From today iPlayer is no longer free … you need a £145.50 TV license to watch BBC shows online
A RECIPE re-fresh for Great British Bake Off’s signature challenge or an excuse to ogle over Poldark for a second time will now come at a cost of £145.50.
New license fees imposed by the BBC mean telly addicts eager to catch up on their favourite shows online, or watch them live on their computer screen, will have to pay out every year for an official document.
The hefty price tag means viewers are being forced to stump up the cash just like they would have to if they were glued to their favourite show on the TV set.
They have come into play just as the new seasons of Strictly Come Dancing and hit drama Poldark kick off their new series this weekend.
Telly addicts have reacted with fury at the news and taken to Twitter to vent their anger.
One speculated whether the lure of super chefs Mary Berry and Paul Hollywood would even be enough to scrape together the pennies and wrote: “So “From Thursday you’ll have to pay £150 to use BBC iPlayer. Probably not worth it, even for GBBO.”
Another wrote: “This is just stupid. It’s forcing people to pay for a licence they don’t actually need,” while an angry viewer added: “Now iPlayer are trying to make us pay for their services. Hahaha yeah okay mate. Just because you’re £150 billion short on money.”
One suggested: “If we now have to pay the license fee for iPlayer then I should be able to watch it abroad as well.”
Another added: “If they made iPlayer subscription £5 a month I’d be happy to pay. But instead they try making people criminals,” while one mooted a middle ground and posted: “What about a cheaper iPlayer only TV license? Then I’d pay.”
In the past, only those watching live TV as it happened online needed the legal document.
Though from today, it will be a necessity for those catching up on shows from the past month.
The broadcaster is said to have introduced the policy to clamp down on the grey area, dubbed the “iPlayer loophole.”
A BBC spokesperson said: “At present, a pop-up window appears asking viewers to confirm they’ve got a TV licence when they click to play live BBC content on iPlayer, and from today, that will update to include on-demand BBC programmes on iPlayer.
“The vast majority of households – around 94% – are already licensed so this change will not affect them. You still need a licence to watch or record live TV on any channel.”
Yet one Twitter user embraced the charges to get her fix of music.
She wrote: “Enjoying the delights of the BBC proms on iPlayer! Gershwin, Rachmaninov and now Tchaikovsky. The licence fee is a small price to pay!”
BEEB VERY AFRAID BBC iPlayer enforcers could ‘SPY’ on Brits to make sure they’ve paid the licence fee, it’s feared
Do I need a TV licence to watch iPlayer? Students can still stream for free as new laws come into force?
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