TV Licensing

What is ‘Live TV’ and when do I need a licence to watch it?

Live TV means any programme you watch or record as it’s being shown on TV or live on an online TV service. It’s not just live events like sport, news and music. It also covers soaps, series, documentaries and even movies.

You need to be covered by a TV Licence if you watch live TV on any channel or TV service - such as ITV Hub, All 4, YouTube, Sky, Virgin, BT, Freeview, Amazon Prime Video, Now TV - on any device.

Find out more about watching live TV.