I didn't use it at my own home but at my parents who have a to license but I think they cross references emails or names?

MoltenLasagne · 06/02/2024 12:46

My TV licence is more than any other subscription service I have. It's £13 a month, where Netflix is £11 and Prime is £9 including free delivery.

CRbear · 06/02/2024 12:58

@Mayhavingbabyinmay ah! Maybe that’s how they did it! I just assumed address but email makes more sense, I also had an active declaration at that time.