Boss says BBC News to be on streaming sites like Netflix YouTube TikTok and added it’s fair if ‘everyone’ funds it
BBC Director General Matt Brittin spoke about how the corporation is funded(Image: Jeff Overs/BBC/PA Wire)
BBC director-general Matt Brittin has said he wants BBC News to be on streaming sites like Netflix in a bid to reform how the broadcaster’s content is consumed and paid for. The BBC is predominantly funded through the licence fee, which rose earlier this year to £180 annually, however it is being reviewed ahead of the charter renewal in December 2027.
Brittin previously said the corporation is “held back” by its TV licence fee, which is “no longer fit for purpose”, and suggested a household levy as a potential funding option.
Speaking on the Sunday With Laura Kuenssberg programme, he emphasised the need to modernise the current funding model to ensure it is fair and that it reflects how audiences consume content.
He said: “What we need to look at is the current model. You pay the licence fee if you watch live TV or you’re on iPlayer.
“I’d like to see reform that allows us to be where audiences are. I think BBC content should be on Netflix, on YouTube, on TikTok, on Spotify, and Instagram, and everywhere where audiences are. Particularly news, actually, which I think is part of disinfecting misinformation. It’s our job to be everywhere.”
Brittin said a household levy is a model that has been used in many other countries to fund public media and would ensure a level of fairness. He added: “There was a report just this week saying that if you move to something which every household pays, you can charge everyone less.
“Collections costs are lower, there’s limited evasion, but we’re living at a time of really difficult costs of living for everyone, and that’s quite a big shift from where we are today.”
When asked why everybody should pay the proposed levy despite not using it, he said: “Ninety four per cent of households every month are consuming BBC content. That’s incredible, but yet only 80% are paying.
“So there’s a fairness issue there in terms of how we fund the BBC and I think that the principle is if we want a BBC that’s for everyone, then it needs to be funded by everyone, and how you get that modernisation is critical.”
He clarified this specific model of a universal household bill is not what he is advocating for but rather one of the ideas that is being discussed.
Brittin said: “What we’re advocating is reform that allows us to offer the services universally and that is modernised towards where people are watching today.
The standard TV licence is legally required in order to watch or record television on any channel or service, watch live on streaming services and to use BBC iPlayer.
The BBC’s licence fee income has dropped by more than £1 billion in real terms over the past decade, with the 2026 BBC annual report revealing TV licences fell by more than half a million in the 2025/26 financial year. The royal charter sets out the arrangements for the governance of the corporation, including how the corporation is funded.
It currently has to be renewed every 10 years and is set to end in December 2027. It came as Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy was asked: “Is the license fee finished?” She replied: “No, I don’t think the license fee is finished, but we are looking at a number of options through the charter. It is our firm intention to put the BBC on a sustainable financial footing and it hasn’t been for over a decade.”
On being reminded the director general said it’s a busted flush, she said: “Well, the director general is in a difficult position and I have real sympathy with him. He came into an organization that has had to deal with a decade of falling revenues partly because of changing viewing habits, fewer people paying the licence fee, but also because of successive government decisions, whether it’s to freeze the license fee or to load additional responsibilities onto the BBC.
“And I think he’s right to say that you cannot expect the BBC to be able to do everything on a limited budget. However, there are certain things about the BBC that are absolutely essential to the life of this country. Whether it’s regional programming, children’s programming, or news content, the BBC is one of the most trusted outlets in the world. And for us as a government, Whilst we will work with the BBC to put it on a firm financial footing through this charter, those those services for us are non-negotiable, they’re provided to people in this country as of right. Uh and we’re working with the BBC leadership on that basis.”