Think you don’t need a TV Licence to watch Big Brother? Think again
You could be fined for not having a TV Licence(Image: Sophie Buchan)
Viewers tuning into Big Brother this year without a valid TV Licence could be fined up to £1,000. The reminder comes with the show’s return, as officials warn that watching live broadcasts without the proper licence can lead to prosecution.
The requirement isn’t limited to Big Brother. A TV Licence is needed for any live television, whatever the channel, and for watching live streams on platforms like ITVX, which carries Big Brother UK.
TV Licensing rules state people must not watch live TV on ITV (or any other channel) without a licence, but you can use ITVX for catch-up and other on-demand programmes without one. It confirms: “You cannot watch any live TV channels without a TV Licence, including ITV. You can watch on-demand programmes on ITVX without a TV Licence.”
This means if you want to watch Big Brother without paying for a TV Licence – which currently costs £180 annually – then you should watch it on catch-up. Do not watch it live as it airs; this includes the live eviction nights.
TV Licensing warns on its website: “You could be prosecuted if we find that you have been watching, recording or downloading programmes illegally. The maximum penalty is a £1,000 fine plus any legal costs and/or compensation you may be ordered to pay. The maximum fine is £2,000 in Guernsey.”
A standard TV Licence now costs £180, while a black-and-white licence is £60.50, following a fee increase on 1 April 2026.
If you don’t have a TV Licence, you can legally watch:
- DVDs or Blu-rays
- YouTube streamers’ videos or clips live or recorded
- On-demand films or TV shows that you watch, rent or buy online from providers like Netflix, Amazon Prime, Sky, EE TV, Sky, Apple TV+, Disney+ or Now
- S4C programmes on demand
- Catch up programmes on services other than BBC iPlayer, such as ITVX, All4 and My5
If you do have a TV Licence, you can watch all of the above, as well as:
- Everything on BBC iPlayer, including award-winning British TV dramas and thousands of other boxsets exclusive to BBC iPlayer
- Live streams of programmes, news or sport on services like ITVX, Sky, YouTube or Netflix
- Live sporting events, like the Rugby World Cup, UEFA Euros and the Olympics
- Memorable live events, like the King’s speech, Royal weddings, Glastonbury and the Eurovision Song Contest
- Live TV on any channels included in a package you pay for, like Virgin, EE TV or Sky
- Live TV on all free channels, including BBC One, ITV2 and Sky News
Remember, a TV Licence isn’t just for the BBC. “With a TV Licence, you can watch all of the above on any device”, licensing officials add.