TV Licensing

TV Licensing reminder to community groups ahead of Olympic screenings

With more than 3,000 hours of live sporting action from Rio this summer¹, TV Licensing and the National Association for Voluntary and Community Action are joining together to remind community groups and charities to check they are correctly licensed to share the spectacular sporting TV coverage as it happens.

Considerable numbers of community groups, sporting and social clubs are expected to host viewing events and parties, where they are set to enjoy landmark Olympic moments at community groups and centres across the UK.

BBC One's coverage kicks off featuring the Opening Ceremony on 5 August, with live action each day from 1pm to 4am until the Closing Ceremony on 21 August. On BBC Four, live action will be available every day from 1pm to 4am².

TV Licensing has produced a Guide for Community Groups (PDF 566Kb opens in a new window), which answers common questions asked by groups and includes information about holding one-off live viewing events and refunds.

Jason Hill, spokesperson for TV Licensing said:

Community groups will need to buy a TV Licence if they plan to watch the coverage live but can claim a refund for any unused quarters if they only need a licence for this one-off sporting event.

Social and community group managers have been prosecuted in Magistrates’ courts in the past year. We would always rather people pay for their TV Licence than risk an embarrassing prosecution and fine of up to £1,000.

Neil Cleeveley, Chief Executive, National Association for Voluntary and Community Action, said:

We know that the Olympics will be hugely popular and are sure to be celebrated widely and enthusiastically across the country, so any group or charity that’s planning an event with live viewing must make sure they are prepared.

If a space at a local community centre is rented out to a group, then it is the responsibility of the centre owner or manager, who gives permission for the group to watch a TV on the site, to make sure the centre is correctly licensed. If the property is owned or managed by a community group, then responsibility lies with the group to make sure they are watching legally.

TV Licensing enquiry officers will be visiting unlicensed clubs, sports halls and community centres throughout the summer. Any group found watching TV illegally risks a court prosecution and fine of up to £1,000 per offence, plus costs.

Last year TV Licensing enquiry officers visited more than 30,000 unlicensed businesses across the UK, ranging from takeaway restaurants and holiday parks to garages, hair salons and sports clubs, to ensure they were correctly licensed.

At TV Licensing, we are committed to making our information accessible to everyone in the community, which is why if you belong to an ethnic minority community organisation, or English is your second language, we recommend you download TV Licensing information from our site – it is available in more than 16 languages.

We encourage community groups to view or download our Guide for Community Groups (PDF 566Kb opens in a new window) to learn more about it.

¹ www.bbc.co.uk/mediacentre/mediapacks/rio

² Times correct at time of release, but subject to change