TV Licensing

Licences facts and figures

Licences in Force

How many TV Licences are in force in the UK?

TV Licensing reports on the number of TV licences ‘in force’ following the end of each month, as the exact number of licences in force fluctuates on a daily basis and monthly basis. Reasons for this include the purchase of new licences, cancellation by TV Licensing as a result of payment failure and cancellation by customers themselves for a variety of reasons such as moving house, or a delayed licence renewal where a licence expires and is renewed in a different month.

UK total number of licences in force in 2024/25*

	No. of licences in force
April 2024	24,073,280
May 2024	24,056,700
June 2024	24,049,790
July 2024	24,071,940
August 2024	23,879,220
September 2024	23,914,740
October 2024	23,911,790
November 2024	23,881,540
December 2024	23,860,360
January 2025	23,854,330
February 2025	23,829,540
March 2025	23,792,200

An address may require more than one licence (e.g. student accommodation, care homes and hotels). Therefore, it is the number of licences that is shown here, rather than the number of addresses with a licence. The number of households and business premises with TV Licences cannot be readily extracted from the total number of licences in force, because such information is not specifically recorded for each licence.

*These figures are approximations of the number of licences in force and have been rounded to the nearest ten.

How many households in the UK have a TV?

The Broadcasters’ Audience Research Board (BARB) provides data on TV households and on households using non-TV devices to watch television. Adjustments are then made to this data to identify those households that need a licence. Across 2024/25 statistics show that around 90% of UK households may be licensable.

How many premises hold more than one licence?

As at 31 March 2025, 204,000* addresses were recorded on the TV Licensing database as being issued with more than one TV Licence. There are instances where it is legitimate to have more than one licence at an address, e.g. for student accommodation, care homes and hotels. In other cases, an address may temporarily be recorded as having more than one licence due to licence payers moving premises.

*Figures have been rounded to the nearest thousand.

How many black and white (mono) TV Licences in force were there in the year?

This information is published in the BBC Annual Report and Accounts. Please refer to the notes to the accounts – Note B2.

How many TV Licences have been issued to the BBC?

Most BBC locations are covered by what is known as a ‘multi-licence’ which is a licence designed for large organisations with multiple sites. In the financial year 2024/25, 97 licences were purchased under the BBC multi-licence.

Information for licences held by the BBC’s commercial subsidiaries, such as BBC Studios, is not included in these figures because it is not subject to the FOI Act.

How many TV Licences have been cancelled?

TV Licensing cancellations information data does not differentiate between licences cancelled by customers themselves and licences cancelled by TV Licensing, for various reasons including payment failure. Consequently, TV Licensing is unable to identify the number of licences solely cancelled by customers.

Further information on licence cancellations is available in The BBC Trust statement on the Television Licence Fee.

Concessions

Who decides which groups get a concession on the licence fee?

The TV Licence fee – including concessions and payment amounts – is prescribed by Parliament under the Communications (Television Licensing) Regulations 2004 (opens in a new window) (as amended). The BBC is not responsible for these matters. You may wish to contact the government agency responsible for broadcasting in the UK – the Department for Culture, Media and Sport (opens in a new window) – to raise any issues you may have about the legal framework for the licence fee. The Department’s address is 100 Parliament Street, London SW1A 2BQ.

We recognise that some people may have difficulty paying for their TV Licence in one lump sum. A range of payment plans are available to allow for paying the licence fee in manageable instalments and our agents can help find the right one for customers.

People can also save towards the payment of their next licence by using a TV Licensing savings card.

TV Licensing works closely with money advice groups and other stakeholders to ensure that information about flexible payment methods reaches those who might benefit from it.

Information on the types of concessions and how you can apply for them can be found below:

• People who are aged 75 or over and receive Pension Credit
• People who are blind (severely sight impaired)
• People who live in qualifying residential care homes and are disabled or over 60
• Businesses that provide units of overnight accommodation (e.g. a hotel)

 

Are BBC staff eligible for a reduced licence fee or free TV Licences?

BBC staff are not eligible for a reduced licence fee or a free TV Licence by virtue of the fact they work for the BBC.

BBC staff are eligible for concessions just like anyone else. Blind (severely sight-impaired) persons are eligible for a 50% concession on the licence fee, and persons aged 75 years or older who receive Pension Credit. The BBC doesn’t retain a list of staff members who receive concessions on their licence.

Who is eligible for a free TV Licence?

Anyone aged 75 or over in a household where there is a recipient of Pension Credit is eligible for a free TV Licence which the BBC will pay for. The application process for this has been substantially improved in 2025. Households where there is no one aged 75 or over who receives Pension Credit will need to buy a licence if one is needed.

How many people each year reach 75 years old and become eligible for a free over 75 TV Licence?

The BBC doesn’t hold information on the number of people each year who reach 75 years old and become eligible for a free TV Licence. These figures may be available from the Department for Work and Pensions (opens in a new window).

How many BBC funded TV Licences are in force?

This information is published in the BBC Annual Report and Accounts. Please refer to the notes to the accounts – Note B2.