Do I need a TV licence to use an Amazon Fire Stick?
MILLIONS of people own an Amazon Fire Stick and most use it as a way to watch on-demand telly.
But as with any TV, you might be wondering whether you need a TV licence.
The answer isn’t a simple yes or no – it really depends on how you use your Fire Stick.
Do I need a TV licence when watching TV through a Fire Stick?
The TV licence currently costs £159 for a year but very soon it’s going up.
From April, it’ll go up to £169.50, which is an increase of £10.50.
A TV licence is required for two things – if you watch live TV as it’s being broadcast or if you’re accessing BBC iPlayer.
So, if you only ever watch on-demand shows or movies (that’s not on iPlayer) and never go on live streams you’re fine.
This applies to all gadgets, including Amazon Fire Sticks.
For any reason of doubt – you can install and watch content on platforms like ITVX and Channel 4‘s apps.
But you must not use the live channel features.
This includes live channels you pay for with a subscription, such as Sky Sports.
And you can’t record live TV to watch at a later date either.
You are not allowed to watch content on BBC iPlayer, whether it’s live or on-demand.
How the BBC could be funded in the future
The Government has announced a review into how sustainable the BBC licence fee will be in the future.
If you watch or record broadcasted TV programmes, you must have a TV licence either through purchase or given free to those receiving pension credit and 75 years or older.
All forms of transmission include using the BBC iPlayer on a smart television, laptops and tablets.
The licence fee had been frozen at £159 over the last two years and the Government has announced it will now rise by £10.50 to £169.50 from April 2024.
However, this is a reduced amount as the planned rise had been around £15 next year.
The licence fee pays for TV, radio and online programmes and services including iPlayer, Radio 1, CBeebies and the World Service.
It also funds Welsh language TV channel S4C and local TV channels.
It is reported to be worth more than £3billion to the BBC.
What will the review do?
The Government said there are “challenges around the sustainability of the current licence fee funding model” due to fewer people taking up the licence fee and watching broadcasted television.
It also thinks that enforcement on people not paying the fee is “increasingly disproportionate in a modern public service broadcasting system”.
The review will be led by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS), which will take evidence from stakeholders and create a panel of experts to help with the findings.
The report, which will look at making the BBC more commercial, alternative funding models and how the corporation could transition, will inform the Charter Review and report in Autumn 2024.
What are the alternative options?
Alternatives to the licence fee could include a broadband levy, advertising or a subscription model.
A subscription model, as used by streaming services such as Netflix and Disney+, which have already announced price increases, has long been touted as an alternative to the licence fee.
For Netflix’s most expensive ad-free service, the price will go up to £17.99 per month in the UK (£215.88 a year). The basic plan is rising by £1 a month to £7.99 a month.
Disney+ also recently announced a major restructuring of its subscription plans, with an ad-supported tier introduced in the UK from November 1.
All existing Disney+ customers have automatically been moved to its top-tier premium subscription package, priced at £10.99 per month or £109.90 per year, unless they actively switch to another plan.
Apple TV+ currently costs £8.99 a month, after an increase of £2 from £6.99 a month.
Currently, the BBC does not have advert breaks on its domestic TV channels and its website is free from advertising.
What will happen if I’m caught without a TV licence?
TV Licencing warns you could be prosecuted if they find that you’ve 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.
How to cut streaming bills with top FREE TV
Netflix, Disney+ and Amazon Prime don't come cheap - and year on year subscription costs seem to go up.
Fortunately there are loads of free streaming TV alternatives not everyone knows about.
Here are some free alternatives worth trying: